e god. He
shuts his eyes, and rests on his hands and knees. When he has taken
this position, all who have come to the festival to worship our god
_Bir-ap-pa_, bring cocoa-nuts, and going up to the pillar where the
priest is kneeling, they take the cocoa-nuts in their hands, and press
upon one another, each crying, `I am first, I am first.' Then ten of
the most respectable people come out, stand apart from the rest, make
the people who are pressing forward stand back, and take the cocoa-nuts,
which the people have brought, into their own hands. Four others,
strong men, stand near the priest; the elders hand the cocoa-nuts to
them; and they keep on breaking them on the priest's head; the priest,
all the time, having his eyes shut, is down on his hands and knees
before _Bir-ap-pa_, holding out his shaven head, until great heaps of
cocoa-nut fragments are piled up as high as an elephant on both sides of
him. And though so many nuts are dashed against his bare skin, the
priest feels no pain, and never utters a sound which indicates
suffering. Such a glorious god is our god, Sir. No matter what trouble
threatens he wards it off. He always takes care of us."

G. "How is it, master shepherd, that you do such a silly thing as this?
There is a trick in breaking the cocoa-nuts on the head of the priest.
The people who break the cocoa-nuts are clever jugglers. They have a
store of cocoa-nuts which have been previously broken and stuck together
again. They substitute one for the other, and so deceive the people."

S. "How it is, Sir, I don't know. You are a gentleman and you
understand it. I only say what everybody says, Sir."

The above dialogue shows a shepherd's creed, his ignorance, and his mode
of worship. And it was a festival, a procession, and worship such as
this that the shepherds of Singonahully were celebrating when Daniel
interfered. The following is his own account.

CHAPTER SIX.

THE CRY OF "SNAKES! SNAKES!"

After some of the ceremonies had been performed in honour of the
shepherds' god, _Bir-ap-pa_, certain consecrated things were carried by
the priest, and others by his wife, to a particular tank, or artificial
lake, where special washings and other purifying ceremonies had to be
performed. The shepherds and their relations were accompanied by
musicians, dancing-girls, religious beggars, and many others. They also
had a Brahman to perform the appointed purifying ceremonies at the tank.