THE ABORIGINAL TRIBES 145 



sion gained strength; and the barbarous throng cheered 

 with voice and hand, when by his motions he indicated a 

 total and continued disregard of my persuasions to desist. 

 He made his offering of cocoa-nuts, first breaking one; 

 and he emptied into a gourd presented by the priestess 

 his previous collection of pice and cowries. She now 

 tendered to him some ardent spirit in the nut shell, first 

 making her son drink some from his hand, to obviate all 

 suspicion of its being drugged. A little was poured in 

 libation on the idol. She hinted to him to deliver to her 

 the silver rings he wore. In doing so he gave a proof of 

 singular coUectedness. One of the first he took off he 

 concealed in his mouth till he had presented to her all the 

 rest, when, searching among the surrounding countenances, 

 he pointed to a man to whom he ordered this ring to be 

 given. It was a person who had accompanied him from 

 Oojein. An eagerness was now evinced by several to 

 submit bracelets and even betel-nuts to his sacred touch. 

 He composedly placed such in his mouth and returned 

 them. The priestess at last presented him with a fann 

 leaf,^ and he left the spot with a firm step, amidst the 

 plaudits of the crowd. During the latter half of his ascent 

 he was much concealed from view by shrubs. At length 

 he appeared to the aching sight, and stood in a bold and 

 erect posture upon the fatal eminence. Some short time 

 he passed in agitated motions on the stone ledge, tossing 

 now and then his arms aloft as if employed in invocation. 

 At length he ceased ; and, in slow motions with both his 

 hands, made farewell salutations to the assembled multi- 

 tude. This done, he whirled down the cocoa-nut, mirror, 

 knife, and lime, which he had continued to hold; and 

 stepping back was lost to view for a moment — a pause 

 that caused the head to swim, the heart to sink, and the 

 flesh to creep. The next second he burst upon our agonised 

 sight in a most manful leap,^ descending feet foremost 

 with terrific rapidity, till, in mid career, a projecting rock 

 reversed his position, and caused a headlong fall. Instant 



^ The usual signal for the termination of a formal interview. 

 * The place is called the " Bir-Kali" rock, which I believe means 

 literally the " manful leap." 



