Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula - Sabrizain.org

CHAP. IX SAKAl OF PERAK 49'
plant ; the dark ones the edible tubers. The plant to
the right at C is supposed to be growing, as it appears,
at the foot of a slope, and the smaller one, shown upside
down at the bottom (near D), appears to be growing
on the hill. The Sakai frequently clear the side of a
hill for their small plantations and huts. The entire
landscape, indeed, is hilly, and the valleys are mostly so
overgrown with vegetation that a successful clearing
cannot possibly be made without good implements.'
The central division of the pattern is occupied by
several kinds of plants, divided from each other by
six dead trees, which are denoted by vertical strokes.
Starting from the right, we see, in the intervals
between these trees, (i) maize, (2) yams or
" keladi " [Caladiimi), with their edible tubers, then
three sugar-canes, which are throwing out (edible)
shoots at the root. Next we again see maize and
tapioca (" ubi kayu "), the latter with its edible root-
tubers ; then come two plants, one above the other,
the upper one being a species of yam with tubers,
and the lower one a banana tree with young banana
shoots. The dots around the plants denote a con-
siderable growth of grass. The uppermost part of
the figure contains the animals against which this
charm is directed. Above, at the right-hand corner,
is to be seen a caterpillar, with a rat underneath it ;
then follow (on the left) two monitors or " lace-lizards "
(such as steal hens' eggs). Beside each of the
monitors stands a leafy tree, representing the favourite
hiding-place of these reptiles. The large trees, which
are often left standing in the clearing, then form the
hiding-places referred to ;
the
little strokes that cover
each side of their stems represent the running up and
> Z.f.E. xxvi. 187.