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forth their reverence. Since from such places descend the 
streams which irrigate the fields, Marang Burn has become 
the god to be invoked for rain. Offerings are made to him on 
the summit of the hill or other object in which he is supposed 
to reside. 
It is not, however, with the superior gods and _ their 
decorous worship that we have most to do in describing the 
deities of these rude tribes. Their chief concern is to keep 
the peace with a host of minor gods, with whom their imagi- 
nation has filled the whole realm of nature. In the forest, 
the field, the house—everywhere these beings throng. They 
are mostly of a jealous, revengeful dispesition, and seem to 
take a malicious pleasure in teasing mankind. Fortunately, 
they are not insensible to human blandishments, and he is 
pretty sure to prosper who most assiduously cultivates their 
good-will, which can best be done by providing for them some 
toothsome dainty. It would be quite unnecessary to record 
lists of these lower gods, whose names are legion, since their 
attributes and the worship by which they are propitiated are 
everywhere of the same general type. A few characteristic 
examples will suffice. The Singphos recognise three spirits 
called Nhats, who preside respectively over the higher, 
the lower world, and the household. Offerings of fowls, dogs, 
and on special occasions a buffalo, are made to them. ‘The 
Chulikata Mishmis declare that the spirits whom they worship 
are mortal lke themselves. The gods of the Abors and 
Miris dwell in the trees of the woods which cover their hill- 
sides. They love to kidnap children, whom they can gener- 
ally be made to restore by proceeding to fell the trees in 
which they reside. The Nagas say that their gods are created 
beings, and they are accustomed to vary their offerings 
aecording to the dignity of the recipient. Semes, the god of 
wealth, gets the larger domestic animals; Kuchimpai, the god 
of fertility, receives fowls and eggs; while Kangniba, who, 
on account of blindness, cannot distinguish offerings, gets 
nothing of any value. ‘They believe that each disease is the 
work of a special demon, whose business and pleasure it is to 
spread it abroad; but his malicious design is sometimes 
thwarted by hanging bunches of withered leaves on the 
lintels of the door to frighten him, or branches of trees are 
stuck in the paths leading to the village, that the spirit may 
take them for untravelled ways. Since the tiger is of all 
beasts in India the most dreaded, it is not strange that a 
tiger-demon should be recognised. He is worshipped by the 
Kaisans, who think in this way to escape the ravages of that 
animal. Among the Santals, in Ramgarh, only those who 
