BY THE REV. J. E. TENISON-WOODS. 45 



Bagong, and in the southern or Visayan dialects Bacalang, 

 which, however, is merely the name of an edible shell-fish. Craw- 

 ford, in his Dictionary of the Indian Islands, is my authority for 

 the Tagalo name, which however, I have not been able to verify, 

 though the condiment is known and universally used. I should 

 say here that I do not pretend to fix the orthography of the Malay 

 names, the differences depending on the broad or close sound given 

 to the final " a," and the phonetic variation in giving effect to the 

 nasal "n" or "ng" at the end. Many think that the condiment 

 is peculiarly Malayan, but this is not the case, though it is made in 

 its greatest excellence at Malacca. The article is used over a wide 

 area and by many different nations. Its use may be said to extend 

 from India, through Burmah, Malaysia, Sulu, Siam, and Cochin, 

 China. Crawfurd says that it is probably the condiment known 

 to the Greeks and Romans under the name of ' Garum,' adding 

 that the latter is the product of a Mediterranean fish. This is a 

 question which will be examined in a note at the end of this 

 paper. It will be sufficient to say now that the Garum of the 

 ancients was certainly applied to condiments which were all 

 modifications of the Malay Balachan, and the name seems to be 

 used to express a briny pickle of any kind in which the principal 

 constituents were salt and fish. 



In India, the Balachan, there called Nga-pee, is made of prawns, 

 shrimps, or any cheap fish pounded with water into a fluid mass, 

 and the brine not added until it becomes slightly putrid. The 

 best is said to come from Siam, but I think that of Malacca is 

 entitled to a higher reputation. There it is principally made of 

 prawns (Hudang) and shrimps, with pepper, salt, and sea- weed 

 (Sphcerococcus lichenoides), made into a stiff paste. In Anam 

 there are two kinds, viz.: — Mam, which is a non-fermented pickle, 

 the aspect and smell of which would for ever decide its reputation 

 in European markets ; and Mamnuoc, or Water of Mam, a fer- 

 mented pickle of fish or Balachan, which must come somewhat 

 nearer the Roman Garum of ancient renown. In appearance and 

 taste it is as good, or as bad as Japanese Soy. (See note at the 

 end of this paper on Garum). 



