44-i A NATURALIST'S WANDERINGS 



" yet it is more powerful than any other gun, however new ") ; 

 besides these there is a bag containing the vestments of the 

 priest, which are a broad band of scarlet cloth for his head, a 

 circular breastplate of gold, worn suspended on the neck ; two 

 gold discs, about 15 centimetres in diameter, to cover the ears ; 

 a broad crown of gold, with two long buffalo-like horns of the 

 same material projecting from it, and gold armlets and earrings. 

 Within this enclosure there is, besides, the most sacred object 

 of allt — the Vatu-Luli, or stone on which the offerings are laid 

 to the invisible deity. Each of these stones they believe to 

 have been given to the people of Timor for this purpose when 

 the universe was made. In the larger portion of the building 

 there is a fire-place, and vessels and cooking utensils sacred to 

 the use of the Uma-Luli, 



The different buildings are fitted up in the same way, but 

 only on high occasions is the central one opened. It is kept 

 open during the whole time of war, and in it quarrels arising 

 between the different districts of the kingdom are arranged. 

 In times of flood or of drought or of famine an offering is made 

 to vrard off this disaster. If a man has an ordinary sickness 

 in his house, he does not consult either of the larger LuK 

 houses, but offers a fowl or a pig to the Lull — at a little railed- 

 off portion — in his own house. If he should ' lose several 

 members of his family, or he be oppressed by any other great 

 distress, he then applies to the priest for permission to speak 

 with the LuK. Then, bringing rice with a pig or a fowl, he 

 enters the Uma-Luli with the Dato, each going in by his own 

 door. When the Dato has put on his proper vestments he 

 kills the fowl or other animal, and having placed a piece of 

 flesh from its heart and the side of its head on the Vatu-Luli, 

 or altar-stone, he cooks the rest along with the rice on the fire 

 in the Luli house. After both have partaken of this food, the 

 Dato converses with the Luli, and thereafter turning to the 

 applicant he gives him siri and pinang-nut, with the assurance 

 that the sickness will depart or his difiiculty disappear. Before 

 planting their Indian corn or paddy crop, they kill a pig or 

 fowl, and both on their own Luli stone and on that in the sacred 

 house common to the district, they lay a piece of its flesh. 



Their greatest ceremonial, however, takes place on the eve 

 of a war. I shall never forget the graphic description given 



