go Journal of the F.M.S. Museums. [Vou. IX, 
to these old ministrants. A /%bai reads prayers. After that 
bride and groom are stripped of their finery and brought 
outside. 
A rice-mortar, which has been turned upside down, is 
ready in charge of an old woman. She demands payment 
for the use of it and receives a lump of pulutrice. Bride and 
groom are led round it, thrice in each direction, and there- 
after seated on a plank laid across the mortar. Bride and groom 
are each lifted thrice before they are declared duly seated. 
The pawang takes a bowl of water (batil bérsaksi), pours into 
it alittle fresh cocoanut oil, and after throwing 5 grains of rice 
on to the oil, lights a candle and drops wax on to the oil and 
rice-grains. The pair are bathed in the water thus prepared to- 
gether with water from mayang pinang and flowers of the cocoa- 
nut. Seven times two matrons wave cocoanut fronds above 
their heads. Bathing accomplished, divers-coloured string is 
dropped round and over the heads of the pair three times while 
they step forward : and then under their feet and upwards three 
times while they step back. After the third time the string is 
lowered as far as their chests and severed in two places over the 
right rib of the groom and the left of the bride. The pieces 
of string are measured: if the front piece is the longer, the 
wife will obey her husband ; if the back piece is the longer, 
the husband will be ruled by his wife; if both pieces are equal, 
both will hold their own. That ceremony ended, bride and 
groom don their finery and sit in state. There is an exercise 
in Swedish drill, where the performer has to sink slowly down 
into a sqatting posture, then straighten his knees and stand 
erect, stretching his arms wide at the same time. Except 
that they have not to extend their arms and that they are held 
up by attendants, bride and groom have virtually to execute | 
is exercise several times till they are seated simultaneously 
as custom requires. After that, the floral pyramid of rice be- 
fore them is broken and the embarrassed couple have to feed 
one another with their fingers. A Jébai reads prayers. 
At last curtains and mosquito-nets are lowered over them 
and the happy pair retire. On the following day ceremonial 
bathing (mandi bérhias) is again performed, and feasting is 
renewed. 
On or about the seventh day of a formal wedding, after 
the hari langsong, there is another ceremonial bathing (mandi 
sampat Pk., mandi tolak bala), such as has been described by 
Skeat (“ Malay Magic,”’ p. 385, which may be a survival of 
the Brahmanical impregnation ceremony); but often nowa- 
days wedding celebrations are abbreviated to suit the means 
and convenience of the parties. 
At Lenggong in 1903 I saw a wedding containing most 
