EDEEYAH HUNT. 
213 
rounding trees ; to which point it was intended to drive 
the game. The Bota-Kim-o having kindled a fire, bel- 
lowed forth his incantations to the great spirit Rupi, 
first in a slow, easy tone; by degrees he got more 
excited, calling out loudly for the assistance of the 
deity, and occasionally with uplifted spear performing 
sundry uncouth gesticulations, while his numerous com- 
panions joined their voices in rude chorus. The whole 
scene was indeed very wild and striking; nor did it 
lose any of its interest from being enacted beneath the 
lofty bombax and graceful palm-trees by which we were 
surrounded. The features of the chanting priest be- 
came contorted, his body covered with perspiration 
from his exertions, and he looked like a person out of 
his senses. How far this religious excitement might 
have carried him we know not : fortunately for us, who 
had ventured so far to see the chase, the spirit Rupi 
was at last propitiated, and in an instant all rushed to 
a small tree with a somewhat broad leaf, which they 
plucked, and began rubbing between the hands; placing 
a little branch in their armlets, and also in the button- 
holes of our shooting coats; this the interpreter in- 
formed us was to be a token of compact between all 
parties, that if any then present should be killed or 
wounded by spear or gun, it was to be considered the 
result of accident, not design, and as such should pass 
without retaliation. 
The natives then spread out into two long lines, 
diverging to the right and left, from the spot where 
