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 infor- 

 mant, seeing a woman on the banks of the Pahang River carry- 

 ing 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 ' (From a Malay of 

 Kampong Linggi, Negri Sembilan). 



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 



