Note on the Malay Game 'Jongkak/ 



By M. Hellier. 



I lately obtained, and sent to the Baffles Museum for 

 exhibition, the playing board and seeds for the Malay game 

 " Jongkak." 



Haji Othman the Visiting Teacher of Province Wellesley, 

 from whom I obtained the board, describes Jongkak as a 

 women's game originally played by the ladies at the courts of 

 the Malay Rajas. The playing board is shaped like a junk or 

 boat, and, according to Haji Othman, the name of the game 

 is derived from " jong " a junk. The board has 7 holes on 

 each side, with a larger hole or compartment at each end. 



The game is one for two people and is usually played with 

 Tamarind or other seeds, but marbles are now sometimes used. 

 Each player has one "village" (kampong) or row of holes, 

 and in each side hole she places 7 seeds. The board is then 

 ready for play. 



The players start together. Each player taking the 7 

 seeds from the hole on her right and carrying them from right 

 to left, drops one in each hole, the last seed falling into the 

 large hole at the end. This seed is said to have " entered the 

 house " (naik rumah) and this house belongs to the player on 

 whose left it lies. 



Each player then takes all the seeds from any one of the 

 other holes in her " village " and moving as before from right 

 to left around the board again drops a seed into each hole, 

 taking care to drop one into her Own ' house ' but none into 

 her opponent's. 



Should the last seed fall into an empty hole the player is 

 dead (mati), and must wait until the other player is ' dead ' 

 before she can again play. If this hole is in the player's own 

 "village" any seeds in the opposite hole on her opponent's 

 side may be taken and put into the "house." This is said to 

 be (?) "a sacrifice " (mati bela). 



Jour. Straits Branch R. A. Soc, No. 49. 1907. 



