460 



,o * 



every country. Indeed, the character of all theif 

 Hikayats, or histories, partakes almost exclusive- 

 ly of the timrveUous. Their heroes walk upon 

 the water or arrest the elements in their course— 

 they communicaie the power of speech to dumb, 

 and even to inanimate, things— or convert a de- 

 mon info a faithful follower of the Prophet— - 

 they remove a city from its place by word of 

 mouth, or ascend into the heavens, and gaze up- 

 on the delights of Paradise— &c. When such 

 childish fables characterize their literature^ their 

 belief in magic and evil spirits ceases to create 

 surprize. Two of their most dreaded enemies 

 of the latter class are respectively denominated 

 Polong, and Penangalan ; the former of which is 

 an evil spirit, and the latter is a witch. The on- 

 ly acconnt that I have seen of these is to be 

 found in the 2d voL of the I ndo Chinese Gleaner, 

 at pages 73 and 139, in two papers, signed Sia- 

 nu. * The following is an abridged account of 

 them. 



The shape of the Polong resembles nothing m 

 the animal world, the head being formed very 

 much bke the handle of a km. the eyes being 

 situated at either end of the cross guard ; the 

 upper part of the blade represents the neck, from 

 the extremity of which branch out two spinous 

 leg-like processes, running nearly parallel with 

 spiral filiform body, widening out at the inserti- 

 on, and gradually approximating at the extremi- 

 ties; at least such is the form which a Malay 

 physician, and dealer in the black art, will rude- 



• Simu Alimti», Any one. The n§m gvim under which. I beliere* 

 if.e Re? d. C. Thotowwi, MtsMonAr^ at Singapore, wrote hb c<>iiumu)'t^.* 

 mm to ttte Ind^j-Cbineie Qte«oer. 



