IX. UPPER PERAK MARRIAGE CEREMONIES. 
By R. O. Wusstept. 
Betrothal is arranged as elsewhere (Wilkinson’s “ Inci- 
dents of Malay Life,’’ pp. 19-20; Skeat’s ‘‘ Malay Magic,” 
pp. 364-368). The relatives of the suitor bring siveh in five 
layers on a tray adorned with a paper tree: on another tray 
are yellow rice, a comb, a cup of oil, a silk savong and a ring. 
On arrival at the house yellow rice is strewn. After the 
betrothal is concluded the suitor’s mother anoints and combs 
the girl’s hair and gives her a present. The mahar or 1st 
kahwin is $ Io or $ 12 (vial) and the marriage is postponed, 
as is usual, for a rice-year (tahun padt) and takes place after 
the harvest (Zépas ménuat). During the period of betrothal 
the suitor’s relatives (warts) support the engaged girl. The 
cost of the wedding (b%/anja hangus) i is shared by both fami- 
lies. A favourite time for commencing the festivities, which 
take placein the home of the bride, is Sunday evening (malam 
Isnain). Parched (béteh) and yellow tice (béras kunyit), 
neutralizing rice-paste (pong tawar), a censer, a threa 
divers colours (bénang pancha wana) as long as twice the 
length of a man from neck to heel and a tray are got ready. 
On the tray is placed a ring encircled by the aforesaid thread. 
A pawang ties a white thread with a ring on the groom’s neck; 
lights a candle on a cup or tray ; burns incense invoking all 
the local spirits (R&vamat ; charai Pat.=jémbalang) to be kind : 
scatters yellow rice and sprinkles the groom with neutralizing 
ride. Ared and a white flag (fanj7) are stuck on either side 
of the house-door. The parched rice, rice-paste and censer 
are carried to the top of the house-ladder and the pawang 
goes down and offers betel and parched rice and rice-paste to 
the malignant spirits who haunt the locality (hantu puaka). 
The bride is bathed in the house. The groom is taken down 
to the river. Three bamboo cressets (sangkak) are erected 
and on them tied three candles, three quids of betel, three 
cigarettes. Two large candles are stuck onthe ground. A 
white flag with a candle fixed on its shaft is implanted hard by. 
The centre-piece is a palm-blossom (mayang mungkus) fixed 
t on a vertical frame of five lathes. Two quids of betel 
(streh) are tied by a string and placed one each side of the 
vertical palm-blossom, the centre of the string being hitched 
one third of its height up the palm-blossom. Rice-paste is 
sprinkled. Incense is burnt. The pawang sprinkles rice and 
Tice-paste on the water where the groom will bathe, begging 
