Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society/Volume 3/A Tiger's Wake
A TIGER'S WAKE.
[The following extract from the Diary of the Resident Officer at Langat describes the superstitious feelings of Malays, common among other orientals also, towards the Tiger.]
"At 10 A. M. a great noise of rejoicing with drums and gongs approaching Jugra by the river was heard, and on my questioning the people, I was told Raja Yakob had managed to shoot a Jugra with a spring gun, behind Tiger hill, and was bringing it in state to the Sultan. I went over to the Sultan's at Raja Yakob's request, to see the attendants on the slaughter of a Tiger. The animal was supported by posts and fastened in an attidude as nearly as possible approching the living. Its mouth was forced open, its tongue allowed to droop on one side, and a small rattan attached to its upper jaw was passed over a pole held by a man behind. This finished, two swords were produced and placed crosswise, and a couple of Panglimas selected for the dance; the gongs and drums were beaten at quick time, the man holding the rattan attached to the tiger's head pulled it, moving the head up and down, and the two Panglimas, after making their obeisance to the Sultan rushed at the swords and holding them in their hands commenced a most wild and exciting dance. They spun around on one leg, waving their swords, then bounded forward and made a thrust at the tiger; moving back quickly with the point of the weapon facing the animal; they crawled along the ground and sprung over it uttering defiant yells, they cut and parried at supposed attacks, finally throwing down their weapon and taunting the dead beast by dancing before it unarmed. This done Tuas told me the carcase was at my disposal.
"The death of this tiger now establishes the fact of the existence of tigers here, for asserting which I have been pretty frequently laughed at. However, this is not the Jugra pest, a brute whose death would be matter for general rejoicing, the one now destroyed being a tigress 8 feet long and 2 feet 8 inches high."