MALAY PROVERBS, 31 



truth of his side of the question. The first, invoking the 

 name of God, the intercession of the Prophet and the tombs 

 of the deceased Sultans of the country, asserts the affirma- 

 tive proposition, and his adversary with the same solemnity 

 records his denial. This is called bertangkap mangmang or 

 " taking up the challenge." Each paper is then carefully 

 rolled up by the krani and is placed by him in a separate 

 bamboo tube ; the ends of both are then sealed up. When 

 thus prepared the bamboo tubes are exactly alike and no 

 one, not even the krani, can tell which contains the assertion, 

 and which the denial. Two boys are then selected, one of 

 the bamboos is given to each, and they are led down to the 

 river, where the Raja and Chiefs take up their station, and 

 the people flock down in crowds. Two stakes have been 

 driven into the bed of the river in a pool previously selected, 

 and the boys are placed beside them, up to their necks in 

 water. A pole is placed horizontally on their heads, and on 

 a given signal this is is pressed downwards and the boys are 

 made to sink at the same moment. Each holds on to his 

 post under water and remains below as long as he can. As 

 soon as one gives in and appears above water his bamboo 

 tube is snatched from him and hurled far out into the 

 stream. The victor is led up in triumph to the balei and the 

 crowd surges up to hear the result. His bamboo is then 

 opened and the winner declared. 



The Perak Malays believe this to be an infallible test of 

 the truth of a cause. The hoy who holds the false declara- 

 tion is half-drowned they say, as soon as his head is under 

 water, whereas the champion of the truth is able to remain 

 below until the bystanders drag the post out of the river, with 

 the boy still clinging to it. Such is the power of the truth 

 backed by the sacred names and persons invoked ! 



The loser is often fined in addition to suffering the loss of 

 his stakes (one half of which goes to the Raja). He also 

 has to pay the customary fees, namely, $6.25 for the use of 

 the balei, $12.50 to the krani and $5 to each of the boys. 



This ordeal is not peculiar to Perak. I find a short des- 

 cription of a similar custom in Pegu in Hamilton's " New 

 Accounts of the East Indies" (1727). In Pegu, he says, the 

 ordeal by water is managed " by driving a stake of wood 

 " into a river and making the accuser and accused take hold 

 " of the stake and keep their heads and bodies under wa- 

 " ter, and he who stays longest under water is the per- 

 " son to be credited," 



