Journal of the Federated Malay States museums - Sabrizain.org

tgi8. I. H. N. I.van. . Miscellanea.
221
the above, who had occasion to rebuke his u ife, in my In ai ii g,
for breaking this tabu also).
If the owner of a gun constantly uses it for shooting big
game, lie should not keep, or place it, in a leaning position;
otherwise animals that he shoots, it mortally wounded, will
not fall dead foi ome time. From the same Malay as the
a hove i.
l'.l I \ KAMl'i ing.
which is performed
i remony i /.'...i tampong an annual
by the Malays of the Endau —ami. 1 believe, in othei parts of
the country as well- -in order to avert misfortune and disease.
It is difficult to give a suitable translation of the name for
these rites, and the nearest approach that I can make is
"cherishing the village." Thej are purely pagan ami. as such,
are frowned upon by the more orthodox Malays.
While I was -topping in Kampong Pianggu on the
a bela kampong,
Endau River m August of tin- yeai (1917),
which was about to be held, was postponed owing to the
presence of three Dyaks, who were with me. These men
were engaged in si ting birds and mammals and in collecting
insects and botanical specimen-, such actions being tabu
while the ceremony is in progress.
The Dyaks having left me temporarily, 1 asked the
Pawang to perform the rites while I was in the village, and
before my men should return from up-stream. This, however,
appeared to be impossible, as he each day made -ome excuse
— that there was a wedding 011, or that someone had died and
that it was tabu to hold the bela kampong in consequence. As
I had already mad.- arrangements for leaving the Endau, I
was unable to postpone my departure until the Pawang should
fix upon an auspii ii ;i- da\ m \ ei 1 heli ss, by dint of qui stion-
;
ing him. and others, I got some information which is. perhaps,
worth placing on record.
According to old custom while the bela kampong is being
performed, the village is laid under a three days' tabu by the
Pawang, and during this period strangers must not enter it,
nor may am- of the inhabitants shoot animals, gather
cocoanuts, sireh, or banana leaves; leave the village; dig their
land; use abusive language; or make a loud noise (e.g. beat
gongs as at a wedding).
The day chosen for the beginning of the rites depends
partly on the Pawang's dreams. Should he have fixed a day.
he will put it off if he. has an unlucky dream during the night
before—that he is being chased by a tiger, for instance, 01
that somebody is angry with him ; hut will hold it if his
dreams are lucky (e.g. that he has been given many presents).
When a village 1-; under t aim white rags are ted to cords at
the bathing-places jamban), if the settlement is on the main