Note 213 — Chapter V · Magic Rites connected with the Several Departments of Nature (continued 2)

Covering her head with a flowing white cloth of which the ends fell upon her shoulders, the Pawang now stood up facing the sheaf, and waved the ends of this cloth thrice upward to the right, thrice upward to the left, and finally thrice upward to the right again. Then for a few moments she stood still, close to the sheaf with her head bent forward and buried among the ears, after which she reseated herself and dabbled the tĕpong tawar thrice upon the roots of the sheaf. One of the female bearers now planted the stem of the sugar-cane upright in the centre of the sheaf,213 whilst the Pawang sprinkled it with the tĕpong tawar, and then holding the sharpened end of it over the incense, fumigated it, saying:—