446 



A NATURALIST'S WANBmiNQS 



the hillside apart along with the chosen. If the left limb of the 

 fowl remain elevated, or the siri spittle on the brow and breust 

 of the applicant appear of a dark eolour he stands rejected, 

 and retires crest-fallen to a plaee in another group on the left. 

 Those rejected on the first oeeasion may rr-eonsult the omens 

 a second time ; and, if the fates permit them to go to the war, 

 it is probable that they may be wounded, and not impossible 

 that they may be killed. If any man who has been rejected, 

 however, dares to venture into the fight, he will certainly, 

 they imjilieitly believe, be killed, whoreiis in the case of those 

 whom the LttU has chosen, no bullet or weapon can hnrt them. 

 When the number of those, who are to fight is complete, theii 

 leader is called ont before them by the Dato-Luh\ wlio, after 

 giving him siri and pinang ont of his own mouth to eat, 

 instructs him how to treat the wounded, and to give the dying 

 their last siri and pinang, a supply of which he gives him from 

 that preserved in the Uma-LtdV* 



During w^ar the Daio never quits the Umn-LuH ; his food 

 is brought to him or cooked inside. Day and night he must 

 keep the fire bnrnlng, for should he permit it to die, disaster 

 will happen to those in the field which will continue as long 

 as the hearth b ctthL He must besides drmk only hot water 

 diu-ing the time the army is absent, for every draught of cold 

 water would damp the spirits of the people, so that they could 

 not prevail. On their return from the war the Dato-LtiU goes 

 out to welcome them at the Iiead of all those who remained 

 behind — the women beating musical instrnnients, and shouting 

 ^^Osicai! Oswai!'' to the men who are returning laden with 

 heads. 



Their belief in tbe presence of a supernatural Presence 

 resident in the If«/i'-house is absolute, I was tcdd, with the 

 most perfect belief of my informant in his own statements, that 

 one of the Cathulic priests from Dilly, while on a proselytizing 

 mission, having demanded that the Lnli house should be 

 dismantle<l and its profane ornaments cleared out, was instantly 

 on his setting foot within the door to C€>mmit the sacrilegious 

 act which no one else would dare to do, threatened by the 

 sacred spear, sword and gnn in invisible hands, while the altar- 

 stone bounded about tlirough the buikling so menacingly that 

 he was glad to beat a retreat ! Wien it is necessary to erect 



