104 ON THE SANTHALS 



should the husband, for any good reason, take a second 

 wife, the first always remains the head of the domestic 

 household. To appease the Bongas or evil spirits, a lamb 

 is sometimes offered as a sacrifice ; this is killed by an axe, 

 and the propitiatory fire is made to burn by blowing upon 

 it through ox-horns. Their principal food is rice and 

 curry ; knives, spoons and forks are unknown, and they 

 use only their fingers ; it would be a mistake to lead them 

 to adopt European customs in eating. 



They are remarkable performers on the flute. This they 

 make of bamboo, not less than an inch in diameter and 

 two feet long ; it has six holes, and is played by four fin- 

 gers of the right, and two of the left hand ; its tones are 

 deep and rich. They are also good singers and dancers, 

 skilful makers of intoxicating drinks, and have very jolly 

 times. There is always an open space for dancing in front 

 of the house of the head 'man of a village, where they dance 

 evenings to the music of their flutes and drums of burnt 

 clay. In one of their chief dances, the Rasa, the girls 

 are decked with flowers and tinkling ornaments, and the 

 young men with garlands and peacock feathers tak- 

 ing hold of "hands," and so close together that the breast 

 of the girl is in contact with the back of the man next to 



' <" * ' \\^\ V f T f Tr*"! C^'ff\ m TfjQ fl"f T^"\ Q-fr*r rt *\" r\ ' 



her. Thus they go round in a great circle, all their legs 

 moving as if they belonged to one creature, the feet fall- 

 ing in such perfect cadence as to put to shame the best 

 drilled soldiers. The musicians are in the centre, fluting, 

 drumming, and dancing, forming the axis of the move- 

 ment, the dancers singing in response, just as described 

 in the Vishnu Purana in the w dance of Krishna." Usually 

 men and women do not dance together, but always in a 

 row, forward and back, and around the musicians. They 

 make no cloth, but obtain it from their neighbors, traders, 

 and the English. The women wear an ample covering of 



