1920.]} I. H. N. Evans: Negrito Beliefs. 7 
the hut. The leaves were bound together not far below their 
tops, and the support included with them. A small opening 
was left at the base of the hut in one place, through which a 
man could just pass into the interior. The performance took 
place at night, and when the ‘‘ Halak’’ had ensconced himself 
in the hut—which was only just big enough to hold him—a 
number of other Negritos came and squatted round it. 
Thereupon the occupant started a chant, each line of which 
was taken up and repeated by the chorus outside. I noted 
that the names of Tapern, Jalong, and Jamoi, were constantly 
mentioned, as was also the Batu Herem. The chants, of 
which there were a good many, were short, and between them 
there was a silence of a minute or two, broken sometimes by 
the hut being shaken from the inside, followed by a noise as 
if the ‘‘Halak’’ was striking the palm-leaf walls with the flat 
of hishand. ‘These signs indicated the presence of the Halak’s 
spirit, though in this case, as Tokeh explained, it was only 
acting for my benefit. On the next day I got him to give me 
the names of some of the chants, these being as follows :— 
| 
1. ‘‘ WAI CHENTOL! 
This means ‘‘ Open comb-flowers!’’ and refer to the 
flowers affixed to Jalang’s hair-comb. Negrito women deco- 
rate their bamboo combs with sweet-smelling herbs and flowers. 
The allusion is, I understand, to these, and not to the patterns 
engraved on the combs. (B otha pattern and a flower are 
commonly termed bunga in Malay, in which language, of 
course, I communicated with the Negritos). 
2. ‘‘UMEH, UMEH BATU!” 
This is said to mean, ‘‘ Clean, clean the stone!’”’ It is 
addressed, I was told, to the stone spirit, the stone referred to 
being the "Batu Herem. ; 
3. ‘* WAI, HALAK, MAWAI!”’ 
** Open, Halak, opent” = 
4. ‘*TENANG LOHR PUNYON HEREM!”’ 
I was told that this means, ‘‘ Come down to the tongue 
of the Batu Herem!” The “ tongue ” of the Batu Herem 
appears to be the end on which the detatched portion rests. 
5. ‘* TENWUG KEJUH SELANGIN.’ 
“The (bead) string across (the chest of) the — 
young bachelor.’’ A ¢enwug manik is a string of bea 
across the breast, while kejuh seems to mean “‘a poale 
male ” and selangin * beautiful.” 
6. “ CHEM-LE-CHEM, SUDAK HEREM!”’ 
This was said to mean ‘‘ Stabbing and thrusting, sharp 
Herem !’’ The Malay words used to translate chem-le-chem 
were tikam menikam., 
