The mining contractor, also called towkay lombong and towkay labur, vide infra. ↑
227
Lit. “Taboo language.” ↑
228
Bĕrolak here means to “turn one’s self about,” and the whole phrase would mean “The Tall
One that Turns Himself about”—perhaps the “Tall Loafer” would be as near as we can get to it
in English. So, too, bĕrolak dapor means “The Kitchen Loafer” (Loafer of the Kitchen). ↑
229
Sial means literally anything which brings bad luck; so perhaps we might translate it “Mr. Bad-
luck.” ↑
230
Salah nama means “Wrong name” (Misnomer); limau nipis, lit. means “thin lime.” ↑
231
Kongsi, i.e. “company, firm, gang.” ↑
232
Pantang, i.e. “taboo.” ↑
233
Buah rumput means “Grass-seed;” Bunga rumput, “Grass-flower.” ↑
234
Akar hidop, lit. “live creeper.” The allusion is obvious. ↑
235
Kunyit means “saffron.” The allusion is not evident. ↑
236
Batu puteh means “white stone” or “white rock.” ↑
237
Genggulang, explained by Mr. Hale as meaning “altar,” vide p. 260, infra. ↑
238
About 1878, the principal pawang of the Lârut district, one Pa’Itam Dam, applied to me as
Assistant-Resident to reinstate him in the duties and privileges which he had enjoyed under the
Orang Kaya Mantri, and before him, under Che Long Jʿaffar. He describes the customary
ceremonies and dues to be as follows:—He had to visit all the mines from time to time,
especially those from which tin-ore was being removed; if the daily output of tin suddenly
decreased on any mine it was his business at once to repeat certain invocations (puja) to induce