256 PROPITIATION OF THEIR DEITIES. 



before ; which, when he had finished, we returned 

 together into the verandah, and the Orang Kaya tied 

 a little hawk-bell round my wrist, requesting me at the 

 same time to tie another, with which he furnished me 

 for the purpose, round the same joint of his right 

 hand. After this, the noisy gongs and tomtoms 

 began to play, being suspended from the rafters at 

 one end of the verandah, and the chief tied another 

 of the little bells round my wrist : his example was 

 this time followed by all the old men present, each 

 addressing a few words to me, or rather mumbling 

 them to themselves, of which I did not understand 

 the purport. 



Every person who now came in, brought with him 

 several bamboos of cooked rice; and each, as. he 

 arrived, added one to the number of my bells, so that 

 they had now become inconveniently numerous, and I 

 requested, as a favour, that the remainder might be 

 tied upon my left wrist, if it made no difference to 

 the ceremony. Those who followed, accordingly did 

 as I had begged of them in this particular. Soon 

 after, a spotted fowl was brought in, having its legs 

 tied together: it was held out to an old man, who 

 also tied its wings, and the person who had brought 

 it then made it fast to one of the posts of the door- 

 Immediately after, a white one was brought, which was 

 secured in the same manner. In half-an-hour the 

 spotted one was again produced, and its legs being 

 loosened, it was given into the hands of the Orang 

 Kaya, who swinging it backwards and forwards over 



