196 A NATURALIST IN CELEBES ch. viii 



separated in thin flakes, and in that condition it is ready- 

 to be cooked and eaten. 



On special occasions such as feasts the natives eat pigs 

 and chickens and other forms of animal food. 



The Sangirese suffer from many kinds of disease. 

 Besides the ordinary forms of fever and dysentery, the most 

 prevalent and terrible diseases are the hoha and the 

 kaskade himpank. The first shows itself at first as small 

 sores like pock-marks all over the body, and this is followed 

 by a swelling of the joints, which subsequently ulcerate. 

 The kaskade begins with a peeling of the skin of the hands 

 and feet, and this spreads over the whole body. 



As a remedy against fever they use a decoction of the 

 leaves of the daun bari muda {Cratceva magna), and they rub 

 their bodies with sap of a species of Psychotria. They 

 also use the mushroom Pachyma tuber -regium as a remedy 

 for diarrhoea, fever, and other complaints. 



For kaskade they use an ointment made of leaves of the 

 daun burong {Rhi7iacanthus communis) mixed with sulphur 

 and lemon juice, and they drink a decoction of the root of 

 the same plant (14). 



I have not been able to find any very clear account 

 of the religions of these islands ; but the natives seem 

 to believe in the existence of a number of spirits, the 

 Ampuangs, who are probably mythical ancestors like the 

 Empongs of the Minahassers. There are a number of 

 priests who perform certain quasi-religious functions, and 

 that their office is probably inherited appears from the 

 following account of a custom given by Van Doren. They 

 maintain that anyone who is so inquisitive as to climb up 

 the mountains must atone for it by death. An exception to 

 this rule, however, was made in the case of certain persons 

 whose forefathers were permitted by the gods to climb the 

 mountains and to work miracles. People belonging to this 



