Notes on Malay Indoor Games.
While reading Dr. C. Snouck Hurgronje's book, 'The Achehnese' (the late Mr. O'Sullivan's translation), I came across some notes on a game called 'main pacheh,' and on enquiring I found that the game is well known among Penang Malays. The board used, however, and the scoring are so different as to be worthy of record.
I attach diagrams and short notes in order to point the con- trast.
Main Pacheh.
THE ACHEH GAME.
This game can be played by 2, 3, or 4 persons, each player sitting at one extremity of the cross-shaped board, (see Diagram 1).
Each player has four pieces which at the commencement of the game he places in the central circle i.e. opposite A, B, C, D, respectively.
The idea of the game is similar to our children's race-games, all the pieces having to career round the board, and the player all of whose pieces reach home first wins the game. [The course to be taken by one of C's pieces is dotted in the diagram].
The players throw by turn with seven cowrie shells, which must fall with the opening either upward or downward, and score as follows:—
| 7 | shells opening upwards | = 14* |
| 6 | shells„ opening„ upwards„ | = 30* |
| 5 | shells„ opening„ upwards„ | = 25* |
| 4 | shells„ opening„ upwards„ | = 4 |
| 3 | shells„ opening„ upwards„ | = 3 |
| 2 | shells„ opening„ upwards„ | = 2 |
| 1 | shells„ opening„ upwards„ | = 10 |
| 7 | shells„ opening„ downwards | = 7* |
* Secures an extra throw.
After each throw a player moves any one of his pieces (at his own selection) over a number of squares equal to the number of his throw.
A great point of the game is to try and 'pukul' an opponent i.e. to reach a square on which an opponent is already standing, in which case the opponent's piece has to go back to the starting point.
The only squares on which two or more pieces are allowed to stand at one and the same time are those marked X. On such squares no penalties are incurred by any piece.
[Note.—I find that the game is too slow, and to brighten things up a bit we use 8 shells, score as above, with the addition of
| 8 | shells opening upwards | = 50* |
| 8 | shells„ opening„ downwards | = 40 ]. |
