9 



deeply into the wood, and the dust produced by the fvic-tion begins to 

 be forced up into the cavity in the bk)ck of wood. After a time this 

 dust ignites owing to the heat produced by the constant friction, and 

 the smouldering tinder is tlien turned out and fanned to a blaze. As 

 soon as fire has been produced the rotan becomes charred in the middle 

 and snaps into two halves. 



In the second method two pieces of the same soft wood are used, 

 one of these, about a foot long with a diameter of half an inch, being 

 carefully i-ounded to form a drill, while the other, which may be a 

 foot or more long, has a vertical V-shaped groove cut into it on one 

 side, the point of the V being directed inwards. The piece of wood 

 with the gToove in it is held down with the feet and the drill is then 

 placed at right angles to the block with its point at the innermost 

 edge of the cut, where a small cup-shaped depression has been made 

 to prevent it slipping out and to give it a purchase. The top of the 

 drill is then taken between the palms of the hands and rubbed down- 

 wards slowly with a backwards and forwai'ds motion. It is then 

 re-grasped in a similar mannei- as quickly as possible and the 

 action repeated again and again. The rapidity of the motion is 

 gradually increased until a deep liole is formed and the dust from 

 this falling into the V-shaped cut becomes ignited. 



To a European the sawing method is much the easiest of the two 

 as in the drill method the friction hui'ts the hands and also it is 

 impossible for a novice to re-grasp the drill at the top quickly enough 

 when repeating the motion. 



9. TIME. 

 The Batin of the Besisi told me that his people have no method 

 of measui'ing time other than by nights and days. He said that they 

 did not know how to count months although they knew that the 

 moon waxed and waned, nor did they i^eckon time by the taun fadi} 

 With regard to finding the correct season for rice-planting, when 

 they thoixght that the time was approaching they asked the Malays 

 when the fasting month (bidan puasa) began. If they were told 

 that it was already the hulan puasa they considered that it was time 

 to plant if the weather was favourable ; if not, they waited for a 

 change. 



10. CEREMONIES. 



Taking the Semangat Padi (Rice Soul). 

 The following account was given to me by tlie Batin : 

 At the end of the harvest season the paicang- asks the people if 

 they have all finished reaping and if they answer " Yes," he says 

 "I will take the semangat padi early this morning." A patch of 

 padi about as large as could be enclosed b}' the two hands, if the two 

 index fingers and the two thumbs wei-e placed together, has previ- 

 ously been left in the clearing. Tlie pawang, taking a small knife 

 (pisau tvali), reaps this patch. He puts his reapings into a small 



^ Rice year. ^ Shaman or magician. 



