58 IN MALAY FORESTS. 



hundreds of yards long, and stretching right across 

 the narrow " neck " that lies between the ground to 

 be driven and the virgin forest. The series of sidins 

 which form this line of nooses are independent of 

 one another, for each is supported by the trees to 

 which it is tied at either extremity, and in no way 

 by the adjacent sidins. Thus, if any one is torn 

 down by a deer, the displacement does not affect 

 the others. To prevent any sagging, the long line 

 of nooses is propped up between the supporting 

 trees by forked saplings. The main line is about 

 five feet from the ground, and the bottom of the 

 nooses is at the height of one's knee, or about 

 eighteen inches above the ground. While tying to 

 a tree the end of the last sidin, the pawang makes 

 the following petition : 



" Tjah-tree at the head of my sidin ! 

 O Casuarina-tree at its foot ! 

 Remain ye here, I go to hunt 

 The deer, the raiats l of Nabi Sleman." 



The preparations for the drive are now complete, and 

 the men are divided into three groups one to drive, 

 another lot to " stop " along the edge of the swamp 

 to turn the deer in the unlikely event of its attempt- 

 ing to break away in that direction, and the third 

 lot to watch the sidins. There is little doubt as to 

 which is most favoured work. 



1 The derivation of this word shows how apt its use is in this con- 

 nection. Yule and Burnell's ' Glossary of Anglo-Indian Words ' has 

 the following : "Ryot. Arabic ra'iyat (from ra'a, to pasture), mean- 

 ing orginally, according to its etymology, ' a herd at pasture,' but 

 then ' subjects ' collectively. It is by natives used for a ' subject J 

 in India." 



