122
J.R.A.S., S.B., No. 31, p. 28. ↑
123
Pekiriman: lit. a “sending,” a thing which is sent, and hence a present, the “present” being the
bait. ↑
124
Ulubalang, or hulubalang, a captain or champion (v. Kl. s.v.): in this context the crocodile is of
course intended. ↑
125
Pematahan: lit. the “break” of the bay, i.e. the central point (from patah, to break). ↑
126
Alir: the name of this particular method of crocodile catching. Thus mengalir = to catch
crocodiles in this particular way (as described above). Rotan alir = the long rattan line attached
to the bait. ↑
127
Telentang: this and the next line probably refer to some form of omen which is taken from the
way in which the tree falls; but this was not explained to me at the time. The “supine position”
in this case would no doubt be an allusion to the position of a dead crocodile which has “turned
turtle,” whereas to be “prone” would be its natural position as it swims. ↑
128
Yang berdosa: this, of course, refers to the guilty crocodile or crocodiles, i.e. the maneaters,
who are considered to have “sinned” in eating human flesh. ↑
129
Si Anu: the name of the victim or victims should be mentioned here. ↑
130
Kalangan darah: it is difficult to see the exact meaning of this phrase; at first sight it looks like
“the curse of the barring of the blood,” but my Malay authority insisted that it meant the
“blood-bars,” and that it was an allusion to the bones, which were supposed to “bar off” blood
from blood, and that the real significance of the phrase was “choked to death with bones.” It
looks to me, however, much more like a mistake for, or variation of, the phrase mengklan
darah, of which there are plenty of examples; but until more instances are collected the
explanation must be considered doubtful. ↑
131
Biak kembang, d.s.b.: “increase and multiply” is the only sense given to biak or bijak (v. Kl.