the Vestals of
Rome but appreciate it as a means of cooking their food, preparing their
poisons, of warming them during the night and of keeping wild beasts far
from their huts. And I was convinced of this the first time I gave them
matches and taught them their use.

Their wonder was mixed with satisfaction but had there been any
pronounced religious sentiment they would have rejected the modern
innovation and continued the old method of making fire.

* * * * *

I have here given a rough idea of the superstitions and beliefs of the
Sakais as best I have been able to understand them from close
observation and words inadvertently let fall now and then. They may be
briefly summed up thus: a supreme terror of Evil spirits; a vague
principle of the soul's transmigration (a strange degeneration from the
primitive conception of the Pythagorean theory).

The people of the jungle are still under the thick shade of cerebral
inertia. They have not yet seen the swift, bright light of a first doubt
flash across the darkness of their brain giving to it a shock of
unsuspected vibrations. As yet no glorious Prometheus has arisen amongst
those primitive creatures far whom the discouraging counsel of the
Italian poet might seem to have been in part written:

Meglio oprando obliar, senza indagarlo,
Quest'enorme mister dell' universo![18]

The Sakais have no real religion; they only have fear for everything
they do not understand or cannot. And yet in the practice of morality
they are much more forward than other uncivilized and even civilized
peoples.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 16: Pronounced _tay nak_ and _chintok_.--_Translator's Note._]

[Footnote 17: A custom in Italy when a little child is buried.
_Translator's Note._]

[Footnote 18: Better by work to forget, without studying it,
This tremendous mystery of the Universe.]

CHAPTER XV.

Sakai arms--Shooting--Serpent catchers--The Sakai and his
poisons--TOALANG, RENGAS AND SAGOL--SLA DOL, SLA PLEK and SLA
CLOB--AKAR TOKA--Ipok[19]--An antidote--The LEGOP--The Nai
Bretaks--The preparation of LEGOP--Curious and superfluous
ingredients--The effects of LEGOP--Strange contradictions--
Experiments--Poisons and antidotes--The settler and science.

The Sakai possesses only one weapon: the "_blau_" (pr. blahoo) called
"_sumpitam_" by the Malays.

This reveals the peaceful character of these forest inhabita