214 Religion &c. among the Karens. [No. 4, 



our daughters handsome, our sons skilful ; give us food, give us drink, 

 give us to become governors, give us to become elders ; enable us to 

 buy kyee-zees, to spear with fatal effect ; make our names famous, 

 heard above and below ; make us joyous and happy with our wives 

 and children." 



After praying, they rise up and dance again. When the dancing is 

 done, they set the food in order in the booth, to remain there all night, 

 as not a bit of it is to be eaten before the next day, and then return 

 to their houses, dancing all the way home. The remainder of the 

 day is spent in their houses, drinking, dancing, and beating kyee-zees 

 and gongs. 



The next morning they all repair again to the foot of the Eugenia 

 tree, when the heads of the sacrifice and the elders commence eating 

 the food and drinking the spirits that have been prepared and placed 

 in the booth. All are allowed to partake that choose, but the food is 

 considered holy, and none but the holy, clean, and upright persons are 

 considered as proper persons to partake of it. The question of fitness 

 is left, however, for every one to decide for himself. If a man feels 

 persuaded in his own mind that he is guilty of no transgression, but 

 is upright and holy, he goes forward and partakes of the food ; but if 

 his conscience reproves him for some wrong deed or word, he joins 

 the throng outside the booth and occupies the time with others in 

 dancing. Nor is unfitness to partake of this holy food confined to 

 iin moral acts. There are certain ceremonial uncleannesses which are 

 regarded as unfitting a man to partake. For instance, if a man's wife 

 is pregnant, he is deemed unclean, and unfitted to eat of this holy 

 food. 



After the feast is finished, the company returns to the village, danc- 

 ing all the way as before ; and on arriving at the houses, one or two 

 of "*' the heads of the sacrifice," go to the brook and draw two bamboos 

 of water for every family in the village. After the water has been 

 drawn, " the heads of the sacrifice" call all the members of each 

 family to the hall or verandah ; men, women, and children, and then 

 he sprinkles or throws the water from one bamboo upon them. 

 Those who get wet are said to be free from evil, because the water is 

 " holy water." One bamboo full remains in the house till next morn- 

 ing, when the owners go to the fields, and sprinkle it on their growing 



