THE WORK OF THE BOMOR 33 



bomoT told him that the offerings were intended for the 

 crew, and he gathered that the idea was that of the 

 " scapegoat." On this occasion the httle boat was 

 launched in the evenmg on the ebb when the tide served. 

 Tobacco was put among the offermgs. A full descrip- 

 tion of these spirit boats is given by Skeat in " Malay 

 Magic." 



The memory of the seven brothers is preserved in an 

 ancient charm intended as a cure by magic of small-pox. 

 It is given in Chapter III. In addition, To' Bomor 

 Enche' Harun contributes the following information 

 about small-pox. It is taken from one of his ancient 

 manuscripts on Magic : " A nameless tree grows on 

 the banks of the Sungai Neil (? the Nile), a river whose 

 water flows to heaven. This tree bears fruit once a 

 year, and when tliere are many fruit on any one side 

 of the tree, small-pox will occur in the subjacent 

 country. In days long ago, the Prophet once sum- 

 moned the leaders of the small-pox demons, who are, 

 M^rin^g Tanu for the male group, and Meiing Tandok 

 for the female group, Muliammad told them to put 

 the disease on his body, so that he might experience 

 the pain of smaU-pox. They did as he conmianded, 

 and when the Prophet reahzed the pain he read a 

 passage from the Koran calling on Allah to drive out 

 the disease. When the group leaders Miring Tanu and 

 Meting Tavdok heard the insphed words as the Prophet 

 read and spoke them, they said they would avoid any- 

 body who bhould ever repeat them ; moreover, if a 

 sick man with small-pox suffered very much, that they 

 would leave Mm on hearing these prayers to God," 



To' Bomor Harun says there are 199 demons con- 

 nected with small-pox ; each has a fantastic name 

 and each operates on a selected part of the body . There 

 is Seri Berdengong (His Lordship Buzz) for the ear; 



M.P. 3 



