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Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula - Sabrizain.org

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SAKAI OF PERAK 487<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se bunches <strong>of</strong> fruit and that at z <strong>the</strong> hillock<br />

itself. Over this (at li) is portrayed a millipede, and<br />

at i <strong>the</strong> track <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> same insect. The track <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

millipede as it creeps to and fro on <strong>the</strong> leaf-stems is<br />

indicated by two drawings <strong>of</strong> millipedes looking in<br />

opposite directions.<br />

The object <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> charm is to cause <strong>the</strong> " milli-<br />

pedes to fold <strong>the</strong>ir legs toge<strong>the</strong>r and sleep," so as not<br />

to be able to injure any one engaged in plucking <strong>the</strong><br />

fruit. At <strong>the</strong> right side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> figure (at k) a sleeping<br />

millipede is shown.<br />

^<br />

Fig". 15.—Among <strong>the</strong> great variety <strong>of</strong> spiders in <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>Peninsula</strong> <strong>the</strong>re is a poisonous one that spins its web<br />

at about a man's height in <strong>the</strong> jungle.' According to<br />

<strong>the</strong> aborigines, it is <strong>the</strong> male that spins <strong>the</strong> thread and<br />

directs <strong>the</strong> prey towards <strong>the</strong> female, who sits in <strong>the</strong><br />

web guarding it.<br />

The angles (called " elbows ") at <strong>the</strong> right <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

pattern {a) represent tree -branches, and <strong>the</strong> female<br />

spider (<strong>the</strong> lower figure) is seated upon <strong>the</strong>m. The<br />

female spider in this case has a superfluous leg, which<br />

extends to figure b at <strong>the</strong> left <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> figure.<br />

Such superfluous limbs are not unusual in <strong>the</strong><br />

drawings <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> wilder Sakai. They are not due to<br />

want <strong>of</strong> observation, but to want <strong>of</strong> calculation. The<br />

more <strong>Malay</strong>ized Sakai would never commit such an<br />

error.^<br />

' Z.f. E. xxvi. p. 183. reckon <strong>the</strong> two additional legs, and it<br />

' Ibid. pp. 184, 185. did not occur to him to help himself<br />

' When Vaughan- Stevens saw <strong>the</strong> out by means <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r hand,<br />

mistake in <strong>the</strong> figure he pointed it out After two or three failures, he took a<br />

to <strong>the</strong> Sakai who brought it. The number <strong>of</strong> twigs in his hand, and laid<br />

latter, taken aback, counted <strong>the</strong> legs <strong>the</strong>m on each <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> legs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> figure<br />

by laying each <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> fingers <strong>of</strong> one in succession. Then he caught a spider<br />

hand in turn upon each <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> legs <strong>of</strong> and killed it, and compared it for some<br />

<strong>the</strong> spider. After thus counting up to time with <strong>the</strong> drawing without being<br />

\\vt, he appeared not to be able to able to see clearly where <strong>the</strong> mistake

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