Note 296 — Chapter V · Magic Rites connected with the Several Departments of Nature (continued 2)

Now prepare the bait. To do this you must kill a fowl (in the orthodox way), cut it partly open and insert the ladder-rung into its body, wrapping the flesh and feathers round it, and binding the whole bird seven times round and seven times across with a piece of rattan, not forgetting, however, to observe silence and hold your breath as you pass the first rattan lashing round the fowl’s carcase. When you have finished binding it up as directed, chew some betel-leaf and eject (sĕmborkan) the chewed leaf upon the fowl’s head, repeating the appropriate charm.296 Then hook the bait (sangkutkan umpan) on to the tip of the bent rod (on no account tie it on, as it must be left free for the crocodile to swallow), and having prepared the wonted accessories—including three chews of betel-leaf, a richek of ginger (halia bara sa-richek), and seven white pepper-corns (lada sulah tujoh biji)—breathe (jampikan) upon the betel-leaf, and at the end of the invocation eject the chewed betel-leaf upon the head of the cock intended for the bait.