“‘Pockets’ are found to contain as much as 104 catties; a single tree has been known to yield 400 catties.[163] Gharu is seldom found in the sap-wood, generally in the heart-wood or tĕras.
“Many tabak-trees do not contain gharu at all. To select the right trees is the special province of the Pawang or wise man. The tabak-trees are under the care of certain hantu or wood-spirits, and it would be hopeless for the uninitiated to attempt to find gharu; even the Pawang has to be very careful.
“The following is the process as far as I have been able to ascertain it:—
“On the outskirts of the forest the Pawang must burn incense, and repeat the following charm or formula:—
“Homali hamali[164] matilok (mandillah ?) serta kalam mandiyat serta teboh. Turun suhaya[165] trima suka turun kadim serta aku kabul kata gharu mustajak[166] kata Allah Berkat la ilaha il’allah. Hei Pŭtri Belingkah,[167] Pŭtri Berjuntei, Pŭtri Menginjan[168] aku meminta isi tabak. Ta’boleh di surohkan, ta’boleh lindong kapada aku kalau di-suroh di-lindong-kan biar dŭrâka kapada tuhan.”
“There is no “pantang gharu” except that the words “isi” and “tabak” must be used instead of “tras” and “gharu.”[169]
“He then proceeds to search for a likely tree, and upon finding one he again burns incense and repeats the spell as above. The tree having been cut down, the next thing is to separate the gharu from the sap-wood. The best way is to let the tree rot, but the Pawang is often “hard-up,” and does not mind wasting some of the gharu in his hurry to realise.
“The following are said to be the tests for finding gharu in a standing tree:—
- 1. The tree is full of knots. (Bĕrbungkol.)
- 2. The bark full of moss and fungus. (Bĕrtumuh bĕrchandawan.)
- 3. Heart-wood hollow. (Bĕrlobang.)
- 4. Bark peeling off. (Bĕrgugor kulit.)
- 5. A clear space underneath. (Mĕngelĕnggang.)
- 6. Stumps jutting out. (Bĕrchulak.)
- 7. Tree tapering. (Bĕrtirus.)
- 8. The falling of the leaves in old trees.
“There are great differences in the quality of gharu, and great care is taken in classifying them. It requires a skilled man to distinguish between some of the varieties.