VI 



AGRICULTURE 113 



the beetles, calling to them to direct their move- 

 ments. The people crowd round deeply interested, 

 while the old man interprets the movements of the 

 beetles as forecasting good or ill luck with the crops 

 of the following season, and invokes the good-will 

 of Laki Ivong. Laki Ivong is asked to bring the 

 soul of xh^ padi to their homes. Juice from a sugar- 

 cane is poured upon the water, and the women 

 drink the water, while the beetles are carefully- 

 returned to the river. The beetles carry the 

 messages to Laki Ivong. 



When these observances have been duly 

 honoured, there begins a scene of boisterous fun. 

 The women make pads of the boiled sticky new 

 rice, and cover it with soot from their cooking 

 vessels. With these they approach the men and 

 dab the pads upon their faces and bodies, leaving 

 sooty marks that are not easily removed. The 

 men thus challenged give chase, and attempt to get 

 possession of the rice pads and to return the polite 

 attention. For a short space of time a certain 

 license prevails among the young people ; and 

 irregularities, even on the part of married people, 

 which would be gravely reprobated at all other 

 times, are looked upon very much less seriously. 

 It is, in fact, the annual carnival. Each roomhold 

 has prepared a stock of burak from the new rice, 

 and this now circulates freely among both men and 

 women, and large meals of rice and pork are usually 

 eaten. All join in dancing, some of the women 

 dressed like men, some carrying /^^afz-pestles ; at 

 one moment all form a long line marching up and 

 down the gallery in step to the strains of the keluri ; 

 some young men dance in realistic imitation of 

 monkeys (dok\ or hornbills, or other animals, singly 

 or in couples. Others mimic the peculiarities of 

 their acquaintances. The women also dance 

 together in a long line, each resting her hands on 



VOL. I I 



