[112] This and the next four charms are extracted from a paper by the author which appeared in Sel. Journ., vol. iii. No. 12, pp. 196–200. [↑]
[113] Ular chintamani: the snake chintamani springs from the eggs of the bird chandrawasih (chendrawasi), which fall into the sea; if you find dust (abu) or a piece of sugar-cane inside a floating cocoa-nut-shell at sea, you may know it to be the snake chintamani. If, on the other hand, the eggs fall into primeval forest, they turn into the doves called merbo’ titek abu, if upon a hill, they turn into the doves called merbo’ api. Sometimes, however, even after falling, they take the shape of bananas, sugar-cane, or hen’s eggs; and that is why sugar-cane, hen’s eggs, and bananas are used when the “Soul of the Rice” is fetched home. [↑]
[114] Bijeh, i.q. biji, tin-ore, lit. seed, grain. [↑]
[115] Buih, i.q. buhi, foam. [↑]
[116] The last two lines must be said quite in a whisper to one’s self, as the name of God or Muhammad must never under any circumstances be mentioned aloud in the mine. [↑]
[117] Jika terlanggar atau tersepek, itulah akan pem’pas dan dendang-nya (i.q. ubat-nya) maka ʿisharat-nya ayam sa’ekor, tanam kapala, tumpah darah. [↑]
[118] Kalerik, not given in dictionaries, nor is jintu-jintu, which is another name for it. The sound of a lizard’s chuckle is considered a good omen at this juncture. Kĕtong, not in dictionaries, but explained as a grain (sa-biji). Arai, not given in dictionaries, but explained as a cocoa-nut shell full (sa-chupak). Sentong, lit. = basketful here, the basket being such a basket as is filled with jungle produce and fitted to the back of the carrier. Makau stands for tembakau. Kantan is probably Nicolaia Imperialis Horan (Scitamineæ). [↑]