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24 drink a little water and returned. The priest then went to the altar, where the sacrifice had been burnt the day before, -- took some of the white ashes on the palm of his hand, and rubbed it on his breast, face and forehead; and ordered strikeout: all others to do the same. He again offered sacrifice and prayed, and the people spent much of the day in dancing. On the morning of the next day, at day break all arose, turned toward the est, raised the right hand as high as the head, with the palm toward the east, while the priest prayed as on the preceding morning, holding his right hand in the same position as the others. Just as the sun arose he ordered all to the stream, where they plunged seven times with the head first toward the east, then toward the North, then toward the West, then South &c. in almost every direction. Then men plunged first and then the women & children. When they plunged, the hands must be near the breast, so that the ends of the fingers may touch it. The bounds for bathing were fixed by the priest. citation: Nutrawi. This form of observing the feast of first fruits was probably not the most ancient, but introduced in order to unite the feast of Expiation with that of first fruits. This appears from the following conversations. First, Those who observe this form are ignorant of the feast of expiation, and say that the people were, or considered themselves purer immediately after this feast than at any time during the year. Second. They introduce into their ceremonies of this feast the prayer for cleansing from all the pollutions of the year past, which has no necessary connection with this feast. And, Third. The washings &c. are introduced here properly belong to the latter feast, i.e. of expiation. There is another method of observing the feast of first fruits still more modern. The difficulty of assembling the whole nation doubtless had the national council to authorize each town to hold the feast separately, and entrusted the messengers of each town priest