Page:Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje - The Achehnese - tr. Arthur Warren Swete O'Sullivan (1906).djvu/310

 in their passage between the shafts. As the cane is squeezed between the revolving shafts the juice falls into a channel (charaʾ) in the base between the shafts, and passes thence into an earthenware pot (pasu).

From the juice thus obtained the sugar or molasses is made by boiling. Molasses is chiefly manufactured in the XXII Mukims, the VII Mukims Buëng and the IV Mukims, since in these places the cane is of inferior quality.

The cane-gardens are manured with cow-dung. The same preventive is adopted against disease in the cane as against disease in the padi viz. spreading burnt cow-dung (abèë) over the field.

Arèn sugar (saka jōʾ) is also made in Acheh and commands a higher price than cane-sugar; but the manufacture of sugar from the sap of the cocoa-nut tree seems to be unknown.

Before dealing with the occupation, acquisition and transfer of land, we shall first make a few remarks on the subject of navigation and fishery.

In our synopsis of the keunòngs we saw that the voyage from the capital to the West Coast may be made without danger in Achehnese vessels (prahōs and sampans) from keunòng 5–17, and to the North and East Coast during the rest of the year, i. e. from keunòng 17–5; also that there occur intervals of from 5 to 7 days in the prevalence of the N. E. and S. W. monsoons. Steamers now run to the principal ports at all seasons, but in former times the Achehnese sailors and traders used to set a high value on the knowledge of the exact times when these intervals take place. They assert that there are certain signs by which they can be ascertained each year, but that there are only a few who possess the requisite knowledge.

The interval in keunòng 11 was considered as especially advantageous to those who could predict its coming beforehand. In the rantòs, the wild and inhospitable districts on the West Coast which separate the larger settlements from one another and are the field of the pepper-planters' labours, nothing could be obtained during the S. W. monsoon. Whoever succeeded in conveying thither a cargo of pots and pans (kanèt-blangòng) clothing, salt, sugar and molasses, was certain to return home with a handsome profit. The interval in the N. E. monsoon was