lii 
MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES &C. 
some superstitions: many Words, it is to be feared, must utterly fail 
to put them down, except in this mode, while their hearts and hopes 
are Time’s only. They pay great respect to the warning of the 
“curse bird” whose quick, single chirp, heard on the right or be¬ 
hind him, will arrest the walk of the traveller : even if going on an 
errand of some consequence, he turns back, but he may on another 
day try again, and, if the bird then also forbid his further progress, 
he may settle the matter with the burukn tulah (or burong kutok 
of the Malay) by producing a small skein of seven strands (which. 
When the true article, lias its upper ends enclosed in a silver tip for 
the fingers), freeing it from entanglement and suspending it in the 
grasp of two lingers. If a strand fall to the ground, lie may not go 
forward at the hazard of illness or calamity, if two or more, it would 
be madness even to cherish a wish foreign to submissiveness. In the 
case of a trader, it is said that only the Chirp on the right is adverse, 
whereas from the left comes the omen of great demand, and, if he 
have but a small stock or Variety, lie may expect dissatisfaction from 
the people, that he came so ill-supplied. In the case of the test 
just mentioned, it is presumable that the issue accords with the pre¬ 
ference of the party using it, and, in a matter of no moment, any 
good Dyak Would certainly sometimes give the bird his way, and 
return to the village, the object of interest for a few minutes while 
friends should inquire just where it happened, &c. ; ’tis a pleasant 
tonic to a lazy group who had nothing new. On our little stream, 
within a mile of our premises, at the place Where Karatigan’s seat was 
in the day of her glory, when her lawangs were more than five fold 
their present number, and, if a Malay dared tie his boat above or 
abreast of the bathing place, its fastening was promptly cut at sight, 
may be seen the trunk of a bungur tree to which attaches a tale of 
pride. One of the old residents of the chief radang (these were 5 or 
0 buildings, containing 180 doors,) intending to build, perhaps a 
granary, bad cut and shaped his ni tas (tiang bilian,) and, bringing 
them to the spot, placed them, resting on end, against the btingur, 
with intent to raise his building on the morrow. That night the 
bungur so thoroughly devoured the bilian that the early morning 
showed but the ends of the latter, projecting proof upon 
the skeptic; wherefore, divers counsellings and resolves resulted, and 
the bungur was fitly field a sacred tree, in reference to which iro 
Morris” needed to indite an affecting and popular “Woodman, 
b'parc.” Time brought age and loss of vigor, and the tree of prowess. 
