Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula - Sabrizain.org

320 WEAPONS AND IMPLEMENTS part ii
The pot is once more rinsed and dried on the fire,
the Hquor (in the bark receptacle) put back into the
pot, the fire reduced, and the pot slowly boiled till
a mere spoonful of gold -brown syrup is all that
remains.^
When properly made, as described, the liquor can
(by dipping a spatula into it) be drawn out into long
thin elastic strings about an inch in length, though
this only happens when a sufficient quantity of
" tuba " is used.^
When the poison has been transferred (by means of
the spatula) into the bamboo poison-tube or poison-
carrier,^ fresh poison obtained from snakes, centipedes,
and scorpions may be added to it. A lemon- (or lime ?)
pip is spitted upon the point of a dart and burnt, the
charred pip being mixed with a lump of arsenic " as
big as the head of a match," and stirred round in the
poison-tube/
Three drops of the sap of " Rotan kemanting
may be added, but this appears to be an innova-
tion. The Mantra poison is very sticky, and seldom
dries properly unless " ipoh " is mixed with it.^
Antidotes.
In speaking of antidotes, it is interesting to note
Logan's remark to the effect that the Mantra were
in the habit of saying that they found resistance to
the Menangkabau Malays in vain, because the latter
were armed with muskets, and had learned the use
of antidotes to their " ipoh " poison, so that the
» V.-St. ii. 127. 2 V.-St. {ibid.) called "tahim'ret" ['« tahi meret" =
adds that when a ring of lighter colour "ants' dung " in the Jakun dialect],
is seen at the edges of the "ipoh "during ^ In original, "into the tube of the
the boiling, it is believed to be a sign quiver " {sic).
of strength (of the poison), and is * * V.-St. /. c.
"