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palm leaf, the banana leaves being placed outside. The pile of 

 leaves thus composed is rolled tightly up in an ordinary Malay ' 

 sleeping-mat (in order to keep in the heat and so promote 

 *' sweating ") and put aside for three or four nights. It is then 

 unrolled and inspected, and when any leaves that have turned 

 red (i.e., fermented) are observed, they are removed from the pile 

 and the remainder rolled up again and put back till the next day, 

 when they are once more examined, the process being continued 

 until the fermentation of all the leaves is complete. 



The fermented or " red " leaves when extracted from the pile 

 are sliced off into very fine shreds or filaments by means of a 

 special (tobacco-cutting) apparatus and are then exposed to the- 

 sun upon a frame until they are thoroughly dry, when they are 

 tightly packed in cylindrical receptacles (measuring about 

 12 inches in depth by 8 inches across, and made of screw-palm 

 leaves), when they are ready for sale if required. 



In Ulu Kelantan the process was similar, the following rules 

 being observed : — 



(1.) Sow in fifth month (Semai) ; in a nursery. 

 (2.) Plant out in sixth month (Chedung ?). 

 (3.) Tend and manure it carefully. 

 (4.) Pick from three to four months later (Petik). 



[N.B.— For reasons of magic, the sowing takes place at night, 

 when the enemiea of the plant cannot see the seed. So, too, the 

 planting out takes place in the early morning, the young plants 

 being treated like new-born infants, as is the case with the first of 

 the young rice-seedlings.] 



After picking the leaves are piled up in a heap (di-pram) for 

 three or four nights with branches over them. This is intended, 

 it is said, to " ripen " them. The riper (i.e., fermented) ones are 

 afterwards selected and shredded on the " Kuda-kuda " with a 

 long sharp knife. The shreds are then deposited upon a bamboo 

 frame (anchak) measuring about 2 hasta (cubits) in length by 

 1 hasta in width, four or five divisions (tepek) going to each 

 frame or anchak (usually reckoned at 1 kati). Late tobacco is 

 called "sayup." When dry the tobacco is packed in round 

 receptacles made of palm-cloth (upih), which are called ep^k. 



The shredding machine is called " Pasong tembakan " or 

 " Kuda-kuda." It consists of a short horizontal wooden trough 

 or channel along which the leaves are pushed until they reach a 

 circular opening in what is called the " mask " or " topeng " of 

 the machine. On reaching this opening the leaves are pushed 

 gradually through it, the protruding part being sliced off in fine . 

 strips with a sharp knife. The trough, which is about 3 feet long, 

 IS supported on two uprights which fit into wooden blocks. 



A specimen of this machine, which was bought in Ligeh, is now 

 in the Cambridge Museum. The shredding knife sometimes has 

 a bent neck or haft (" berk'rSko-^k "). 



