"The third day of the feast is Mâttu Pongol, or the Pongol _of the cattle_. It commences with a general _wash_. They betake themselves to the nearest _sacred_ tank, driving or dragging with them the whole bovine possessions of the village. They are then driven home, and adornment commences; the horns are carefully painted _red_, _blue_, _green_, _or yellow_,--if the owner be rich, gold leaf is employed,--heavy garlands of flowers placed on the horns. Meanwhile the women have prepared another new chatty, filling it with water, steeping within saffron, cotton seeds, and mangora leaves. The master of the ceremonial, usually the head of the house, comes for it, and places himself at the head of a procession of all the men--the women may not see the rite we now describe. In solemn silence they march round each animal four times, while the first man sprinkles the bitter water upon it and the ground as often as they pass the four cardinal points of the compass.... This done, the women and children are again admitted. The patient cattle are led out one by one to receive their final adornment.... Then, at a given signal, every rope is untied, every tom-tom, pipe, and guitar is banged or blown to the extreme of its endurance, and in an instant the herd, hitherto so patient, is careering down the street in an extremity of terror.... Any one may possess himself of whatever is carried by the cattle. No little skill and a vast amount of courage are shown by the 'timid' Hindoos in this dangerous and exciting pell-mell. The next day is Kanen Pongol, or Pongol of the calves. "On the evening of this day we find the only token of corruption in the ceremonial." ... Then follows a dance, just as is described by Catlin as _closing_ the Mandan ceremonial, in which very similar scenes occur. Before adverting to the points of contrast between the Pongol and the Mandan and Dahoman ceremonies, I will give an extract from a book recently published, giving an account of a country hitherto unexplored--viz. Northern Patagonia. Traces I think will be recognised of the same primitive custom, though with evidences of corruption. "Three Years Slavery among the Patagonians," by Guinnard (Bentley, 1871), p. 269.[233]