FEAST OF RUBBER GATHERERS 125 



Some of the kampong people had just returned from a 

 rubber expedition, and part of the output had been 

 cleverly turned into plastics in this way. 



The rhino was about seventy-five centimetres high; 

 strong and burly looking, and the posture of the young 

 man on his back conveyed a vivid suggestion of action. 

 They were now on their way to sell this to some China- 

 man. The image was said to be worth from two to three 

 hundred florins, and as there was considerable additional 

 rubber, perhaps all of it approached a value of a thousand 

 florins. Bringing this rubber from up country had oc- 

 cupied eighteen days, and it was the result of ten men's 

 work for two or three months. Twice before during the 

 last two years rubber had been brought here in the same 

 manner. 



First they considered it essential to make a feast for 

 the badak (the Malay name for rhinoceros). When go- 

 ing out on their expedition they had promised to make a 

 badak effigy if they found much rubber. As the man on 

 its back represented the owner, there was the risk that one 

 of the souls of the latter might enter his image, resulting 

 in illness for the owner, to avoid which a pig would have 

 to be killed and various ceremonies performed. 



The festival was scheduled to take place in three days, 

 but it had to be postponed one day on account of difl[i- 

 culties in procuring the pig. I presented them with three 

 tins of rice and another half full of sugar, which they 

 wanted to mix with water to serve as drink because there 

 was no rice brandy. It required some exertion to bring 

 the heavy image from the float up to the open space in 



