orest, before commencing their usual invocations, both men and women
hasten to stick in their hair all their combs and hairpins with the firm
conviction that the wind, blowing upon these miraculous carvings will
lose its power to do them harm.

[Illustration: Trap for big game.

_p._ 184.]

Here it must be observed that, apart from the superstitious character of
the fear the Sakais (especially those of the hills) have of the wind,
this terror may be said to be almost justified.

The impetuous currents of air coming from below often bring amongst them
the germs of various infections and in particular malarial fevers.

The poor natives in their ignorance of this, when they see their dear
ones fall ill and often die after the wind's raging believe that it has
brought into their village and left there, an invisible enemy.

* * * * *

The _Ala_, sorcerer, physician, and magician of the local superstitions
does all he can to keep unshaken the belief in spirits and exorcism. He
fulfils the functions of his two-fold office with all the ignorance and
the deception which is possible to him; ignorance, because he shares
with the others a sincere terror of the Evil Spirit, and deception
because he makes the others think that he can see the dreaded Being and
has a certain power over him by means of words and gestures.

He is, upon a close and vigorous analysis, nothing but a vulgar swindler
who obtains some sort of advantage by his artefices and succeeds in
over-ruling his own people by giving advice which is often sought and
always followed.

The _Ala_ is generally the son of an _Ala_, a circumstance that might
lead someone, who is fond of similar studies, to make accurate
researches in order to ascertain if imposture should be considered as a
hereditary disease.

When the Evil Spirit, notwithstanding the cabalistic signs and
mysterious words that proclaim the _Ala's_ prerogative in resisting and
defeating him, has overcome and killed him, the corpse is not buried but
is placed in an upright position between the roots of a tree not very
far from his late residence. For seven days continual watch is kept over
it and it is provided with food, tobacco and betel.

An old tradition, which I have managed with difficulty to piece together
from fragments unconsciously dropped now and then, pretends that _ab
antiquo_ a covenant was made between the tigers and sorcerers that after
one of the latter