468 



A NATURALIST'S WANDEBINQS 



and offers on the LuU stone in his own bouse, which he then 

 carries to the river to wash the auriferous sand over., It is 

 affirmed that every one iinds ^old on that day — more or less, 

 all some. The ritiuil to bo followed by one who is to search for 

 the first time differs somewhat from tliat observed by those who 

 have searched before. On his return from the mountain the 

 celebrant must enter the Uma-luU, tfiking with him a fowl or a 

 young pig, which, after be has made what appears to be a sort 

 of confession to the Dato, is killed and a piece of flesh from 

 its heart and from its jaws is offered to the Luli, the rest 

 being partaken of by both of them. The novitiate gold- washer, 

 after receiving some sacred siri and pinang, accompanies the 

 Dato to the river, where, aft^r another fowl or pig has been 

 killed he may collect sand anywhere at random, and **of a 

 surety he will fiud gold in it, for Maromak who alone gives 

 the gold will give him fortune." 



After ascending the river bed for three hours, we turned to 

 the left up the Fatunaruk Peak, 3400 feet, to the chief of 

 Stiluki's, where I spent several busy and successful days among 

 the vegetation of the deeper ravinei?. This was the first 

 metalliferous district 1 had visited, and for the first time the 

 proportion of the people suffering from goitre was so large as 

 to attract notice from the most casual observer. 



