26 IN MALAY FORESTS. 



much as possible of the lie of the country. Pa' Senik 

 had been directed by the Earth Spirit to make his 

 offering at " the gateway of the forest," which is the 

 Malay term for the place where the village foot-track 

 leaves the open cultivated land and plunges into the 

 virgin forest. At the " gateway," then, Pa' Senik made 

 his offering. Splitting into four the end of a bamboo, 

 and deftly weaving the stem of a creeper through the 

 split ends, he improvised a censer, which a couple of 

 green leaves and a handful of earth made fire-proof. 

 Some dry leaves and a dead twig or two made a fire, 

 upon which he sprinkled incense. The stipulated 

 offering was passed through the smoke, and then 

 carefully placed on an open spot. Now came the 

 question what was the augury ? Pa' Senik lit a 

 candle, and placed it on the edge of the censer, and, 

 after due invocation, stepped back and keenly watched 

 the flames. In doing this one has to stay beside the 

 lighted candle, calling upon the spirits to attend until 

 one feels one's skin move, then step back and watch 

 the flame : if it flickers, it betokens the arrival of the 

 spirits ; if, after breaking and wavering, it burns true, 

 straight, and upright success; extinction is failure; 

 if it blows to the right or toward you, hope ; to the 

 left or away from you, the chances are against you. 

 In the wind -protected corner Pa' Senik had chosen 

 the candle burnt true and bright, and as we started 

 hope ran high. We had a long day's walk through 

 the forest, but to find fresh tracks was too much to 

 expect. Old tracks, however, and abandoned wallows 

 gave proof of " old kramat's " existence ; and the 

 next morning I returned to my quarters well satis- 



