214 Religion &e. among the Karens. [No. 4, 
our daughters handsome, our sons skilful; give us food, give us drink, 
give us to become governors, give us to become elders ; enable us to 
buy kyee-zees, to spear with fatal effect; make our names famous, 
heard above and below; make us joyous and happy with our wives 
and children.” 
After praying, they rise up and dance again. When the dancing is 
done, they set the food in order in the booth, to remain there all night, 
as not a bit of it is to be eaten before the next day, and then return 
to their houses, dancing all the way home. The remainder of the 
day is spent in their houses, drinking, dancing, and beating kyee-zees 
and gongs. 
The next morning they all repair again to the foot of the Eugenia 
tree, when the heads of the sacrifice and the elders commence eating 
the food and drinking the spirits that have been prepared and placed 
in the booth. All are allowed to partake that choose, but the food is 
considered holy, and none but the holy, clean, and upright persons are 
considered as proper persons to partake of it. The question of fitness 
is left, however, for every one to decide for himself. If a man feels 
persuaded in his own mind that he is guilty of no transgression, but 
is upright and holy, he goes forward and partakes of the food ; but if 
his conscience reproves him for some wrong deed or word, he joins 
the throng outside the booth and occupies the time with others in 
dancing. Nor is unfitness to partake of this holy food confined to 
immoral acts. There are certain ceremonial uncleannesses which are 
regarded as unfitting a man to partake. Tor instance, if a man’s wife 
is pregnant, he is deemed unclean, and unfitted to eat of this holy 
food. 
After the feast is finished, the company returns to the village, dane- 
ing all the way as before; and on arriving at the houses, one or two 
of ‘‘the heads of the sacrifice,” go to the brook and draw two bamboos 
of water for every family in the village. After the water has been 
drawn, ‘‘the heads of the sacrifice” call all the members of each 
family to the hall or verandah; men, women, and children, and then 
he sprinkles or throws the water from one bamboo upon them, 
Those who get wet are said to be free from evil, because the water i 
“holy water.’ One bamboo full remains in the house till next morn- 
ing, when the owners go to the fields, and sprinkle it on their growin 

