The North Borneo Herald. SATURDAY, 2ND NOVEMBER 1918. COINCIDENCE AND SUPERSTITION

THE NORTH BORNEO HERALD AND THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE

EDUCATIONAL SERIES BY BORNEO HISTORY

No. 21 - VOL.XXXVI. JESSELTON, SATURDAY, 2ND NOVEMBER 1918.

The North Borneo Herald.

SATURDAY, 2ND NOVEMBER 1918.

COINCIDENCE AND SUPERSTITION

The frequent concurrence between coincidence and superstition is always curious and also interesting but never more so than when in connection with Native superstition.

Bukit Mendagu is a slight elevation on the true left bank of the Klagan River and not far from the month. By all the Natives it is gifted with supernatural powers and is haunted. By haunted is meant the equivalent of the phrase “ada hantu.” Certain it is that no native will pass by if he can possibly avoid it and avoidance can always be obtained by the making of a long detour. It is reported and unanimously believed that at times the river becomes unfathomable just opposite Mendagu and that at other times it gives a fair representation of the parting asunder of the Red Sea as in the days of Pharaoh, while fish all bones with no scales or flesh may be seen swimming about. If this spot must be passed no ridicule must be passed on the “Hantus” or they will become angry and a storm immediately arise and capsize the boat. Of this latter belief I can personally speak as I was sailing up the Klagan river about 4 months ago with a strong following breeze. Approaching Mendagu I put some questions to my boatmen and was rather skeptical as to the “Hantus.” Sure enough as we drew abreast of the dreaded spot we nearly capsized ̶̶̶̶̶̶ ̶̶̶̶̶̶ a sudden squall arouse, short, sharp and severe which caused the sail to jibe, while in a minute the river was a mass of “white horses.” A storm from a different quarter had broken out at sea. Coincidence and Superstition!

Mendagu is supposed at times to give forth sounds like unto an internal explosion in the earth. This the Natives say is on account of a fight between the good and the bad hantus. Such explosions always some untoward circumstances and were heard prior to the Mat Salleh rebellion, the Musah raid and the great cholera epidemic!

And now they have been heard again. At 11p.m. on July 8^th this year I was asleep in my house at Klagan and was awakened by 5 explosions, detonating at almost regular interval. The sound was like the firing of heavy guns at a long distance. My servants heard the explosions so did the police on duty at the office, and also those in the Barracks. My boatmen at anchor at Pulau Gusong (a small island opposite Gum-Gum and close to Tetabuan) heard also. Curiously enough people just across the river at Klagan and heard nothing that night while Pangeran Aji Pati sent word to say that “though he had heard nothing doubtless it was Bukit Mondagu and the Tuan had better be on look-out.” Three months is the limit of time for the untoward circumstance to happen in and three have occurred. On September 2^nd three, Chinese were murdered, under brutal and, at present, mysterious circumstances at Tedian Simlit on the Sugut Coast; on the 11^th September a Chinese mandor and two coolies were drowned in the Suruan river and on 26^th September  a Chinese coolie was murdered on Labuk Ratate , Coincidence and Superstition.  But what have the Chinese done to enrage and arouse the wrath of the Hantus?

R. M. O. C.

-/ss