CH. II CLANS INFLUENCED BY LUSHEIS 137

except as regards the method of dressing the hair, which is
parted horizontally across the back of the head at the level
of the ears, and the hair above this is gathered into a knot over
the forehead, while that below is allowed to hang loose over
the shoulders. They generally follow Lushai customs. In
the series of feasts which an aspirant for the title of Thang-
chhuah has to perform, the Chong is replaced by the Buh-za-ai
(buh=rice, za=100), performed as among the Lushais. The
She-doi feast has to be gone through twice, and is followed by
a very similar feast called She-cha-chun (spearing of male
mithan), which completes the series. Wealthy persons perform
the Khuangchoi, but it is not necessary. The Mi-thi-rawp-larn is
prohibited. The following account of the She-doi is taken
from my diary of the 14th May, 1890.

" We went up at once to the village, where a peculiar dance
was in progress. Lembu's wife was being carried about on a.
platform, round which a wooden railing had been fixed to
enable her to maintain her position. This platform had four
long poles passed underneath it, and a number of men and
women, holding these, were moving the platform about in a
manner which must have been most uncomfortable for her
Majesty. They lifted it up and down, then swayed it to one
side, then to the other, then ran in one direction and stopped
suddenly, then in another, and pulled up with a jerk. During all
this time the royal lady maintained a solemn silence, and
showed complete indifference to the whole proceeding. Her
head-dress consisted of a band round which at intervals coloured
bands of straw were plaited. From this chaplet porcupine
quills stood up all round, to the ends of which the yellowish-
green feathers of parrots were affixed, each terminating in a
tuft of red wool. At the back, an iron crossbar, about 6
inches long, was tied horizontally, and from this a number of
strings of black and white seeds depended, at the end of which
glistening wing-cases of green beetles were attached. Except
for this startling head-dress, the Queen was dressed much as
usual, except that her waist cloth was longer and more gorgeous.
Having been carried about for some time, her Majesty showed
her appreciation of the attentions of her subjects by distribut-
ing gifts. First she threw a small chicken, which was eagerly