808 A NATUBALIST IN CELEBES ch. xii 



this, but before ihey could drag the fish out the shells closed, and 

 they were caught. When the tide rose the apes were drowned. 



There is also a long story, partly legendary and partly 

 mythical, of a wonderful person named Maengkom, who 

 travelled about in various parts of Minahassa, performing 

 miracles as he went. It is not necessary to give an account 

 of the legend in detail, as it has been translated into the 

 Dutch language by Louwerier, but a few of the incidents 

 of the journey will indicate to the reader its general cha- 

 racteristics. 



Maengkom (it is related) started on his journey riding upon 

 half a pig, and went eastwards toward Parepej, calling the 

 towns through which he rode Toulembo, Suiten, &c., until he 

 came to the Eembokan (Tondano) lake, when the half- pig 

 turned into a canoe. On the lake he met two men in a canoe 

 fishing for prawns. He asked for some, but the man in front 

 refused to give him any, because, he said, ' we have so few.' 

 The man behind, however, urged him to comply with his request, 

 but, as he still refused, Maengkom said to the man, ' Look out 

 then for yourself,' and tipped up the canoe, so that the man 

 in front fell into the water. Wlien he came up again he was 

 the rock Lumeleutut. Then he went on to Kakas, where he 

 met a relation who asked him, ' Why do you come here ? ' 

 'Because,' he replied, 'my parents hate me, and I can no 

 longer live at home in peace.' He stayed some time, with his 

 relation, and then parted from him joyfully and peacefully. He 

 next came to a cape, but, instead of sailing round it, he went 

 through it, so that it became an island. This island is called 

 Tinulap, which means ' cut through on one side.' He rested 

 there a little while, and chewed the betel-nut, and the saliva 

 he spat out stained the rocks red — Watu merah. When he 

 came to a mountain in his peregrinations, he did not climb 

 over it, but went right through it. 



In the course of his journey Maengkom performed 

 other wonders, so that many' of the names of the villages 

 and natural jihenomena are said to have been given to 

 them by this mythical Celebean Baron Munchausen. 



