were assured that the spirits were pleased with the manner in which the ceremony was being conducted, and hence the prospects for the patient’s recovery were very bright. Gipas, the dividing, followed.  An old man divided the pig with the medium, but by sly manipulation managed to get a little more than she did.  A betel-nut, beeswax, and a lead net-sinker were tied together with a string, and were divided, but again the old man received a little more than his share.  Betel-nut was offered to the pair.  Apparently each piece was the same, but only one was supplied with lime, and the mortal secured that.  He then challenged the medium to see whose spittle was the reddest.  Both expectorated on the head-axe, but since the spittle of the medium was not mixed with lime, it was uncolored.  In all instances the human being came out victor over the spirit, who sought to take the woman’s life.  Hence her recovery was assured.

A new spirit possessed the medium, and under her directions the family was placed beneath a blanket, and a coconut was cut in two over their heads.  In addition to the fluid of the nut, water was emptied over them, “so that the sickness would be washed away.”  As soon as the family emerged from the blanket, they went to their balaua, [130] and offered food, after which the medium again summoned several spirits.  From this time until well into the evening, the guests danced tadek, stopping only to be served with food and drink.

The morning of the third and last day was spent in preparing food and other offerings, which were placed on a mat and left, for a time, to be used by the immortals.  Later the offerings were consumed by the guests, and the medium summoned the spirit Agkabkabayo.  This being directed four men to carry the blanket on which the medium was seated to the balaua, when they were met by another medium, possessed by the spirit Balien.  For a time they busied themselves making repairs to the spirit structure, then decorated it by tying strips of shredded coconut leaves to the slats of the floor.  They also attached leaves to the kalang (cf. p. 310), and inserted betel-nut and leaf.  The final act of the ceremony was to prepare four soloko (cf. p. 310).  In the first was placed a half coconut; in the second was rice mixed with blood; in the third cooked flesh of a fowl; and in the last were four stalks of rice, and some pine-sticks.  One was placed at each gate of the town as an offering, and the people returned to their homes.

As payment for their services, the mediums received a small portion of the pig, some rice, beads, a little money, and cloth.

The acts and conversation of the spirits when summoned in Dawak are well illustrated by the following.