Journal of the Federated Malay States museums - Sabrizain.org

220 Journal of the F.M.S. Museums. [Vol. VII,
Filings from a porcupine's tooth, if drunk m water, are a
remedy for poison taken internally. (From a Malay of Kuala
Krau, Pahang).
When women go down to the river to get water for use in
birhautu ceremonies (spiritualistic seances) held for the benefit
of sick pers >ns, they must not speak to anyone while carrying
it. Furthermore, they must cover the mouths of the vessels
witli leaves when full, and, in filling them, must let the water
trickle in slowly, ami not allow it to enter with a gurgling
sound. (From a Malay of Pulau Tawar. Pahang. My informant,
seeing a woman on the banks of the Pahang River carrying
up a water-pot whose mouth was covered with leavi s, gave
me this note).
If you are afraid that some mischance will befall you
because you have left your village without satisfying a craving
for tobacco or food. 1 put the third finger of your right hand
into your mouth, and suck it three or four times. You will
thus avert misfortune. (From a Malav of Pulau Tawar.
Pahang).
There is a deep, round depression near the Pahang River
not far from Jerantut. but on the opposite bank, which is
called Leboh Chupak. It is said that a village once stood on
this site, but was overwhelmed by a storm, and swallowed up
by subsidence of the ground, because a man placed two half
coconut-shells— chupak measures— like caps on the head of a
dog and a cat, and laughed at them in company with other
villagers. 2 (From a Malay of Pulau Tawar, Pahang).
To bring rain the cooking-pots and their cane stands
must be washed, and a cat given a bath 3 ' Kampong Linggi, Negri Sembilan).
(From a Malay of
Scrapings of an incisor tooth of a baml -rat if app'ied
to wounds in the feet caused by bamboo-stumps will effect a
speedy cure. (From a Malay of Kampong Perak, near Batu
Kurau. Perak).
Wood must not be chopped on the threshold of a house,
or the owner will be bitten by a snake or centipede when he
goes to the jungle. (From a Malay of Kampong Perak, Batu
Kurau, Perak, whom I heard rebuking his wife for thus
chopping firewood).
Nobody should lie with legs sprawled out of a doorway.
or a tiger will come to the village. (From the same Malay as
i liihut lu-na klmfunan.
2 I have obtained stories of the dreadful fate which overtakes those who
dress up animals and laugh at them, from Sakai in several districts, but this is
the first time that I have heard of such a belief among the Malays. The
word used in the neighbourhood of Pulau Tawar for a bad stoim followed by
'"
a subsidence of the ground is keliboh, ""'> seemingly being the name given to
places where such subsidence is thought lo have occurred. Chilaii, a term
frequently used by Sakai (when speaking Malay) to describe these storms
caused by impious actions, has a very similar meaning , Leboh
is a local variant
of the ordinary Malay word lebor, which means "smelting," "liquefaction,"
or " destruction "
I Maniihan pcriak, mandihan lehar, mandrkan knelling