e seventeenth day, the men kill two pigs, usually
by chasing them through the brush and spearing them to death. They
are prepared in the usual way, and are placed, one in the _balaua_,
the other in the _sogayob_, where they are cut up. A bit of the flesh
is left in each structure, the fore half of one animal is carried
into the yard, but the rest is prepared for food.

On an inverted rice-mortar, in the yard, is placed a jar of _basi_,
notched chicken feathers, and boar's tusks. The man and his wife are
summoned before this, are decorated as on the day before, and are
instructed to dance three times around the mortar. While this is going
on, a shield and a rice winnower are leaned against each other so as
to form an arch on which lies a sheaf of rice. From the middle hangs
a piece of burning wood, while over all a fish net is thrown. As in a
former ceremony (cf. p. 347), the rice and fire represent the life of
some member of the family, which the evil spirits may desire to seize,
but they are prevented, since they are unable to pass through the
meshes of the net. Going to the half of the pig, which stands upright
in a rice winnower, the medium places a string of beads--agate and
gold--around its neck and attaches bits of gold to its legs. Then
she places a thin stick in each nostril and pumps them alternately
up and down, as a smith would work his forge. After a little she
removes the plungers, and with them strokes the bodies of members of
the family. Near to the pig stands a dish of water in which the heart
is lying. The host goes to this, removes the heart, and placing it on
his head-axe, takes it in front of the animal, where it lies, while
he pumps the nostril-sticks up and down ten times. Meanwhile his wife
is decorated with wreathes of leaves and vines; a leaf containing
the pig's tail and some of the flesh is placed on her head, and a
spear is put in her left hand. As her husband completes his task,
she goes to the mortar, where she finds one dish full of blood and
rice and the empty coconut shells. The rice and blood represent the
lives of the family, and following the instructions of the medium,
she takes these lives and places them little by little on the shells,
but before all is gone, the medium bids her return them to the big
dish. In a like manner the spirits may take a part of the life of the
family, but will return it again. This act is repeated ten times. Next
she takes a piece of woven bamboo, shaped