120 
SUPERSTITIOUS CEREMONY. 
was a small fire ; to the right of which was a heap of 
charms of various kinds, as horns, claws, teeth, and skins 
of animals, filthy pieces of calico, &c. There was also 
a country mortar, such as is generally used by the 
natives to beat their rice in, containing a little water, 
with some herbs or leaves and earth beaten up in it. 
The music having continued for some time, a woman of 
about forty or forty-fiv’’e years of age stepped forward, 
placing herself before the mortar above described. Her 
legs were covered almost to her knees with iron rings, 
whether as an ornament or a punishment I cannot say ; 
to me they would undoubtedly have pi-oved the latter. 
Another woman then placed herself on the other side of 
the mortar, and with both her hands took out some of 
its contents, smearing it over the other woman’s face, 
chest, back, arms, and legs. This being done, the person 
thus marked, decorated, or sullied, began dancing in a 
small ckcle for a few minutes, occasionally blowing a 
large horn. An old man now made his ap}:>earance, and 
put a few questions to the dancing woman, which, if I 
am not mistaken, were always answered in the affirma- 
tive, while the eyes of the woman appeared faint, and an 
unnatural perspiration covered her whole body. The 
old man then took two white fowls, a cock and a hen, 
and speaking in a low and mysterious voice handed 
them over to the great actress. She placed them first 
under her left ai’m, after which she lifted them up with 
both hands, shewing them to the people assembled. She 
then took a few grains of rice, and scattered them among 
