While in the Salug river valley Governor Bolton witnessed a most interesting ceremony which, so far as the writer is aware, is quite unknown to the balance of the tribe.  His quotation follows:  “One religious dance contained a sleight of hand performance, considered by the people as a miracle, but the chiefs were evidently initiated.  A man dressed himself as a woman, and with the gongs and drums beaten rapidly he danced, whirling round and round upon a mat until weak and dizzy, so that he had to lean on a post.  For a time he appeared to be in a trance.  After resting a few minutes he stalked majestically around the edge of the mat, exaggerating the lifting and placing of his feet and putting on an arrogant manner.  After walking a minute or two he picked up a red handkerchief, doubled it in his hand so that the middle of the kerchief projected in a bunch above his thumb and forefinger; then he thrust this into the flame of an almaciga torch.  The music started anew and he resumed his frantic dance until the flame reached his hand when he slapped it out with his left hand, and stopped dancing; then catching the kerchief by two corners he shook it out showing it untouched by fire.  The daughter of Bankiaoan next went into a trance lying down and singing the message of Tagbusau and other gods to the assemblage.  The singing was done in a small inclosed room, the singer slipping in and out without my seeing her.”

The letters of Pedro Rosell written at Caraga in 1885 contain many references to the duties of the ballyan.  In one account he records the following song which he says is sung by the priestesses when they invoke their gods Mansilatan and Badla.[1]

[1] BLAIR and ROBERTSON, Vol.  XLIII, pp. 217-21, and Vol.  XII, p. 270.

“Miminsad, miminsad si Mansilatan

Opod si Badla nga magadayao nang dumia

Bailan, managunsayao,

Bailan, managunliguit.”

This means: 

“Mansilatan has come down, has come down.

Later (will come) Badla, who will preserve the earth.

Bailanas, dance; bailanas, turn ye round about.”

This Rosell takes as “a confirmation of the most transcendental questions of our true religion,” for in Mansilatan he finds the principal god and father of Balda, “who descended from the heavens where he dwells, in order to create the world.  Afterwards his only son Badla came down also to preserve and protect the world—­that is men and things—­against the power and trickery of the evil spirits Pudaugnon and Malimbung.”  The writer made persistent inquiry among the Mandaya to the south of Caraga, but could not find a trace of a belief in any one of the four spirits named; neither are these spirits mentioned in the notes of Governor Bolton, nor in the excellent description of the people about Cateel, furnished by such a careful observer as Mr. Maxey.  It seems that this account, together with the song and its translation, must have been gathered from