and _U' nai prah_ (November and December). They
were first taken to the _hat_ Mawahai or Shang-pung market, where
they were allowed to take any eatables they wished. Then they were
conducted to Sumer, and thence to Ka Ieu Ksih, where a stone on the
bank of a small river which falls into the Kopili is pointed out as
having been the place where the victims were sacrificed to the Kopili
river goddess. Others say that the sacrificial stone was situated on
the bank of the Kopili River itself. A special clan in the Raliang
doloiship used to carry out the executions. It seems probable that
the practice of sacrificing human victims in Jaintia was of long
standing, and was originally unconnected with Hinduism, although
when the Royal family became converts to Hinduism, the goddess Kali
may easily have taken the place of the Kopili River goddess. Many of
the Syntengs regard the River Kopili to this day with superstitions
reverence. Some of these people will not cross the river at all,
others can do so after having performed a sacrifice with goats and
fowls. Any traveller who wishes to cross the river must leave behind
him the rice which he has taken for the journey, and any other food
supplies he may have brought with him. This superstition often results
in serious inconvenience to travellers between the Jaintia Hills and
North Cachar, unless they have arranged for another batch of coolies
to meet them on the Cachar side of the River Kopili, for the Synteng
coolies throw down their loads at the river side, and nothing will
induce them to cross the river. The Kopili is propitiated by pujas
in many parts of the Jaintia Hills, and at Nartiang a tank where
sacrifices are regularly performed is called Ka Umkoi Kopili.

CHAPTER IV

Religion

General Character of Popular Beliefs.

The Khasis have a vague belief in a God the Creator, _U Blei
Nong-thaw_, although this deity, owing, no doubt, to the influences of
the matriarchate, is frequently given the attribute of the feminine
gender, cf., _Ka lei Synshar_. The Khasis cannot, however, be said
to worship the Supreme God, although it is true that they sometimes
invoke him when sacrificing and in times of trouble. The religion of
the Khasis may be described as animism or spirit-worship, or rather,
the propitiation of spirits both good and evil on certain occasions,
principally in times of trouble. The propitiation of these spirits
is carried out either by priests (_lyngdohs_)