o appear. Seating herself
beside the mat, the medium strikes on a plate with her shells or a
piece of lead, and then starts her song. She rubs her hands together
with a revolving motion, swings her arms, and begins to tremble from
head to foot. Suddenly she is possessed by a spirit, and under his
direction holds oil to the nostrils of the host, and beats him with a
small whip of braided betel-leaf. This done, she drinks for the spirit,
and it departs. Again she sings, and again she is possessed. One
spirit takes the rooster, and with its wings cleans up the rubbish
in the _balaua_ and in the yard, empties it in a tray, and orders it
taken from the village. In the same way all sickness and misfortune
will be removed from the settlement.

Several spirits follow, and as the morning wears on, the medium becomes
more and more intense. The muscles of her neck and the veins of her
forehead stand out like cords, while perspiration streams from her
bod. Taking a shield and head-axe in her hand, she does a sort of
muscle dance, then goes to each member of the family, and strikes the
weapons together over their heads; from them she goes to the doors
and windows, and strikes at them with the axe. Finally she returns to
the mat, balances a cup of _basi_ on the weapon, and causes the host
to drink. Another attack on the doors follows, and then in exhaustion
she sinks beside the mat. After a short rest, she dips beads in oil,
and with them touches the heads of the family. The musicians strike
up a lively tattoo at this point, and again seizing her weapons,
the medium dances in front of the spirit shield. Going to the rooster
on the mat, she cuts off a part of its comb, and presses the bloody
fowl against the back or leg of each person in the room. The spirit
drinks and disappears.

The next visitor dances with the host, and then wrestles with him, but
upon getting the worst of the match takes leave. As in the _Tangpap_,
large number of minor beings call for a moment or two and pass on. One
spirit places the family beneath a blanket, cuts a coconut in two
above their heads, and first allows the water to run over them; then
finally the halves are allowed to drop. She waves burning rice-straw
above them, and removes the blanket. It is explained that the water
washes all evil away, and that as the shells fall from the family,
so will sickness leave them. Evil spirits are afraid of the fire,
and leave when the burning rice-straw is waved