New-York tribune., 1899-12-03

areca or betel flowers. and the huge blossom OF
the cOcoanut palm, which mostly resembles a
wheat sheaf, being the principal materials en-
plOycd. r,
The Kattadiya was a man of powerful
physiquc-for Snghalcse singularly so. a
man one would select as person endowed win
magnetism will power and a dominating ihHu
ence Nevertheless. his caste is an extremely
low one. His dress consisted OF "A waistcloth
with a garland Of garulla leaves worn around
his head and lOinS. The deVll dancers
(Netun KarayO) arTayed in red ana
white Jackets with full accordion pleated skirts
and "paniers." Some wore masks terrifylngly
hidcous others had their faces daubed with
red and green paint. They also wore Garula
leaves arranged fans erect on the brow
These fans swaycd to the rhythm of their
movements they spun, Whirled. ana nunS
themselves about in frantic fashion to the
measure Of the tom tom bcatcrs' ear-Spllttng
music. The spectacle was in keeping with the
frcnzy-wild and weird. Although the moon
was at full her bTilliancc was only occasional
the foliage Of the towering palms being 50 dark
and dense. To ObVatc this hat-brokcn cocoa
nut shells filled with oil in which Heated a WICK
slung on the trees around The eIaie as
contrasted with the moons soft light was ghast-
ly and dazzling.
THE DEMONS DEFIANCE.
The dance. once begun. terminated but TO
bcpin again The "pcSS"sscd' woman cram
canal. for whom this Nakunnctina was hrId'
was now led forth from tiny thatchrd nut
OccuDied 10y the fisher caste, by the katldA}d
| was struck first by her exceptionally iutellI-
cent countcnance, then by her CLASSY fixed ana
evil looking eyes The Kattadiya addressed the
demon" supposed to Toe obscssing her The an
sV,r given through the Woman's lips. was
blasnhcm0us and defiant. The demon declined
10 duit Brandishng a couple of torches
kent anare by fresh rosn thrown by two
attendants. the Kattadiya then commenced
,yhat seemed an ineXhaustible incantaton, SaZ-
ing fXcdly meanwhile into the depths ol
The Taincama's possessed womam feroclouS
evcs For some time not finch or nlcktr
II was physically an optic marvel how she
rcr,ained Obdurdte to the glare ana gaze
,vitbout even a quiver of the eyelid' After an
bour or so the eyelids gradually dropped. ana.
,,itb the finale of the incantatOn. were com
,Letelv closed Saffron mixed with cocoahul Oh
,ros next daubed on her brow. the hattadlya
hroot hing heavily thereon meanwhile. Appar-
ontIv she was his puppet now, so tar as auto
,,,atic movements were concerned Nhat Sht
did however she or the demon dlrecllnS, re-
Laiied against II was as though ne tthe hat
,adi,a( had spun "A web into which her bodN
'os drawn though her mind offered strenuous
omoeition When the dhorjcc twahdD was
liirtcd between her temples ana heId th'Ie'
,,ha LID contortions Of resistance ceased on
n, um calm rcposcful as a statue. ItbcInuh NdS
thnro though all the same subdieu Ioi 'i'
ti,ne being only, not Vanqushcd 1900, a..
After the tumult Of the savage HuS'' an" -,
,,ad epnctaclc Of the frenZied dancers w IT,
don Stiffness was relief. aIth"ubn "Il''9 I,l" %
Tba monotonous moan Of the sea pIrah,',S M
,bn coral reefs and the shrek OF nlIu "i td mE
-, "eving fox" alone broke the siehce' VIC" -