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AN ACCOUte
OF
THE WILD TRIBES
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA, SUMATRA
AND A FEW NEIGHBOCRING ISLANDS
WITH
A JOURNEY IN JOHORE
AND A JOURNEY
IN THE MENANGKABAW STATES OF THE MALAYAN PENINSULA
BY THE R'^ FAVRE
APOSTOLIC MISSIONARY
PARIS
PRINTED
WITH AUTHORIZATION OF THE GREAT CHANCELLOR
AT THE IMPERIAL PRINTING-OFFICE
MDCCC LXV
PRESERVAtlON
COPYAODfil) ;
ORIGINAL It) BE
RETAINED
JAN 2.41995
:D^i
AN ACCOUNT
OF
THE WILD TRIBES
INHABITING
THE MALAYAN PENINSULA,
SUMATRA AND A FEW NEIGHBOURING ISLANDS.
These wild tribes are divided into tliree
principal classes, which are subdivided into
many others. The first of these divisions
includes the Battas, who are said to inhabit
the interior of Sumatra and a few neigh-
bouring islands. The second is that of the
Semangs, who are found in the forests of v
Kedah, Tringanu, Perak and Salangor.
Under the third head are comprised many
tribes, known under tlie ordinary term of
5059^)3
/, : i *: :'5,**\^:'^N'-;Afl(;ouNT of the wild tribes
Jakuns, which inhabit the south part of the
Peninsula from about Salangor on the west
coast and Kemaman on the east, and ex-
tending nearly as far as Singapore.
All these various wild tribes are ordi-
narily classed under the general and ex-
pressive appellation of Orang Binua^ which
signifies men of the soil; this will be the ex-
pression I will use when speaking of these
tribes generally and without intending to
refer to any one in particular.
ORIGIN OF THE BINUAS.
Several opinions have arisen respecting
the origin of the wild tribes, or Orang Bi-
nuas ; but these opinions are based only
upon conjecture , more or less probable ,
and until now no certainty, and even no-
thing really satisfactory, has been discover-
' ^;^f, orang, rrman, person ;'' -Xj. binua, friand,
ffcoiintrv.n
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 3
ed on the subject. It is more than probable
that the residence of the Missionaries, who
are now about estabhshing themselves in
the Peninsula in order both to civilize and
to christianize these wild tribes , will prove
a source of some interesting discoveries in
different branches of learning, and chiefly
in whatever refers to the people to whom
we now direct our attention. In the mean
time I will, for the solution of the several
questions which can be raised on the origin
of the Binuas, direct attention to several
facts, and while I will recapitulate the va-
rious opinions which have heretofore been
offered upon the subject, will finally say
what appears to me most probable both
from these sources of information and from
what I obtained from the Binuas themselves
in the numerous sojourns I made amongst
them.
The first question which naturally pre-
sents itself to our mind on the subject is
li AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
this : Are the Binuas to be considered as
the aboriginal inhabitants of the land where
they are found, chiefly in the Malayan Pe-
ninsula? Such a question will remain a
problem for some time yet, and perhaps
for ever : nevertheless I must say that many
facts seem to prove much that is in favour
of an answer in the affirmative.
Among the Binuas whom I have interro-
gated on the matter, many answered that
the Malays were descendants in great part
from them, who were, without any doubt,
the first inhabitants of the land.
Many Malays are of the same opinion,
and upon it is based the appellation of
Orang Binuas , men of the soil, by which the
Malays designate the wild tribes.
A fact which is related in the Malayan
traditions and history, and quoted by Lieut.
Newbold (vol. XI, p. 77), proves much in
favour of that opinion.
