of the platform, a (central pole) passes through, with its base resting on a , a hollow log 3 meters long and as thick as a coconut trunk which is laid horizontally on the ground, resting on a number of large empty earthen jars sunk into the earth. These jars act as resonators when the strikes the . The jars are kept from breaking by means of sticks and leaves, protecting them from the impact. The sound that the makes is a booming one, and can be heard for kilometers around. In a typical performance of the , gongs are beaten, songs rendered (both traditional ones and those which are improvized for the occasion), and the people take turns sipping basi or rice beer from the reeds placed in the jars. As evening comes, and all through the night, they proceed to the platform by ladder or notched log, and join hands in a circle. They alternately close in and jump backward around the central pole, and as they press down hard on the platform in unison, they cause the lower end of the pole to strike the hollow log, which then makes a deep booming sound. It is only the balian who appears serious in her communication with the spirit world, while all the rest are more concerned with merrymaking—drinking, feasting, and dancing. The balian does the dancing in other ceremonies, e.g., for the recovery of a sick child. During the ritual offering of chicken, an egg, a chew of betel nut, a saucer of cooked rice, and a cigarette made of tobacco wrapped with nipa leaf, the shaman burns incense, beats a china bowl with a stick, beats a small gong called agun cina (Chinese gong), with the purpose of inviting the (a class of deities who live in the sea) to share in the repast. Then she takes hold of in each hand—these are bunches of long strips of the or leaves—and dances seven times around the altar. In the —a buklog held in memory of the dead—two altars are constructed, one underneath the dancing platform, another near it. These are for the male and female . The are also the , maleficient beings of gigantic size who dwell in the deep forests. In the ceremonies, the are invoked and given offerings so that they might keep away the other from the festival. The dances three times