232 Religion dr. among the Karens. [No. 4, 



giving his opinion, and the conclusion reached was, as I afterwards learn- 

 ed, that the omens were favourable for a contemplated attack on a 

 village in eastern Karenee. The fowl, however, deceived them that time ; 

 for some half a dozen wounded men of the village were brought in next 

 day, and no plunder. 



The Bghais seem to regard the fowl as the bird of Indra, the king 

 of the Deva heavens. Once a year, in February or March, every 

 Bghai family holds a festival, in which every person's wrist is tied 

 with a thread, and prayers are addressed both to the fowl offered, and 

 to Thie-keu, Mo-khie, or Indra. The rite is called : " The good to 

 do;" but of its origin and object, the natives can give no account 

 beyond what is found in the forms themselves. An intelligent Bghai 

 assistant furnishes the following statement : 



"When the time approaches, the people prepare beforehand ardent 

 spirits, and buy hogs and fowls, and get every thing ready. When 

 the time actually comes, the villagers perform the ceremony, two or 

 three or four families a day, till it has gone through the whole village. 



" The firs! thing done is to bring up two jars of arrack, and secure 

 them by tying them to a bamboo, and the next is to bring up a hog 

 and [owls. Then an eating dish is washed and filled with water, and 

 Bel by the side of the jars with spirits. 



" An elder is now called on, any one skilled in interpreting fowl's 

 bones, and a fowl is put into his hands. He cuts off the bill of the 

 fowl, dips*its bead and feet in the water, and then drops the blood 

 from the bleeding head on the forehead of the oldest man of the family 

 that is performing the ceremony. 



" The master of ceremonies then addresses the elder, and says : 

 ' The hand-tier devours thee. Thou hast the jaundice, thou art 

 shrivelled up, thou art not strong, thou art weakly. Now we give 

 food and drink to the hand-tier. Mayest thou be strong, mayest thou 

 be vigorous. Mayest thou be established as the rock, indestructible 

 as the hearth stones. Mayest thou have long life, mayest thou have a 

 protracted existence.' " 



After besmearing the elder's forehead with the fowl's blood, the 

 master of ceremonies pinches a few feathers and a little down from the 

 fowl's neck, and sticks them on the blood, where they adhere, per- 

 haps for the whole day. 



