156 Dwellings, toorks of art, laws, Sfc. of the Karens. [No. 3, 



look. Is the village easy or difficult to attack? Has it caltrops 

 planted around it or not ? Look accurately. Go up into the village 

 and sleep with the people; and if any one invites you to sit with 

 him, take out this roll and mix up its contents privately will their 

 rice and curry. It will tie their heads. I will tie their heads with 

 it; when they eat, they will forget themselves; and then we wil 

 go and attack them. And because they have eaten tha which tic 

 their heads, they will forget to seize their swords and spears, and 

 before they can recover themselves, we will grasp their arms, and 

 overcome them, and kill them." , . I 



When the spies return, they probably say :" These people have . 

 not planted a single caltrop. There is no difficulty about the vil age 

 whatever. If we go and attack it, we shall take it, and kill all the 



Pe Then the head of the war sends out his people to collect volun- 

 teers for his foray. The matter having been arranged before hand, 

 fortv or fifty come from one village, and forty or fifty from another, 

 and when all the fighting men assemble together, if they amount : 

 to a couple of hundred, it is quite satisfactory, and they are feasted 

 at the village to which they have been called. 



Before handing round the whiskey, the head of the war pours out 

 S ome slowly on the ground and prays: « Lord of the seven heavens 

 and the seven earths, Lord of the rivers and streams, the mountains 

 and hills, we give thee whiskey to drink, and rice to eat. Help us 

 we entreat thee. We will now go and attack that village. We have 

 tied the heads of the inhabitants. Help us. Make their minds forget- 

 ful • make them to forget themselves. That they may sleep heavily, 

 thai their sleep may be unbroken, let not a dog bark at us, let not a 

 hog grunt at us. Let them not seize a bow, a sword or a spear. 

 And may the Lord help my children and grandchildren, that are 

 going to attack this village, and deliver them from all harm May 

 they overcome their enemies and not be lost. May they be delivered 

 from the bow, the sword, and the spear." After the prayer, the 

 elders drink part of the whiskey, and it is then circulated freely among 



the company. 



The head of the war next takes a fowl and after killing it, 

 consults its bones as to the success of the war, if commenced then. 



