IIOKN EXPEDITION—ANTIIUOPOLOGY. 
181 
throws at the prospective Railtchaiva an invisible lance called atnon^^ara, which 
})ierces the neck from behind, penetrates the tongue making a large wound, and 
escapes by the mouth. The tongue remains perforated in the centre with 
a hole large enough to admit the little linger—and this hole is the only 
permanent effect of the Irujiturrifia's treatment. Another ainongara pierces the 
head from ear to ear. The novice drops down dead, and is at once taken into the 
depths of the cave which is supposed to extend under the plain and to terminate 
beneath the Edith Range, about ten miles distant. In this the Iruniurrifia has 
his abode amidst running streams and perpetual sunshine. It is called okd/para* 
and no native would dare to enter it. Tradition .states that in the long, long ago 
two men entered innocently in search of water and were never more heard of. 
When the body is taken into the okdipara the Irunturrina removes, with the aid of 
his invisible atnongara, the viscera of the dead man and furnishes him with a 
completely new set of internal organs “ manufactured on the premises.” Thus 
equipped he is taken outside the okdipara, where, after a little time, he comes to 
life again, but in a condition of insanity. The Irunturrina watches for the 
awakening and as soon as the patient is lit to walk he is taken back to his tribe 
by the spirit, wdio, however, is invisible to the tribesmen. The spirit at once 
returns to his abode and the patient remains mad for some days until one morning 
it is noticed that he has painted, with powdered charcoal and fat, a broad, black 
band across the bridge of his nose. All signs of insanity have disappeared, and the 
tribesmen at once recognise that a new Railtclunva has graduated. Etiquette 
prevents the new medicine-man from practising his profession for about twelve 
months, and in the meantime he dwells upon his awful experiences, and cultivates 
the acquaintance of the other members of his profession of which there are 
generally one or two in each tribe or clan. The Railtchaiva must abstain from 
eating fat altogether, otherwise he loses his power. All RailtcJunvas are not gifted 
alike, some have great reputations while others are looked upon as much inferior. 
Blood as a Therapeutic Agent. 
A man suffering from continued weakness is sometimes supplied with fresli 
blood {irkmi) drawn from the veins of the arm of one of his robuster brethren. 
The vein is opened with a stone knife, and the blood, received into a vessel, is 
drunk by the patient before it cools thoroughly. This practice, known as ilka- 
* This cave has been explored by white men, wlio found it to consist of a series of limestone caverns and to he 
thickly populated with hats (Mejaderma i/iijan). I visited it in company with Mr. Gillen, and we found that it had 
become almost completely silted up as the result of very heavy Hoods.—(E.C.S.) 
