4. MINERALS AND MINING CHARMS
In the Western States of the Peninsula by far the most important branch of
industry has for many years been that of Tin-mining. Though something like 90
per cent of the labourers employed in the mines are Chinese, the ceremonies
used at the opening of tin-mines are purely Malay in character.
The post of mining wizard, once a highly lucrative one, was in past days almost
always filled by a Malay, though occasionally the services of a Jungle-man
(Sakai) would be preferred. These mining wizards enjoyed in their palmy days
an extraordinary reputation, some of them being credited with the power of
bringing ore to a place where it was known that no ore existed; some, too, were
believed to possess the power of sterilising such ore as existed, and of turning it
into mere grains of sand.
The ore itself is regarded as endued not only with vitality, but also with the
power of growth, ore of indifferent quality being regarded as too young (muda),
but as likely to improve with age. Sometimes, again, it is described as
resembling a buffalo, in which shape it is believed to make its way from place to
place underground. This idea, however, is probably based upon traditions of a
lode, though it is quite in keeping with Malay ideas about the spirits residing in
other minerals, the Gold spirit being supposed to take the shape of a kijang or
roe-deer (whence the tradition of a golden roe-deer being found at Raub in
Pahang).
In connection with the subject of tin-mining the account contributed^224 in 1885
by Mr. Abraham Hale (then Inspector of Mines in the Kinta district of Perak) to