It is said, cr after Sri Iscander Shah fled
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 5
from Singapore to Malacca in the seventh
century of the Hejira, that is in the thir-
teenth century of the christian era, a Me-
nangkabaw chief, named Tu Puttair, came
over to Malacca, attended by a numerous
retinue. He ascended the river to Naning
where he found no other inhabitants than
the Jakuns, and settled at Taba and took
for wife one of the Jakun damsels; an exam-
ple speedily followed by his vassels. t) The
tradition says also that this colony gradually
increased and spread itself over Sungei
IJjong, Rumbau, .lohole, and other places
then inhabited chiefly by aborigines, or Ja-
kuns. Froni whence we may infer, that if the
aborigines or Binuas (Jakuns) were already
spread over so many places, they must have
inhabited the Peninsula from a remote pe-
riod of time, an inference which is strength-
ened when we consider that the manners
and customs of this people must be a great
obstacle to a swilt inciease in tlie popula-
6 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
tion , and again that the Malays , at that time
(in the thirteenth century), had but a short
time inhabited the Peninsula, since we are
informed by the Sejara Malayu\ that Sin-
gapore, so celebrated in Malayan history,
as having been the first place of settlement
of the early Malay emigrants from Suma-
tra , and the origin of the empire of Ma-
lacca, received her first colonists only in
the twelfth century, when Sang Nila Utama,
supposed by Mohammedan historians to
have been a descendant of Alexander the
Great, settled on the island with a colony
of Malays originally from Suniatra, and
founded the city of Singapore, A. D. 1 160,
that is about one hundred years before the
arrival of the Tu Puttair at Naning; where
the Jakuns, who were then already nume-
rous, as well as in the other places before
' ^v!)U UL^, Sejara Malaiju, ff Malay chronicle. 1
This book has|been printed at Singapore . under the di-
rection of Abd-Allali ben Abd-el-Kader Munschv.
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 7
mentioned, seemed to announce colonists
of more than one century.
Besides, the Binuas are not Mahomme-
dan; but had they come to estabhsh them-
selves in the Peninsula subsequently to the
Malays, we sliould expect to find them Ma-
hommedan; for it is scarcely credible that
at the time when the disciples of Mahomed
were sO ardently waging war everywhere,
forcing every nation to embrace the Koran,
it would have been permitted to the Bi-
nuas, and only to the Binuas, who would
have been few and feeble, to enjoy the
benefit of a free conscience; and that, when
we are supposing the Malays already esta-
blished there, and consequently having all
power to make them faithful disciples to
their beloved prophet.
It is also stated by the Binuas, and ad-
mittedby the Malays, that before the Malaya n
Peninsula had the name of Malacca, it was
inhabited by the Binuas. In course of time.
8 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
tlie early Arab trading vessels brought over
priests froQi Arabia, who made a number
of converts to Islam : those of the Binuas
that declined to abjure the customs of their
forefathers, in consequence of the perse-
cutions to which they were exposed, fled to
the fastnesses of the interior, where they
have since continued in a savage state.
I am therefore inclined to be of the opi-
nion which Lieut. Newbold appears to em-
brace, and I am induced the more readily
to believe that the Binuas , and chiefly the
Battas of Sumatra and the Semangs of the
north of the Peninsula are the savage people
whom Herodotus has spoken of, as inhabi-
tants of the eastern countries of India pro-
ducing gold; and I dare say with the same
author that it is scarcely possible that the
father of history intended to speak of any
other Indian people; for he would have
spoken of such clearly and fluently; since
all the other parts of India to the Archipe-
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 9
iago were very well known to that histo-
rian, whilst he on the contrary speaks of
the tribes he describes, only in rather an
obscure style, and as cr having received an
account of them from some adventurous
traders who having sailed from the shores
of the Red sea or the banks of the Euphra-
tes, coasting the shore of India to the Ar-
chipelago : and who returned to their na-
tive lands laden with the gold dust, ivory
and spices of the east. The Malayan Penin-
sula, the Golden Chersonese of Ptolemy,
and Sumatra so rich in gold, camphor,
pepper and ivory, would be the first coun-
tries producing these tempting articles of
commerce that fell in their way, and the
existence of people in whose country they
were to be found, could not remain long
a secret to such inquisitive navigators, ii
Besides, the account given by Herodotus
of the savages he describes, seems to agree
with the name and customs of some of the
10 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
wild tribes who are now the subject of our
consideration. He says that amongst them
some are called Padda, a term which can
be easily converted into Batta; and he men-
tions their practice of killing and eating their
old relatives, which agrees perfectly with
the account given by Sir S. Raffles of the
Battas : crl was informed, says he in his
memoirs, that formerly it was usual for the
people to eat their parents wlio were too
old for work. The old people selected the
horizontal branch of a tree, and quietly
suspended themselves by their hands, while
their children and neighbours forming a
circle danced round them, crying out wheti
the fruit is ripe, then it will fall. This practice
took place during the season of limes, when
salt and pepper were plenty, and as soon
as the victims becauie fatigued, and could
hold on no longer, they fell down, when
all hands cut them up and made a hearty
meal of them.ii [Memoirs, p. ^27.)
