224 SHAMANISM IN PERAK. 



of the ceremonies performed in a Malay household for the recovery 

 of a member of it who was tying dangerously ill. 



The patient was a young married woman, little more than a 

 child in years, whose first baby was only a few days old. The 

 symptoms, which declared to the Malays so plainly the agency of 

 evil-spirits, were probably paroxysms of puerperal fever and these 

 had left the, patient so weak that when I saw her she was lying in 

 an insensible state. 



The scene was the centre portion of a large Malay house feebly 

 lighted with two or three oil lamps on the floor. The sick girl lay 

 on a bed in a recess formed by curtaining off: a space on three sides 

 the fourth being open. Opposite to the patient, facing her left 

 side as she lay on her back, sat the pawang, Che Johan by name, 

 a big muscular Malay, grasping a large bunch of leaves in 

 each hand. Between him and the bed were the lamps above 

 mentioned. On the other two sides of a square, of which the 

 lamps were the centre, were ranged the people of the house, neigh- 

 bours, visitors and strangers according to their respective ranks. 

 I occupied the place of honour, being nearest to the head of the 

 curtained recess and having it on my right hand. All the men 

 present, myself included, sat cross-legged on the floor. Round the 

 couch were eight or ten women watching every movement of the 

 sufferer and prepared to restrain her if she became violent in her 

 delirium. The whole building was crowded with people, figures 

 being discernible wherever the flickering light of the lamps hap- 

 pened to shed a transient gleam. Polite salutations were exchanged 

 and a few expressions of condolence and sympathy addressed to 

 the relations. The latter described the manner of the diabolical 

 seizure and the behaviour of the sufferer when possessed. It was 

 agreed on all hands that the poor girl lying insensible before us 

 was the victim of demoniacal possession, and that her only chance 

 of recovery lay in the exorcism of the devil who was in her. 



Presently the sound of a small drum called attention to the pro- 

 ceedings of the pawang. 



The drum was beaten by a wild-looking mcenad, who at the same 

 time commenced a shrill chant addressed to the liantu Mian, or 



