THE PANGAN BIRD-SOUL. 



The following are the statements about tln! hird si>u\ obtained 

 from the people of Kuala Clieka. 



" The soul of every Pangan is a green bird of the kind called 

 Biau, which has a long beak and feeds on fruit and insects.* The 

 Biau has two cries, one Kah-Kah-Kah, the other Tutoh buah (gorge 

 fruit). When a woman is pregnant and hears one of these bii-ds in 

 the jungle, she knows that the soul of her child has arrived. When 

 a man dies, his soul leaves him in the form of a bird. If anyone 

 catches a Biau bird a great thunder stoimi will occur." 



Apparently a man's soul can leave his body during life in tlie 

 shape of a Biau bii'd, for the Pangau said that when they hear one 

 of these birds they know that a friend is coming to see them, and 

 they stai't calling out the names of people they know until the bird 

 is silent. The last name mentioned before tlie bird ceases crying is 

 that of the visitor who is coming. 



THE ECLIPSE OF THE MOON. 

 The Pangan seemed to be altogether without explanations of the 

 majority of natural phenomena, but as is the case with all savage 

 tribes they had an explanation of the eclipse of the moon, a thing 

 which, according to the ideas of a primitive people, lies altogether 

 outside the course of Nature. The lunar eclipse, which they call 

 "jekob hilug," t "snake swallow," is said to be cau.sed, as its name 

 denotes, b}' some gigantic snake trying to swallow the moon. 



TABUS. 

 The Pangan of the Ulu Clieka informed the writer that it was 

 tabu for a man or woman to mention the name of their father-in-law 

 or mother-in-law and that they must not pass in front of either of 

 them. Both father-in-law and mother-in-law may be addressed, but 

 they must be spoken to with respect. 



PERSONAL NAMES. 

 The Pangan of the Ulu Cheka said that a child, whetlier male or 

 female, was named from the river or stream nearest the place at 

 which it was born. The four men in the settlement, Pachet, Wul, 

 Songsong, and Yes were all said to have received their names fi'om 

 local streams or small rivers. The Kuala Cheka Pangan confirmed 

 the statements made by the other division, giving two men's names 

 as examples, Geh, and Srtboie (or Choie), both of which the}- said 

 wei-e also the names of rivers. 



MARRIAGE. 



Marriages among the Cheka Pangan wei'e stated to take place at 



the durian fruit season, and it was also said that there was no 



marriage ceremony except a feast ; very possibly however the latter 



information is incorrect. The Ulu Cheka people said that marriages 



* A species of Bee-eater. (Nyctiornis amicta). f The Semang of Ijok 

 call the eclipse of the moon " haiup hihul " " butterfly swallow." 



