Page:Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje - The Achehnese - tr. Arthur Warren Swete O'Sullivan (1906).djvu/75

 well to fill the guchi which stands in the back verandah and contains the supply of water for household use.

Some short posts (rang) extending only from the roof to the floor are furnished with small pieces of plank on which are hung the brass plates with stands of the same metal on which food is served to guests, the trays (dalōng) big enough to hold an idang for four or five persons and the smaller ones (krikay) on which are dished the special viands for the most distinguished visitors. Either in the rambat or the sramòë likōt stands a chest (peutòë) containing the requisite china and earthenware.

Porcelain dishes (pingan) and plates or small dishes (chipé) are to be found in these chests almost everywhere in the lowland districts, but when there are no guests the simpler ware common in the Tunòng is here also used, viz. large earthenware or wooden plates called chapah and smaller ones known as chuèʾ.

The back verandah serves as it were as a sitting-room and as we have seen often answers the purpose of a kitchen as well. It contains a sitting mattress (tilam duëʾ) with a mat on it especially intended for the use of the master, when he comes here to eat his meals or to repose; while a low bench (prataïh) similarly covered with a mat serves as a resting-place for small children. Here are to be found, on shelves or racks fixed against the wall, plates, earthen cooking-pots (blangòng), circular earthen or brass saucepans (kanèt) in which rice is boiled, earthen frying-pans with handles (sudu) for frying fish ete., the curry-stone (batèë neupéh) for grinding spices etc., with the grater (aneuʾ) that appertains to it, and earthenware or brass lamps (panyòt) in the form of round dishes with four or seven mouths (mata) in each of which a wick is placed. Some of these lamps are suspended by cords from above (panyòt gantung), others rest on a stand (panyòt dòng). From the rafters and beams hang at intervals little nets called salang, neatly plaited of rattan, for holding dishes which contain food, so as to protect their contents to some extent from the attacks of various domestic animals.

Drinking vessels of brass (mundam) or earthenware (peunuman) are