FIG. 1.—Ceremony of sacrificing at the fishing-stakes.Shortly after our arrival the loading of the trays commenced. First Bilal Umat
took a large bowl of parched rice, and poured it into the trays, until the bottom of
each tray was filled with a layer of parched rice about an inch in depth.
Next he took a bowl of saffron-stained rice, and deposited about five portions of
it in the centre and four corners of each tray; then he made a similar distribution
of small portions of washed rice, of sweet potatoes (k’ledek), of yams (k’ladi), of
tapioca (ubi kayu), of bananas (pisang), and betel-leaf (sirih)—there being two
sets, one cooked and one uncooked, of each of these portions, except the last.
Finally, he added one cigarette to each portion, the cigarette being intended for
the spirits to smoke after their meal!
A fine black goat, “without blemish and without spot,” had been killed by Bilal
Umat early that morning, and he now deposited its head in the middle of the
central tray, two of the feet in the middle of the right-hand tray, and the other
two feet in the middle of that on the left. To each of these three central portions
were now added small portions of the animal’s viscera (liver, spleen, lights,
tripe, heart, etc.), and then the small diamond-shaped (kĕtupat) and cylindrical
(lĕpat) rice-bags^317 were suspended in the usual manner. A wax taper was added
to each portion of each tray, and the loading of the trays declared complete.