298 G. A. J. VAN DER SANDE. 



monial staves took place and after this again the vvalk round with flûte music, but now 

 only by the older people vvithout the novices. Thèse older people vvere, however, very 

 numerous, composing a compact crowd of men, and vvalked round inside a circle of 4 — 5 m. 

 in diameter. Then another stamp dance with flûte accompaniment was executed by two 

 rovvs of eight men placed opposite each other, after which most of them took up a position 

 near the door opening, and hardly had a signal on two flûtes been given (on another occasion 

 this turned out to consist of 24 double notes), when some ten men, standing ready, rushed 

 ont of the temple, took on their shoulders the baskets of sago placed in readiness on the 

 platform, and, hopping and dancing ail the time, carried them inside the temple. The baskets 

 were so numerous, that the men were obliged to go twice. Now inside, another circuit began, 

 during which one of the older men, sitting near the entrance, sang a song of which the lines were 

 each time answered by the dancers. Finally with this also the flûtes were played, this time 

 Hamadi himself being one of the performers, and I could observe how well and with how 

 little effort (relatively) he could play the flûte. Big drums were now also beaten, which were 

 standing in the darkness, on a platform, 2.5 m. above the entrance. When this had been 

 done a couple of times, a heavy, cylindrical pièce of wood, carved with ornaments, was laid 

 down near the opening, vvhilst a man, in a bent position, caught hold of both ends. Deep 

 silence reigned, and Hamadi, who had taken up a position near the door opening, gave, after 

 waiting a little while, a sign, when the pièce of wood was raised high and suddenly thrown 

 down with a heavy thump, immediately after which ail, with the exception of the novices, 

 rushed out. The service was now at an end. 



The renewing or replacing of the ornamental staves (see p. 290) is another 

 religious performance, originating with the inhabitants of the temple, and certainly executed 

 by them in the service of the spirits. Already some days beforehand we were told that it 

 would take place, and thus on the 1 5^ of June 1903, about three o'clock in the afternoon, the 

 deep tones of the large flûtes resounded inside the temple; soon after this again other sounds, 

 apparently produced on trumpet-shells, were heard at différent places outside the villages of 

 Tobâdi, Ingrâs and Ingrau, on the margins of the forests. At this signal the women and 

 children were obliged to withdraw inside their houses. It was now the duty of part of the 

 men to throw stones on the roofs and against the walls of the houses or to beat against 

 them with sticks, ail of which was accompanied by much noise and shouting. Others carried 

 out of the temple, inside which the noise of the flûtes continued, the ornamental 

 staves, decorated with sago leaves and orange fruits, and proceeded with their boats 

 in ail directions to place the staves and to suspend hère and there similar objects in the 

 branches. It was said that the women and children were not allowed to see ail thèse acts, 

 which are reported to be performed by the spirits themselves, but remained inside the houses 

 in great fear, at which the men laughed in the présence of the members of the expédition. 

 They had promised also to place such an ornamental staff near the house of the expédition, 

 but this did not happen, none being left. This action, however, clearly shows again a strong 

 resemblance to certain feasts of Tumleo, when (ERDWEG [1902, 296]) the women and 

 children are also locked up inside the houses. In May or June, at the beginning of the east 

 monsoon [1. c, 295], when the temple has to be renewed, the women and children must even 

 leave the village, as soon as the music is heard, and proceed to the forest, evidently also 