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 1 1
I would not found any objection to tlie
admission of this opinion, from the obser-
vation that a few centuries after Herodotus
the Indian Archipelago was entirely un-
known , as in the time of Strabo, Hipparchus
and Eratosthenes, who were living in the
years 20, 190 and 2'jo before the christian
era; because it is certain that on account of
the extensive practice of the Hebrews and
Tyrians in the art of navigating, the know-
ledge of navigation and geography was
much more extensive in the time of Hero-
dotus and anteriorly, than in the time of
Strabo, Hipparchus and Eratostlienes,
when the art of navigation was less prac-
tised, and had lost much of its activity; so
the Peninsula and the Archipelago might be
known in the tiuie of Herodotus and forgot-
ten in the following centuries. We see in his-
tory a similar example in the cape of Good
Hope, which was known a long time before
Herodotus, since he liimself relates tliat
12 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
128 years before his birth, that is in the
years 610 before the christian era, the He-
brews and the Tyrians rounded Africa by
order of the king of Egypt, and that they
doubled the cape of Good Hope, a road
- which was yet known to Eratosthenes, and
after that was entirely forgotten, during
near 2,000 years; since the maps drawn ac-
cording to Hipparchus, Strabo and Ptolemy
show a land embracing the Erythrean sea,
or the sea of India , meeting on one side witli
Africa at the Prasum promontory, and on
the other with Eastern Asia at Catigara. It
was only in 1^97 A. D. that Vasco de
Gama, a Portuguese, rediscovered the road
from Europe to India round the cape.
According to the preceding considera-
tions it may be supposed , without any pre-
sumption , that the Binuas are the abori-
gines of the land they inhabit , chiefly in the
Peninsula (1 will except a small number of
them wlio are living near Malacca whom I
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 13
will speak of hereafter). But from what
branch of the great family of mankind do
the Binuas spring? This is a point extre-
mely obscure; history says nothing on the
subject, and tradition is almost silent.
Lieut. Newbold, from the several op-
portunities he had of seeing the Binuas,
observed that their general physical ap-
pearance, their lineaments, their nomadic
habits and a few similarities in customs,
point to a Tartar extraction.
Another opinion, adverted to by Sir
S. Raffles, says that Java was originally
peopled by emigrants coming in vessels
from the Red sea; from whence it is infered
that these ancient Egyptians might have
been the ancestors of the people at present
called Binuas.
I will not now attempt to offer any de-
cided opinion on the subject as respects
the Battas of Sumatra, or the Semangs of
Kedah, Tringanu, Perak and Salangor, as
lA AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
1 have never seen any of these tribes and
have received but very little information
about them. I will however here state what
I have observed respecting the Jakuns, the
third class of Binuas I have mentioned as
inhabiting the south part of the Peninsula.
Under that name are comprised all the va-
rious tribes known under the terms of
Orang Utan, Orang Bukit, Orang Sungie,
Orang Laut, Bayet, Sakkye, Halas, Besi-
sik, etc. different names which denote not
several kinds of men, but which only point
out the places where they are found, or
their way of living K
Although these various tribes are similar
in many points, as in manners, customs,
in their way of living, etc.; in some other
' jjy^ t)y ' orang utan, frman of forests, the wild
man." o*^ ^55^' ^^^^^§f bukit, rrman of mountains,
mountaineer. 75 ^^^ ^^^^ orang sungey, rrman of ri-
ver, n (j^^!j n..J , orang laut, rrman of the sea, seafar-
ing people. Ti — c:>^y ^'(^y^t, rr subjects, n ^Lw, sa-
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 15
respects they seem to announce a different
origin; and possibly I should not be mis-
taken were I do divide them into three sub-
divisions. Those who are living near to
Malacca, those who are found in the Jo-
hore territory, and those who are spread
over Johore, Rumbow, Sungie Ujong, Jel-
labu and the neighbouring places.
Under the first head I will comprise those
I visited, near Reim, at Ayer Baro, Gassing,
Gommendar, Bukit Singgi; on the river of
Muar, near Pankalang kota, at Poghalay,
Sagil, Lemon, Segamon, a few families in
the small river of Pago and several other
scattered individuals.
Amongst these tribes, who in number
amount altogether to about three hundred
persons only, I found a tradition which
key, ffa dependant. ^^ ^jJU, halas, from the Javanese,
iim!nj}(Kj^\^ halas, rra forest; 75 orang halas, orang utan.
