AVERY. 105 
employed by the Kols for the detection of the offender. A 
large cone-shaped wooden vessel is placed apex downward 
upon the ground, and on this is laid a flat stone. A boy is 
made to balance himself upon the stone, while the names of 
all the people in the vicinity are slowly repeated. With the 
mention of each name a few grains of rice are thrown at the 
boy; and when the right name is uttered the stone moves, 
and he falls off. The foretellmg of future events by the 
observation of omensis one of the most important functions of 
the priest ; although the interpretation of these is among 
some tribes the duty of a special diviner, who is another person 
than the priest. Among the Singphos the diviner holds over 
the fire joints of a large sort of grass until they explode, and 
then examines the position of the minute fibres thrown out 
beside the fracture. The Abors scrutinise the entrails of 
birds, but get the best results from pig’s liver. They informed 
Colonel Dalton ‘that the words and faces of men were ever 
fallacious, but that pig’s liver never deceived them.’ ‘The 
Khasias seek omens from the contents of eggs. The western 
Naga tribes put the village under tabu, when the omens are 
to be observed ; and no one is permitted to enter or leave it, 
or to engage in labour for two days. This especially occurs 
when they are about to cut down the jungle for their rude 
agriculture. At this time all fire is extinguished, and new 
fire is produced by the friction of two sticks. When there is 
a birth or death in a family the house is put under tabu for 
five days, and no one but the inmates can enter or leave it. 
The same practice of tabu is observed among the Mishmis, 
who, when misfortune visits a house, thus isolate it by placing 
the sprig of a certain plant at the door. A common mode of 
divination among the Nagas is to cut slices from a reed, and 
observe how these fall. They also kill a fowl, and notice how 
the legs lie. If the right leg lies over the left, the omen is 
favourable; but, if the reverse is the case, it is unlucky. 
Among some of the tribes the diviners are called ojhas, a 
Bengali word derived from ojh, “entrail.”” Among the 
Mundas a common way to ascertain which of the gods ought 
to be propitiated is to drop oil to water, at the same time 
naming a deity. If the globule remains whole, the right 
name has been pronounced, but, if it divides, the experiment 
must be repeated. A method sometimes employed by the 
Oraons to show whether the god is pleased with a proposed 
sacrifice is to make a mud image of him, and to sprinkle upon 
it a few grains of rice; then the fowls designed for the 
sacrifice are placed before it, and if they peck at the rice the 
omen is favourable. Belief in witchcraft is not uncommon. 
VOL. XIX. I 
