A TEIP TO atXNONG BLUMUT. 105 



Blumut ; Bechuak with her twin peaks to the right, Blumut 

 stretching away to the left, concealing behind her broad back 

 Chimimdong, the third of the trio. These three hold an im- 

 portant place in Benuak legends (I found the name acknow- 

 ledged by the Dato, who pronounced it as spelt, and talked of a 

 " BAja Benuak " in old days.) As the result of my inquiries 

 was to confirm the accuracy of Logan's account, I cannot do 

 better than quote his account of the origin of the Benuak 

 country and race, and of the particular legend connected 

 with Blumut. " The ground on which " we stand 

 is not solid. It is merely the skin of the earth 

 " (kulit biimi). In ancient times Perman [the " Allah" of 

 " the Benuak] broke up this skin, so that the world was 

 "destroyed and overwhelmed with water. Afterwards he 

 "caused Gunong Lulumut [Blumut] with Chimundong and 

 "Bechuak to rise, and this low land which we inhabit was 

 " formed later. These mountains in the South, and Gunong 

 " Ledang (Mt. Ophir), Gunong* Kap (Mount Kof , probably), 

 "Gunong Tongkat Bangsi, and Gunong Tongkat Siibang on 

 " the North, give a fixity to the earth's skin. The earth still 

 " depends entirely on these mountains for its steadiness. The 

 "Lulumut mountains are the oldest land. The summit of 

 " Gunong Tongkat Bangsi is within one foot of the sky; that 

 " of GiYnong Tongkat Lubang is within an ear-ring's length ; 

 " and that of Gunong Kap is in. contact with. it. After Lulii- 

 " mut had emerged, a prahu of pulei wood covered over and 

 " without any opening floated on the waters. In this Pirman 

 " had enclosed a man and woman whom he had made. After 

 " the lapse of some time the prahu was neither directed with 

 " or against the current nor driven to and fro. The man and 

 "woman feeling it to rest motionless, nibbled their way 

 "through it, stood on the dry ground, and beheld this our 

 " world. At first, however, everything was obscure. There 

 " was neither morning nor evening because the sun had not 

 "yet been # made. When it became light they saw seven 

 "sindudo* trees and seven plants of rurnput sambau. They 

 " then said to each other, ' in what a condition are we, with- 

 "out children or grand-children.' Some time afterwards the 

 " woman became pregnant, and had two children, not, however, 

 " in her womb, but in the calves of her legs. From the 

 " right leg was brought forth a male, and the left a female 

 " child. Hence it is that the issue of the same womb can- 

 "not intermarry. All mankind are the descendants of the 



* Or stlmcludukj a'conimon rhododendruin-like shrub. 



