They not only visit adultery on the guilty man himself by beating him, but the men proceed _en masse_ to the house of his parents and denude it of all furniture, stores of grain, and merchandise. They confiscate the sheep, goats, yaks, and all their valuable saddles and loads, and present the whole proceeds to the man whose wife has been seduced--a recompense for the shame suffered. Frequently the unfortunate and innocent relations of the evil-doer are bound and even beaten to death by the villagers. These severe measures are resorted to in order to maintain a high standard of morality and honour, and there is little doubt that, primitive as these methods may seem, the good results obtained more than justify them. There are very few illegitimate births, with the exception of occasional Rambang children, and their arrival is a matter of such disgrace that they cannot be looked upon as seriously discrediting the social value of the Rambang. [Illustration: RAMBANG GIRLS WITH ORNAMENTS] CHAPTER XVII FUNERAL RITES Departure of the Soul--Cremation--Amusement of the dead man's soul--The lay figure--Feasting--Doleful dance--Transmigration of the soul--Expensive ceremonies--Offerings before the lay figure--Dancing and contortions--Martial dances--Solo dances--The animal to be sacrificed and the lay figure--Chasing the animal from the village--Tearing out its heart--The yak driven over a precipice--Head shaving--A sacred cave. THE Shokas ascribe death to the departure of the soul from the body, and to this notion is due the curious reverence they show for the spirit or memory of their dead. I witnessed a funeral ceremony quaint enough to deserve record.