156 OCCASIONAL NOTES. 



expedition, are not permitted during the whole time of its 

 duration to wash or bathe ; they have to use a peculiar lan- 

 guage, which differs from ordinary Malay. Compare what 

 is known on this point of similar usages amongst the Battaks. 



The collectors have to go on through the jungle until the 

 hantu kwpur (the camphor spirit), a female, appears to the 

 paivang in his dreams and shows him the direction in which 

 success may be expected. 



Certain customs are observed in Siak in the collection of wax 

 which may be mentioned here. 



The sialang (that is, a tree on which bees have made nests) 

 is generally considered to belong to him who finds it, provided 

 it stands in a part of the forest belonging to his tribe. Should 

 the tree stand in a part of the jungle apportioned to another 

 tribe, the finder is permitted to take for once all the wax 

 there is on the tree, and ever afterwards during his lifetime 

 all the wax of one branch of the tree. After his death the 

 tree again becomes the property of the tribe to whom that 

 part of the jungle belongs. 



When wax is collected from a tree, there are generally three 

 persons to share in it, and the proceeds are divided as follows : — 

 viz., one-third to the proprietor of the tree, one-third to the man 

 who climbs the tree, and one-third to the man who keeps watch 

 below. These two latter offices are considered rather dangerous ; 

 the first because he has to climb the towering sialang trees, branch- 

 less to a considerable height, by means of bamboo pegs driven into 

 the trunk ; and the w T atch-keeper underneath, because he has 

 to face the bears and tigers who (so it is said) come after the 

 wax and honey. 



The following trees are generally inhabited by bees (lebah), 

 and then become sialang s ; near the sea, pulei, kempas, kayu 

 arah and babi Jcurus; whilst further in the interior ringas manuk, 

 and cliempcdak ayer are their generally habitats. 



Besides the lebah, there is to be found in Siak another bee, 

 called neruan, which does not make its nests on trees, but in 

 holes. 



The regulations observed when taking the wax of the lebah 

 do not apply to the taking of the wax and honey of the neruan. 



