THE BINUA OF JOHORE. 
2 77 
in a God, or that the Poyang’s power was considered to be derived 
from him and entirely dependent on his pleasure. On the contra¬ 
ry, they declared that they had no religious belief, and that the Poy* 
angs cured diseases and inflicted calamities by means of spirits which 
they kept. 
The Binuas are much less superstitious than the Malays, and the 
more sensible among them even doubt whether the Poyangs of the 
present day can attain supernatural power or aid. “ Not one in 
a hundred reaches Jdwaj^wa,” said an old man—“The only one 
I ever knew to do so was a Poyang who died when I was young. 
His spirit was seven days in heaven. I have never had recourse to> 
them in sickness, but always allow diseases to take their course, 
If Pirman is determined that a man shall die, he must die. If Pir- 
man thinks fit to grant him an extension of his life, he must recover.” 
The Bermun tribes like the Malays attribute the Poyang’s power- 
to his command over spirits which possess and inspire him. The 
spirits of the rivers, hantu sungie, are evil, inflicting diseases and feed¬ 
ing on the smangat, or insubstantial body, in which the life of man re¬ 
sides. The spirits of the mountains, hantu gunong, are harmless. 
Every Poyang has several disciples who attend him when he visits 
a sick person. A small hut called Sawi is constructed near the 
house, and in this the incantations are peformed, every body being ex¬ 
cluded save the Poyang and his disciples. Incense is burned, and 
invocations chanted to music until the Poyang is possessed by the spi¬ 
rit, which answers through his mouth the questions put by the disci¬ 
ples respecting the mode of treating the disease. When a river spirit 
enters a man and he wastes under its evil influence, the Poyang has 
power to exorcise it. The tigers are his slaves. It is somewhat 
curious that while the MIntir& not only believe this, but that tigers 
never die, they do not scruple to kill and eat the cubs when they find 
them. 
To ascertain whether fever exists, the patient is directed to take 
chuping leaves mixed with lime, rub them together in the hand, 
and squeeze the juice into a cup. If it hardens the patient is pro¬ 
nounced to have fever. The most common remedy for fever is the 
daun dedingin, and for fever and ague the umut s’mambu. The akar 
bufcut is used in jaundice for young children,—the akar b&laksini for 
pain in the loins. After child-birth a decoction of the daun poar is 
administered to the child, and ubat mirlan to the mother such as 
mirian apf, m. padi, m. batu, and m. igu 
The origin of their country and race was thus related, “ The 
