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service is performed, are also commonly to be seen. 
A river, a well or a tank is to be found adjacent to 
every mosque. Here the faithful perform the neces- 
sary ritual ablutions before entering the building 
for prayer. 
The fasting month is well observed in the 
villages and smoking, chewing, eating and drinking 
are not indulged in between sunrise and sunset. 
With regard to the Pilgrimage, Malaya sends 
a larger proportion of her population than do other 
far richer countries which are nearer to Mecca. 
I have already alluded to the Malays' trust in 
“ medicine-men.” These practitioners work largely 
by means of spirits. In their invocations they may 
call at one minute on Allah and on the Prophet, in 
the next on a Hindu deity and almost immediately 
again on the ancient spirits of the soil or of the 
jungle. Thus a large proportion of Malay spells 
have an orthodox Mohammedan beginning and 
ending, while their body is entirely heterodox — 
animism strongly tinged with Hinduism. 
Besides carrying about on him charms against 
disease or misfortune, to gain him the love of women, 
or to make him beautiful, the Malay resorts to 
magic, rather than to religion, on all occasions when 
he is in real danger or in spiritual difficulties. 
Tempests at sea can be quelled by the repetition 
of magical formulae game captured or killed; pro- 
tection against evil spirits insured; beauty attained 
and the love of women secured. 
The new-born baby must be surrounded by such 
objects, including iron, as will dispel evil, while 
thorny plants are placed on the ground under the 
house where a woman is in childbed with the object 
