73 
PRIMITIVE BELIEFS AND CUSTOMS OF THE 
PATANI FISHERMEN 
By NELSON ANNANDALE, B.A. 
RESEARCH STUDENT IN ANTHROPOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH 
T HE fishermen who ply their calling in Patani Bay live in a number of 
small villages near the mouths of the Patani, Jambu, and Nawngchik 
rivers. Without exception they are Malays, that is to say, Mahom- 
medans, for the Siamese are not here a coast people. Though women sell the 
fish in the market, and do most of the work in connexion with the drying and 
salting the surplus, they do not, as a rule, accompany the men to sea. There 
is one old woman of the village of Jujul who does so ; but she is considered 
quite exceptional. Most of the fishing is done by means of nets, which are 
let out in a circle, either from the shore, or, more commonly, from a boat. 
The boats, into the construction of which I do not propose to enter, are of 
two classes, differing from one another in size and in the distance they go from 
shore. Even the larger kind does not go more than a few hours’ journey, 
while the smaller is confined to water not much more than five feet deep. 
Both classes are owned by companies, the partners in which may be women 
or men who do not engage in fishing themselves, though all are entitled to a 
certain proportion of the profits. The net, which is taxed according to its 
length by the Siamese Government, may belong to a different association from 
that which owns the boat. The larger kind of boat carries a crew of some 
fifteen men, one of whom is its bomor ikan , or c fish-doctor.’ His duty con- 
sists in reciting the charms and making the sacrifices necessary to procure 
good luck and to keep away malicious spirits, and also in leaping into the 
water when the fishing-ground is reached and swimming about until he hears 
the fish. He must then raise his body in the water and wave his arms to call 
his companions to bring the boat and let out the net. It should be noted that 
several kinds of fish common in Patani Bay can utter a grunt like that of the 
gurnards of our own coasts. The smaller kind of boat does not need more 
than three men to work it and the net. It is with the men who are generally 
associated with this class of work that the present paper chiefly deals, as the 
author has had more opportunity of observing and questioning them than 
those who may be called deep-sea fishermen. 
L 
20/2/03 
