260 THE PAMALI, OR " TABOO." 



diately observed that they could not be otherwise, as they 

 had never been visited by the Rajah, and he begged of 

 me to try and induce Mr. Brooke to visit them, to remove 

 the causes which had rendered their crop a small one. 



The Pamali is a curious practice, resembling the 

 " taboo" of the South Sea Islands, and is intimately 

 connected with their festivals, and other religious or 

 superstitious observances. The Pamali is of different 

 kinds, and used on several occasions ; but to describe 

 the three principal ones, will be sufficient in a small 

 work of this nature. These are the " Pamali Mati," or 

 " taboo," for the dead; the " Pamali Peniakit" or that for 

 sickness ; and the " Pamali Omar" or that for the Padi 

 farms. 



The first, Pamali Mati, is on a house, and on every 

 thing in it for twelve days after the decease of any person 

 belonging to it : during this time, no one, who is not an 

 inhabitant of the dwelling can enter it, nor are the 

 persons usually residing in it allowed to speak to such, 

 nor can any thing, on any pretence whatever, be removed 

 from it, until the twelve days of the prohibition be 

 expired : its conclusion is marked by the death of a fowl 

 or pig, according to the circumstances of the family. 



The Pamali Peniakit is undertaken by a whole village 

 during any sickness which prevails generally amongst 

 the members of the tribe ; it is marked by a pig slain, 

 and a feast being made in order to propitiate the divinity 

 who has sent the malady among them ; in its severest 

 form, it is of eight days' continuance, and during this 

 period every thing in the village is at a stand still, the 