^^.yuu, hisisik, from the Javanese, (cnojiZiiKrtjj , hesisik,
rf ditt ; -n orang hesisih , ff dirty people. »
10 AN ACCOIjNT of THE WILD TRIBES
would make them to be descendants of
Portuguese, and to which the following
relates.
A few months after my arrival here, an
inhabitant of Malacca, in order to satisfy
my curiosity, brought to me two of these
Jakuns, as a specimen of the race; it was
not without considerable difficulty that he
could induce these children of nature to
accompany him to the civilised town, being
much more delighted with the rude aspect
of their thick jungle, than with the exten-
sive view of our open places; but after
several promises they took their way to
Malacca; and recollecting a tradition they
received, as they say, from their forefathers
they asked that when arrived at the town ,
they should be allowed to look at tlie like-
ness of their ancestors, which would be
found at the upper part of the door of the
fortress. These people when questioned be-
fore me declared the same. And in fact,
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 17
upon the old gate wliicli remains until this
day as a remembrance of the ancient fort,
are seen sculptured figures representing a
king and a queen of Portugal.
Many others whom I questioned on the
same subject assured me that they were
descendants of orang PCTI^ that is, of Eu-
I'opeans.
Several persons have related to me that
a report exists that at different times des-
cendants of Europeans, after having com-
mitted crimes, had Hed into the interior of
the Peninsula and established themselves
there, in order to avoid the punishment of
the laws.
Besides I remarked that these Jakuns
whom I speak of now, have the general
physical appearance, the lineaments, and
chiefly the form and the colour of the body
entirely similar to those of the common
^ ^j3 , piiteh, ff white; 11 nran/r pulch , rr while ineii.
Fluropeaiis. t
18 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
and low class amongst the Portuguese of
Malacca.
A small number of Portuguese words
they use would also seem further to direct
our attention to that opinion, so that it
would not very possibly be far from the
truth, to call them the descendants of Por-
tuguese, at least by their fathers side, who,
in imitation of Tu Puttair, may have taken
to themselves wives from among the Jekun
damsels.
The second class of Jakuns , that is , those
of Johore, are more numerous than those
of the preceding and are a finer race of
men; to whom I will apply what Lieut. New-
bold says of the Jakuns in general, that
their physiognomy, their lineaments, etc.
point to a Tartar extraction. I had during
my stay in China several opportunities of
examining the Tartar soldiers of the ce-
lestial empire, and when I compare tliem
with those Jakuns I can scarcely see any
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 19
difl'erence; but it is chiefly in the appear-
ance of the eves and in the nose that I
found the resemblance perfect. So I see no
objection, until further information or dis-
covery, to coinciding with the opinion of
Lieut. Newbold upon this point. But thougli
this may be the case for almost the whole
of them, I must observe nevertheless that
a few of them form an exception to this
rule, and bear the Arab stamp. Such were,
amongst others, tAvo individuals 1 found
on the extremity of tlie Banut river, who
might pass as (wo of the finest Arabs. One
of them, the son of a chief, is of about the
same age and the perfect likeness of the
present sultan of Johore, Tuanku Alii, who
is one of the finest Arab descendants I have
seen in the Straits.
The third class of Jakuns, those of the
Menangkabaw states, seem to present the
greatest difficulty in an inquiry as to their
origin. How can they be considered as of
20 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
Tartar extraction? AH the Tartars 1 have
seen , were tali , at least as tali as tlie middle
sized European, and many of then were
taller; with expressive eyes, and a nose
which did not recede at the upper part;
the facial angle also was apparently much
the same as that of Europeans. But on the
contrary, the Jakuns of the Menangkabaw
states are very short; their eyes, though ex-
pressive, are not so much so as those of
the Tartars; the nose receded at the upper
part, and with the facial angle extremely
acute.
The people to whom these Jakuns bear
tlie most resemblance are Malays of the
Menangkabaw states ^ But we cannot infer
' The name Menangkabaw is said to be derived from
the words, i^^, menang, signifying ffto Avin,?! and ka-
hau, {qv ^^S7 hirhau J rra buffalo ^i : from the story of an
engagement between a small young buffalo and a strong
old one. in which the former is said to have acquired
a complete victory.
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. '21
from that, that they descend from these
Malays; as we know by history and tradi-
tion that they were in the Peninsula before
them, and that the Menangkabaw Malays
descend from Jakunsby their mothers side,
as we have seen when speaking of the ai -
rival of Tu Puttair; which explains suffi-
ciently the resemblance we perceive in the
Malays to the Jakuns.
