THE GREAT FEAST 225 



child in the cradle also stretches out its right arm to 

 receive treatment, while other children and women place 

 their right hands on the hand and arm of the first woman, 

 five to ten individuals thus simultaneously receiving the 

 passes which the blian dispenses from left to right. She 

 accompanies the ceremony with murmured expressions 

 suggesting removal from the body of all that is evil, 

 with exhortations to improvement, etc. 



This service concluded, a man standing in the back- 

 ground holding a shield with the inside uppermost, ad- 

 vances to the side of the mother and places it horizontally 

 under the cradle, where it is rapidly moved forward and 

 backward. Some of the men also presented themselves 

 for treatment after the manner above described, and al- 

 though the melah performance is usually reserved for this 

 great feast, it may be employed by the blian for nightly 

 service in curing disease. 



This was followed by a dance of the blians present, 

 nine or ten in number, to the accompaniment of four 

 gongs and one drum. They moved in single file, most of 

 them making two steps and a slight turn to left, two steps 

 and a slight turn to right, while others moved straight 

 on. In this way they described a drawn-out circle, ap- 

 proaching an ellipse, sixteen times. After the dancing 

 those who took part in the ceremonies ate toasted rice. 

 Each day of the feast in the afternoon food was given to 

 antoh by blians and girl pupils. Boiled rice, a small 

 quantity of salt, some dried fish, and boiled fowl were 

 wrapped in pieces of banana leaves, and two such small 

 parcels were offered on each occasion. 



