And now as to the kings of Pasey. The authors of this story declare that there
were two brothers named Marah who lived near Pasangan. They were originally
from the mountain of Sanggong. The elder was named Mara-Tchaga, and the
younger Marah-Silou. Marah-Silou was engaged in casting nets. Having taken
some kalang-kalang, he rejected them and cast his net anew. The kalang-kalang
were caught again. After several attempts with the same result, Marah-Silou had
these kalang-kalang boiled. And behold, the wretched things became gold and
their froth became silver. Marah-Silou caught more kalang-kalang, boiled them,
and again saw them become gold and silver. He had thus acquired much store of
gold and silver, when one day the news came to Marah-Tchaga that his younger
brother was catching kalang-kalang, and he was so irritated that he wished to kill
him. When Marah-Silou learned of this design, he took refuge in the forest of
Djawn. The place where he fished is still called the Plain of Kalang-Kalang.
Marah-Silou, established in the forest of Djawn, gave gold to those who dwelt
there, and they all obeyed his commands. One day when he was hunting, his
dog, named Si Pasey, began to bark on a slight hill which one would have
believed made by the hand of man. Climbing the small hill he saw an ant as big
as a cat. He took it and ate it up. The place was afterward called Samodra; that is
to say, "The Big Ant." Now it is said that the prophet of God—blessings be upon
him!—once told his companions:
"There will be a country some day, toward the south, called Samoudra. When
you hear it spoken of, hasten thither to convert the inhabitants to Islam, for in
that country many will become the friends of God. But there will also be the
king of a country called Mataba, whom you must take with you."
A long time after this decree of the prophet, the fakir Mahomet went to
Samoudra. Reaching the shore, he met Marah-Silou, who was gathering shells.
The fakir asked him:
"What is the name of this country?"
"Its name is Samoudra," answered Marah-Silou.
"And what is the sovereign's name?"
"I am the sovereign of all who dwell here," said Marah-Silou.
The fakir Mahomet converted Marah-Silou to Islam and taught him the words of