MALAY PROVERBS. 47 



a series of sayings which, extol the productions or good 

 things of particular places, on the principle which dictated 

 the line. 



" Potatoes grow in Limerick and beef in Baltimore," 



In Perak they say " Gulei lawang yang paku, ayer Batang 

 Padang, sirih sirih chekus, bras bras Sungkei, jika orang Batu 

 Bara ta'balik ka Batu Bqra, "A curry of fern-shoots, the 

 water of BataiiQ- Padano- the betel-leaf of Cliekus and the 

 rice of Sungkei ; if the Batu Bara man has once tasted these 

 he will never see his country again/' Batu Bara is in Su- 

 matra and all the other places named are in Perak. A si- 

 milar epitome of the good things to be had in Kampar 

 (Perak) is current among the natives of that district. Ikun- 

 nia lampam Barang, rambai Pedatang, langsat langsat Pena- 

 rik, sepam sepam Gugup, tempuyak Majnr. 



So, in the palmy days of native rule in Larut, before the 

 Chinese had defied Malay authority, when the Malay Chief, 

 the Orang Kaya Mantri, exercised almost regal powers and 

 the most profuse hospitality tempted men from other parts 

 of Perak to Bukit Gantang, it used to be said, Termahankan 

 nasi kerinsing, terminumJean ayer t&mpayang puteh, terlanghah- 

 kan merbau bersila ta'balik lagi, "He who has eaten the 

 rice of tho copper pot, who has drunk the water of the 

 white jar and who has passed the vierbau bersila ( a parti- 

 cular tree) will never return." 



The "'white jar" still stands outside the Mantri's house, 

 the tree alluded to is a landmark in the Buhit berapit Pass, 

 through which the road from Larut to Kwala Kangsar 

 now runs, but it is to be feared that their virtues have de- 

 parted. The well-fed guest who invented this flattering 

 sentiment did not foresee the time when Amphitryon would 

 be an exile and tlie former scenes of festivity silent and 

 nearly deserted. 



The following is of more general application and therefore 

 much more widely known. Handak mati dillalaka, handak 

 memakei di Palembang, handak tidor di Batu Bara, "The place 

 to die is in Malacca, to clothe one's self Palembang, to 

 sleep Batu Bara." In Malacca . great trouble and expense 

 are taken at funerals, and graves are generally tended with 

 much care and reverence. Palembang is famous for its 

 silk-weaving. The people of Batu Bara are said to under* 



