8o 
FASCICULI MALATENSES 
The cult of ’Toh Sri Lam, on the other hand, appears to approach nearer 
to that of Silau, as recorded by the same authors, among the Kelamantans of 
the interior of Sarawak. Silau was a man who was turned into a crocodile, his 
feet first becoming the reptile’s tail, and who afterwards had a kindly regard 
for his relatives. The Kelamantans make images of the crocodile, however, 
which the Patani people, being Mahommedans, do not do. Though I have 
described the crocodile family together with the fish families for the sake of 
convenience, its members are not necessarily fishermen or even coast people. 
The metamorphosis of Betimor, like that of the Bornean Silau, is believed to 
have taken place up the river. Possibly the names Sri Lam and Silau may 
even have a common origin, as Sri Lam and Sarilang certainly have, the Patani 
form having become assimilated to Siamese. There is a large Malay popula- 
tion in Ligor though Siamese is probably the only language spoken at all 
commonly in that state, as is the case in Patalung — the next state further 
south. 
The ‘Souls’ of Boats 
The Patani fishermen believe that every boat or ship has an individual 
essence or ‘soul,’ which they call mayor prahu. They regard this essence as 
keeping the boat from dissolution, being generally invisible, but able at will to 
render itself visible (kasi nampa). This it very rarely does, though it commonly 
demonstrates its presence by uttering a sound like ‘ chereck ! chereck! chereck ! ’ 
It is considered very lucky for fishermen to hear this sound in their boat, as 
it proves that the mayor is strong. When the mayor actually reveals itself in 
bodily form, even greater good fortune is presaged. In the case of a small 
boat, such as a dug-out canoe, the proper form of the ‘ soul ’ is a fire-fly, in 
that of a larger boat, a snake, while a ship has a human ‘ soul,’ that may be 
either male or female according to the qualities of the ship, the sex of which 
cannot be diagnosed by mere inspection. Luck or ill fortune in fishing is 
regarded as depending, to a great extent, upon the strength or weakness of 
the boat’s mayor. When the mayor is weak it must be strengthened by offerings. 
If a long spell of ill fortune at sea occurs to the owners of a boat, the bomor is 
sent for, and the boat ‘ soul ’ is summoned by him, while ‘ sweetened rice 1 ’ 
{ nasi manis ) is mixed with salt water and laid as an offering on the head 
of each rib of the boat. After this, a feast ( keduri ) is held, at which some 
fowls, a goat, or a sheep, are eaten, portions of the meat being probably offered 
at the same time to the mayor and other spirits. Offerings to the boat ‘ soul ’ 
i. A sweetmeat made of slightly fermented pulut [Oryza glutinosa ) cooked with palm-sugar and cocoanut. 
