Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula - Sabrizain.org

CHAP. VII SAVAGE MALAYS OF JOHOR yj\
the clearings so made, the principal hut being built in
the piece of ground that had last been cleared. This
was usually at some distance from the bank of a river,
in order to avoid the inundations which occur after
heavy rains. Offerings were made, as by the Malays,
to the Earth genie ("Jin Bumi ") on commencing to
fell the forest. As soon as a sufficient space had
been opened, the trees were left for some months to
dry. They were then burnt, and holes made with a
stick in the ground (which was enriched by the wood-
ash produced by the burning) for the reception of
plants and seeds brought from their last clearing.
The cultivated plants found in almost every Jakun
clearing were the sweet potato (" k'ledek "), the
potato (" ubi benggala "), the tapioca (" ubi kayu "),
the water - melon, and the sugar - cane. Bananas
occurred frequently, but not abundantly. Maize was
not so common as with the Berembun tribes. The
wild leaves and shoots used as vegetables by these
tribes^ did not appear to be resorted to in Johor. In
many clearings tobacco was cultivated, and in a fewsome
kinds of bean (" kachang bunga'," etc.). In a
considerable number of the clearings a portion was
set apart for the growth of rice. The dry or wet
forms of cultivation were resorted to according to the
nature of the locality, but the former was most
general. Flowers were neglected. Only a single
instance of their cultivation was noticed, and they
were never worn in the hair. It must be remembered,
' Such as the "lipii," " ahin^," and the leaves of ferns (" paku "), "jc-
"chinarong," "bayan,"' and "maman"; latang," " tuba," " kapaya,'' " kaOm,"
the "cabbage" of the palms called "samoma," " papijih " ; and the roots
" nibong," " langkap," " enau," of the "gadong," "gupul," "bajon,"
"runut," "chacheng," " dempong," "k'luna," " lintag," " tragcl," "da-
"noin," "k'lasak," "limpet," " che- gun," " tukil," "kung," "wuan,"
che," "semambu," and " serdang " " " ; woel," " ounu, " kapayang," etc.