A TRIP TO GUNONG BENOM. i 
they become as lazy as buffaloes. At this point the traveller 
always returns believing that they would be as large as ele- 
phants further on. On Gunong Raja by-the-by there are chili 
plants sufficiently gigantic to allow these big ‘brok’ to perch 
on their branches. 
The Malay belief in ‘hantu’ is of course universal but is 
noticeable that it is always possible to find some one whether 
a pawang or otherwise who will have them for a consideration. 
A charming old Chinese thauke at Belat in Kuantan tells a story 
of how he offered $5 to some Malays to fell a large chingah 
tree which overhung his kongsi. They refused and said that 
it was a “‘datoh.” Subsequently they offered to fell it for $10. 
The thauke’s indignant reply was that he would have nothing 
to do with men who would cut down their grandfather for 
ten dollars. Why for fifteen you would cut down your father and 
mother as well! He got over the difficulty by the aid of a large 
auger half a tin of kerosine and alighted match. After describ- 
ing how in a day or two the tree fell its heart completely burnt 
out, he always ends by saying very scornfully “ Mana hantu?” 
As a rule however a Chinaman believes in propitiating the Jocal 
unseen powers and even this sceptical thauke was seriously 
considering whether he could not change his luck by engaging 
a pawang to pay the belated sacrifice of a buffalo to the genius, 
loci of his mine. A Chinaman is perhaps somewhat of a fatalist 
but he believes in insurance all the same. 
Another susperstition which I overheard concerned a cure 
for skin disease. The pawang was complaining that it was 
difficult to arrange the marriage of a girl who lived near his 
house as the poor thing was covered with “ kurap.” My head- 
boatman who had noticed the girl, displayed great interest (he 
was I think contemplating matrimony 4 bonne marché ) and 
stated that he knew an infallible cure for ‘“‘kurap.” It con- 
sisted in an ointment of sulphur and kerosine oil applied in some 
mysterious manner and it was an essential part of the cure that 
no living soul should see the patient for seven days after the 
unction. 
As regards the fauna of the hill, over the very top of the 
ridge, i.e.,5000 feet high rana beast-track and onalmost the high- 
est point was a quantity of rhinoceros’ dung. One night whilst 
R. A. Soc., No. 39, 1903. 
