1920. ] I. H. N. Evans: Camphor-Hunters. 55 
8. M. *“Yes, maiden, you must feast the Pen- 
ghulu Muda on &mping with sauce!’’ 
One or two points in this recitation call for an explana- 
tion. Lines one, two, three, and four seem to be purpose- 
less. The seluang badak is a kind of small fish and the 
stbavau is a large sort which preys upon such small-fry. 
Stbarau bujang (bachelor stbarau) is, perhaps, a distinct 
variety or species. The fifth and the following lines, how- 
are not without meaning. The Bisan asks what is cut- 
ting into the tree-trunk and her mother replies that it is 
the Penghulu Kapor’s axe (his livelihood). The Bisan see- 
ing the slight haft of the axe, says to her mother, ‘‘ How 
thin the Penghulu’s waist is! ” o this her mother replies, 
“ Yes, you must feed him well with &ming (crushed rice) in 
sauce (7.e. camphor). ’ 
After the feast certain verses are sung, this ceremony 
being known as bérpiu. The Pénghulu Kapor, Dolah bin 
Mapak, from whom I got a portion of my information, said 
that he could not recite them for me as it was tabu for him 
to do so. If he did, he would not get any camphor when he 
went in search of it again. Furthermore he seemed to be 
afraid that, if he broke the tabu, the Camphor Spirits might 
afflict him with sickness or some other misfortune. My chief 
informant, Dolah bin Udah, the former ‘‘ Sakai,’’ told me that 
the Pénghulu ie chant the verses in the hut, and that if 
he hears one of his ‘‘ Sakai’ singing them at any other time, 
e fines him a hoppinekdite, an adze-blade and an adze- 
haft. From him I obtained the ouly fragment of the bérpiu 
verses that he could remember :— 
Dari pauh' ka-permatang, 
Singgah sesteacr a * kémudt. 
Dari jauh sahaya 
Déngar Bisan scree budi. 
From the pauh-tree to the ridge, 
Visit and fix x your rudder- board. 
I come from a 
Hearing that Bisa is generous of heart. 
I have mentioned above that there are certain restric- 
tions by which both the P&énghulu Kapor and his ‘‘ Sakai’’ 
are bound, but that they are more numerous in the case of 
the Pénghulu than in that of his followers. 
For the first three days of the search for camphor, none 
of those employed in it must bathe, have intercourse with a 
| Pauk is the name of a species of wild mango. The first and third 
lines are ee one of the commonest of Malay Sasa 
2 Or, I believe, géfang in the ah dialec 
