62	THE LUSHEI  CLANS	chap.
has a special spirit presiding over its destinies. The spirit
is known as " Sakhua," and all sacrifices to him have to be per-
formed by a puithiam of the clan, and only members of the
family can be present.
The Lushais believe in a spirit world beyond the grave, which
is known as Mi-thi-khua—i.e., dead man's village—but on the far
side of Mi-thi-khua runs the Pial river, beyond which lies
Pial-ral, an abode of bliss. Access to this is not obtained by
a life of virtue while on earth, but the due performance of
sacrifices and the killing of men and certain animals and
success in the courts of Venus. The following account of the
common belief was written for me by a Lushai, who embellished
his essay with a map. It will be noticed that in the latter he
has inserted the Kristian's (Christian's) village and their
heaven, the road to which is under Isua (Jesus), while the roads
to the Lushai's Mi-thi-khua are watched by Seitana (Satan).
This incorporation of the teaching of the missionaries with the
indigenous belief is not without interest, showing a broad spirit
of tolerance in the author, who, without abandoning the faith
of his forefathers, is ready to admit the truth of Christianity and
its suitability to those who profess it, and sees no difficulty in
providing in the unknown lands beyond the grave a special
country for each race, just as there is in the world he knows of.
translation of a lushai's account of the world
beyond the grave
" The first man is said to have been Pupawla; then he died ,
before all those born after him. Then Pupawla, this man who
died first, shoots at those who have died after him with a very
big pellet bow, but at some he cannot shoot. Hlamzuih (see
below, para. 8) he cannot shoot at. Thangchhuah he may not
shoot at. Then he may not shoot at a young man who has
enjoyed three virgins, nor at one who has enjoyed seven
different women, even if they were not virgins; but women,
whoever they may be, he always shoots at. They say that there
is a road between the Mi-thi-khua and the Eih lake. [This
lake is on the left bank of Tyao river 1| miles from the place
where the Aijal-Falam road crosses the river.] To go there,