3o6 BARA SACRED PLACES. 



vato-tscingana, a large upright stone." * Among these same 

 people, but farther south, I met with an altar consisting of a 

 long flat stone supported by several smaller ones. Another 

 kind was made by an upright stake fixed in the ground with 

 a number of bamboos arranged round it, forming a cone- 

 shaped structure ; in front of this several stones were placed ; 

 and upon this rude altar the heads of cattle, fowls, &c., were 

 thrown as offerings. Here also the people come to pray for 

 the blessings which they desire, especially for children. 



Among the B^ra people there are said, by Mr. Eichardson, 

 to be three kinds of sacred places. The first are the fetish 

 tamarind trees found near some of the towns. Surrounding 

 the trunk of these trees, some of which are very large, " are 

 laid small baskets, mats, fan-palm leaves, locks of hair, 

 &c. &c. ; and on the surrounding branches similar articles are 

 hung, evidently placed there in making a vow, or as a thanks- 

 offering for some benefit." Then come the sacred posts out- 

 side the towns. The commonest kind of these are " about a 

 foot in diameter, and rise to the height of six feet or more. 

 The lower part is round; about a foot from the ground two 

 grooves are cut in the post, leaving a piece about the size of 

 a man's head ; above this the post is cut in the form of an 

 immense four-sided stake tapering to a fine point. They are 

 sometimes three in number, and in exposed places are sur- 

 rounded by a fence of vero (a very tall grass) or bamboo. 

 Some of these posts are much shorter, and are rudely carved 

 to represent a man, but mostly a woman. These are the 

 guardians of the town." The third kind are " the sacred 

 posts in the King's enclosure, which are generally of the same 

 character as those outside the town; but more frequently 

 they consist of about half-a-dozen sticks about the thickness 

 of an ordinary walking-stick. The bark of the upper part is 

 peeled off in circular rings, showing the white wood, and these 

 are smeared with blood, mostly the blood of oxen killed to 

 propitiate the deity. There is a bent spear, also smeared with 

 blood, stuck in the centre of these sticks, and the whole is 

 enclosed in a fence of bamboo." 



In another part of the Bara country, a native account de- 



* Antananarivo Annual, Xo. ii. p. 60. 



