Page:Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje - The Achehnese - tr. Arthur Warren Swete O'Sullivan (1906).djvu/319

 tělok), which properly means "bay"; these "bays" are separated from one another by boundary marks.

At ordinary times the only meaning of this division is that the pawangs of a given lhōʾ use that portion of the foreshore for laying up and repairing their sampans, and as the basis for their fishing trips. The right to catch fish in the water facing that strip of coast is open to the pawangs of other lhōʾs just as much as to them, nor is it regarded as an offence for one of these others to land in their territory. The boundary however has its chief significance at the kanduri laʾōt, which each lhōʾ holds annually to invoke God's blessing on the labours of its pawangs

The time chosen for this kanduri (which is supposed to bring to the pukat-fishers the same good luck as the kanduri blang does to the planters) is that when the fishery enjoys a compulsory holiday owing to the rough weather i. e. the changes of the N. E. and S. W. monsoon. Thus the foreshore at Ulèë Lheuë is divided for the pukat fishermen into two lhōʾs, one of which gives its religious feast in keunòng 17 at the beginning of the S. W. Monsoon (about April), and the other in keunòng 5, at the beginning of the N. E. Monsoon (about September).

The pawangs of the lhōʾ bear the expenses of the feast, which is on a considerable scale, but they can claim a contribution of about four dollars from each of their contract buyers.

The day for the feast is fixed by the panglima, who invites to it all the pawangs and their crews, the ulèëbalang and the gampōng authorities (keuchiʾs, teungkus and ureuëng tuha) of his mukim.

That the feast is luxurious according to Achehnese ideas may be judged from the fact that a buffalo is always slaughtered for it. Before proceeding to attack the good cheer which is spread on the shore of the lhōʾ which gives the feast, the latter is consecrated by liké (Arab. ḍikr), the repetition of psalms of praise (seulaweuët) in honour of the Prophet, or hatam, i. e. the recitation in chorus of portions of the Qurān by the teungkus and leubès present.

During the seven days following the kanduri, it is high festival for the fish in that lhōʾ; for in this week neither the pawangs belonging to that "bay' nor their colleagues from neighbouring parts may fish in the waters fronting that division.