AN ALFUB OATH 347 



informed, fallen into disuse, and were probably quite un- 

 intelligible to his audience. I am indebted to the Hoofd- 

 djaksa of Manado for a copy of part of this invocation, and 

 to Mr. Graafland, of Amboyna, and Mr. Eiedel, of Utrecht, 

 for help in translating it into English. 



The priest began with the usual formula {see p. 251) : 



' WaUan, Empung Eengarengan, we have assembled 

 together to take an oath, and we ask you, if the witness lies, 

 to take him with the walian (priest) to the house with seven 

 plains on the west side, the borders of which are very 

 populous, where dwells the wailan WaHntukan, the wailan 

 who is looking to the moon, and the younger empungs, the 

 noisy, hvely empungs who make a noise hke that of falling 

 stones and the murmur of heavy showers of rain — to the 

 empungs who are in company with Lokontamburian, 

 Earurmantang, Worangtua.'Worangwatah, Earangtumundo, 

 Gumelenggeleng, Marenkeyo, Marenketalang, Earangpon- 

 gajow, all of whom are fond of swallowing the heart and 

 liver. 



' I invoke now the walian Mananakul, who likes to catch 

 men in a snare, and the empungs who dehght in teasing 

 men, such as Mameleng, Manumira, Mamisan, Mamisow, 

 Mamirah, Mangengeles, Manondang, and- Mananatar. I 

 call upon you, if the witness refuses to speak the truth, to 

 let him explode like the discharge of this gun, to vanish like 

 the smoke, drip away like the water, fade and become 

 yellow like this white linen. 



' I call upon the gods who eat men to seize and swallow 

 up the false witness. I caU upon the gods who dwell in the 

 great waterfalls, such as Lumanka, Eumambus, Lumeklek, 

 to seize him. 



' I call upon the wailans living on the Eumengan moun- 

 tain to let the perjurer be eaten up by mosquitoes, by worms, 

 and by snakes, to flog him, and to hang him in the moun- 



