Page:Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (IA journalofstra85861922roya).pdf/276

  Points of the Compass in Brunei Malay.

The Points of the Compass in Brunei Malay have been discussed by Major J. C. Moulton in this Journal No. 83, 1921, p. 75.

The Serang of the s. l. Brunei explained the use of the word Ulara as meaning N. E. by the fact that Malays fix the points of the compass by the winds; Musim Utara is the general Malay expression for the N. E. monsoon during which they cannot go out fishing, but if the wind shifts a point north they can, so they have a definite name for this: Iraga. And thus avoid confusion with the rightly dreaded Utara.

The coast of Borneo runs from S. W. to N. E., so a wind from the open sea i.e. Angin Laut would be a N. W. wind and a wind from the west would still be a sea wind Barat Laut i.e. from the western sea. The use of Barat Tepat for south west is probably a confusion of thought as such a wind would come straight (tepat) up the coast.

The other three winds are not sea winds: Timor the East is always definite; Selatan I don't think I ever heard used; the meaning given in Wilkinson is the wind from the side of the Straits not S. E.

Barat Daya for south might be explained by the meaning of Daya, treacherous, deceptive, as a wind partly off the shore would be.

Kuala Lumpur 16/7/21.



 A Note on the Tagals of Sarawak.

The Tagals of whom a few hundred have wandered down into Sarawak territory from British Borneo are a stockily built tribe whose looks and ornaments, tatooing and headress are very similiar to some Dayak tribes. They are renowned amongst surrounding Muruts and others as experts in the art of poisoning. On one occasion I took from a small cloth which was round the neck of a Tagal chief a small piece of wood bound round with rotan and showed it to a Murut chief who asked me as he examined it from whom I had taken it. A native officer standing by mentioned the name of the Tagal chief whereupon the Murut dropped it like a piece of hot coal and nothing would induce him to touch it again. According to several Muruts this small piece of wood was quite sufficient to give a man violent fever.