Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula - Sabrizain.org

300 WEAPONS AND IMPLEMENTS i-art ii
The boiling is completed in four processes ;
and
just
before the last boiling a little poison obtained from
the poison glands of snakes, scorpions, and centipedes
is added. A little of the poison is then applied to a
small spatula, which is dried slowly over a smoulder-
ing fire ; a fresh layer is then applied and the spatula
moved slowly to and fro over the fire. The poison thus
prepared is dark brown, and is very soluble in water.
If a less powerful poison is required, the sap of the
Ipoh and the root is alone employed, or else the Ipoh
by itself; in either case the methods of preparation
are identical. The poison is now ready for immediate
use, the point of the dart being slightly wetted and
rubbed upon the small spatula which is covered with
the poison.^
To complete his inquiry into the sources of the
arrow-poisons of the aborigines, Mr. Wray visited the
district of Batang Padang, to ascertain how the Sakai
prepared their poison. As previously mentioned, they
only used it on their blowpipe - darts, as bows and
arrows are not employed by them.'-
Mr. Wray visited two Ipoh trees, both of which
were deeply scored like those in Selama. The scoring
of the bark was not, however, so regular as with the
Semang, and no sign of the herring-bone method was
to be seen. The usual plan was to cut detached
V-shaped incisions, and the method of collecting the
sap differed also from that already described.^
Several pieces of bamboo were taken, and to each
was fixed a piece of wood, which was ingeniously cut,
J De M. /. c, Cp. Hale, 289. The for use, it is put on a spatula moistened
sap of the Ipoh tree is " l)oiled down to and warmed over the fire, and then
the consistency of thick treacle, a large applied to the dart." Cp. also De la
quantity at a lime. It will then, in a Croix, p. 334, as to the varying strengths
properly stoppered bamboo, keep for of the Sakai poison (even on the darts
any length of time. When required of the same quiver). -^ Wray, I.e.