312 NOTES AND QUERIES. 



to the top. The flora there is very different from anything- we 

 have even at the lower part of the cliffs, and in many respects 

 is similar to that of the hinestone rocks of the Lankawi islands. 



In recording' this discovery of a connecting Hnk between 

 two regions so far apart as Tenasserim and Borneo, I may men- 

 tion another, viz. that of Dtiulrobiain heterocarpum Wall, 

 (D aurewin Lindl.) which was known to occur in India (Nepal, 

 Assam, Malabar and Ceylon), hi Java, and the Philippine islands, 

 and which has recently been found by Mr. A. B. Stephens in 

 Perak, on the Thaiping hills. 



H, N, R. 



Boriah. 



In part II. of Clifford and Swettenham's Malay-Eng- 

 lish Dictionary, under the head of BoiaAH, I find Boriah, 



4^ y A topical song. Bdcha boriah --V, aj .*) To sing a 



topical song. 



No derivation of the word is given. The use of the word 

 is chiefly confined to the pantomimes or mimic plays which are 

 acted by Malays in Penang Town during the month of Muharam. 

 Ir is of Persian origin, according to Forbes, and means a "mat" 

 in Hindustani. The following account of the word which I have 

 received from an Indian in Penang will throw some light on the 

 subject, as I believe, fanciful derivations of the word have been 

 suggested. 



"■ The plain meaning of the word Boriah in the Hindustani 

 " and IJeccan language is a place of prayer (praying carpet), and 

 " in Malay they call it 7\'L-ar (a mat). Formerly in the year 1845, 

 " the 21st Regiment was transferred from Madras to Penang. The 

 " Muhammedans of the Pegiment used to be given ten days' leave 

 " in the month of Muharram for the pui pose of mourning for 

 " the grandsons of the prophet. These military men used to 

 «' form parties and sing songs of mourning. For instance, 

 " representing four persons, Nanak Shah, Jogi Majnun, Balva 

 " Ghaghri, and Boria, they used to dress up in clothes made of 

 "mats and mourn for Husain, and used to recite the following 

 " piece of poetry — 



