TUBA FISHING. 253 



the forest came wafts of night odours, fragrant of 

 rich soil, of leaf -mould, and of strong strenuous tree 

 life wafts only sensible to man in the hours of 

 darkness. 



When we woke the next morning the ten dug-outs 

 lay nearly brimful of the thick milky juice of the 

 tuba poison. A hasty meal, and then on every side 

 fish spears were brought out. The unambitious pro- 

 duced a serampang, a three- or four-pronged spear 

 which is useful for any fish up to five pounds ; those 

 more hopeful of adventure had a tempuling, a spear 

 with a barbed detachable head to which a rope is 

 tied. It will hold anything, and with the bigger 

 fish it is a necessity; but, on the other hand, it 

 misses many of the average-sized fish. 



The camp was struck in a few minutes, the palm- 

 leaf coverings rolled up, the boat-poles collected, and 

 the place that had resounded to the song and laughter 

 of the night was abandoned. 



When we were all in our sampans and prahus, 

 Pawang Duhamat stepped on the bow of one of 

 the tuba-laden dug-outs, and stood up amidst the 

 silence of the throng. A fine-looking old Malay was 

 he, erect and tall above the average height, with the 

 high-raised cheek-bones of his race, dark expressive 

 eyes, and sad lines round his mouth. A thin grey 

 beard on the point of his chin added to his vener- 

 able appearance. He leant on his fish spear, and 

 then uttered the following charm over the tuba 



water : 



" Hong ! Hak ! Tina buih ipong 

 Batang ku tarik bulan char an 

 Naik segala yang bisa tuba jinul." 



