The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-11-23
THE MINE SORCERER.
MALAY EAKIRS WHO WORK THE IG-
NORANT AND SUPERSTITloUs.

Miners III all countries have been noted
for their superstitious beliefs rs to va
rious matters affecting their ,Sod or il,
luck. Soothsayers, sorcerers. or ut LEAFS,
lode finders, were in past ages trus-e To
secure the satisfactory results whic, ar.
now nowadays more reasonably horcd
for on the report of the IL B ng expert
and engineer. The latest survival of
belief i'll the occult powers of the ''med
lclne man" or sorcerer is probably To b,
found in the Malay peninsula, which
contains the most important tin work
ings yet known to exist. The indivil-
ual who thus guides his employers to
fortune, or the reverse, is known as
pawang.
Until the practical termination of in
dependent Malay rule throughout the
major portion Of the peninsula, about 10
years ago, the pawang was a recognized
member of every mining staff, and recog-
nized not only by the mine owners but
by the petty chiefs, who alternately en-
couraged OF INSTRUCTED mining enter
prise.
So potent was he that he could foretell
the prospects of a mine, levy fines (Which
went into his own pocket), direct the
offering up of animal sacrifices and en-
force rules respecting the workings of
mine which but for him would have
been simply ridiculed by the miners. AL
though i'll many districts his pretensions
are now discredited, he still fingers OH.
superstition with the existing generation
of miners having yet firm hold in the
moro remote districts.
Tho nowo1,tr 1pn,- m. ,,,nx- not IN +l,.
hereditary successor of II predecessor.
In some casea he is self made, and at
tains his position by few lucky fore
casts as to the value of Il projected mine
In territory where, as is sometimes
said, eff you dig up the highway, you
are sure to find tin," the supernaturallv
gifted prospector has q tolerably easy
task. Not that tin is always found when
hole is sunk. But moderate &C
quaintance with the usual indications is
quite sufficient. Chinese of limited
means do not often trouble a pawang in
the initiatory stages. But when the
stream tin" or tin sand, with an
overburden of 10 or 20 feet earth and
gravel-is fairly started, the pawang
suggests that he alone knows how to
keep good luck i'll sight Sometimes he
IS politely informed that his services are
not wanted, and he leaves i'll wrath, pre-
dieting all sorts of disaster to the unbe-
heving towkay or manager. Upon the
whole, however, he manages to get his
way.
A fine physical appearance is indis-
pensable. When engaged in any duty.
such as invoking spirits or offering sacri-
Enn Inn. oil -
of two positiops-with his hands resting
on his hips or with them clasped behind
his back. He alone is allowed to wear a
black coat in the mine. AS in the case of
camphor hunters in Formosa and gutta
percha hunters in Malaga, he uses a
peculiar vocabulary. Thus cats, ele-
plants, tigers, buffaloes, ETC., must not
be mentioned by their usual designation,
nor are such animals (tigers unfortu
nately sometimes prove unpleasant ex-
ceptions) ever allowed upon mine.
Perhaps the oldest article in the pa.
wang's ''indeX expurgatorius" is the
lime fruit or lemon, which under no cir
cumstances may be brought to a mine,
and should the juice be thrown into the
mine water dire results are dreaded.
Raw cotton, glass and earthenware or
an unsheathed spear OF kris are equally
anathema, all the articles mentioned be-
ing offensive to the hantu or spirits
which haunt the mine
Assuming that the pawang is engaged
by mine owner at a fee varying from
Els to $50, his first business is to erect a
platform or altar, constructed Of spe-
cial kind of wood. The four branches,
which serve as supports, have the bark
peeled off for about Al feet from the
ground to where the twigs begin. The
leaves OH the latter are not removed.
A square platform, measuring 10 inches
each way, of peeled sticks is fixed to
these supports at about three feet from
the ground. A foot above this comes
railing round three sides of the pla,
form, while rallied ladder with four
rungs reaches from the open side of the
platform to the ground. Fringes of CO.
coanut ornament the railing, and the
whole construction is bound together
with creepers, rattan, however, being
forbidden. Upon it offerings are laid,
and the pawang invokes the hantu or
tutelary spirit of the mine to bless it
with good fortune. A bag Of tin sand
from the first washing is the fee paid for
this service.
Sometimes cheaper kind of altar is
made by placing in the ground single
peeled stick with its upper end split in
four. upon which is placed the little
platform above described. The next
process is to hang an ancha, or square
frame, about IS inches each way in the
smelling house just under the caves of
the roof. This serves as an interior
altar, upon which the miners place their
offerings to the hantu. The accurate
hanging un of the ancha 10 O nattar of