It is really very difficult to discover what
occured many centuries ago among a peo-
ple so entirely ignorant that each indivi-
dual knows scarcely what occured during
the life of liis own father; and where there
is no writing or. any memorial to record
the facts of the time past.
In such an incertitude, I will beware to
combat any opinion; but I will say, at least,
that if we consider these Jakuns as descen-
dants of Tartars, we must admit too, that
they are much degenerated.
When Dr. Ivan, physician to the French
3.
22 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
Embassy to China, passed by Malacca in
i845, 1 intended to show to him the skulls
of some dead Jakuns, as I knew his pecu-
liar knowledge in natural history, and as
he has collected skulls of very numerous
civilised nations and wild tribes. 1 doubted
not that the inspection of the Jakuns skull
would have enabled him to say from what
branch of mankind they spring, or at least
to give satisfactory probabilities on that sub-
ject; but the difficulty of procuring such a
specimen prevented me from a means of
information, from Avhich I had hoped much
light might have been thrown upon the
subject.
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE AND CONSTITUTION.
There is a remarkable difTerence in the
physical appearance of the several classes
of Jakuns. Those of Malacca are generally
as tall as the common run of Europeans;
they are more dark than any other of the
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 23
wild tribes that fell under my inspection ;
and in which respect I do not see much
difl'erence between them and the more dark
of the Indo-Portuguese of Malacca. I have
already said that I have generally found a
peculiar resemblance between these two
classes of men; this agreement is princi-
pally to be observed in the conformation
of the arms and of the legs, and in the
features of the face; but it is in the lengtli
and in the developement of the bones that
the analogy is the most perfect. I much de-
sire to examine this fact by anatomical com-
parison; but the difficulty to find subjects
and various peculiar reasons have until now
prevented me. I will observe nevertheless
that though this is the case as respects the
greater part of them , it is not without its
exceptions; but as we examine here the
conformation of a people, we must take
that of the great bulk of its individuals ,
and consider that of the others, as excep-
24 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
tive occurences, although pretty numerous.
I will remark too that many of these Ja-
kuns differ from the Indo-Portuguese of
Malacca in tlie frizled look of the hair.
The Jakuns of Johore are a fine race of
men; many of them are taller than those
of Malacca; the face also expressive and
well characterised, and the expression of
the eyes in many of them is a little severe;
r have already observed that their nose
does not recede at the upper part, neither
is it so flat or so broad at its base, as this
feature in the Chinese, Cochin-Chinese
and pure Malay. I have found several of
them with hawked or aquiline noses, which
put me in mind of the faces I have seen in
Europe; so were thus, amongst others, two
sons of a great Panghulu Batin ^ who lives
at the extremity of the Johore river. I re-
marked also some beautiful children and
•' J ^^i$ , pangulu , ra chief.'' ,>jL. halin., rra
tittle.
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 25
many good looking young men. I have not
met any of them with corporeal defects ;
and the floridness and the regularity of the
features in a few old persons were a witness
that their life had been passed without in-
firmity as well as without anxious care.
Tlie men are healthy, but generally thin;
the women on the contrary are plump, and
though healthy too are not particularly
stout.
The third class of Jakuns, those of tlie
Menangkabaw states, are very short; their
physiognomy is low, and seems to announce
great simplicity; many of them are ugly
and badly made, indicating a degenerated
race ; they have the inferior part of the nose
depressed, though not flat; and the two
Avrinkles so remarkable in many Malays,
chiefly of low birth, cutting the forehead
perpendicularly and terminating on the
both sides of the nose. Their mouth is pretty
well; for, tliough their lips project a little,
26 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
yet they are generally well formed. I have
already observed that this class of Jakuns
bears a great resemblance to the Malay, or
at least to many of the Malays.
I must here observe that the description
which I am now giving of the physical ap-
pearance of these different classes of Jakuns
only applies to the greater number of those
who compose these several classes; for I
have never seen any nation presenting so
great a variety in physiognomy. It would
be very difficult to characterize the variety
of features I have seen amongst them; se-
veral of them put me in mind of some of
the Tagals or natives of the Philippines I
have observed at Manila; many others ap-
peared to me to have the likeness of Spa-
niards of my acquaintance; Avhilst others
have the hair and features approaching to
that of the Caffree.
The constitution of the Jakuns is gene-
rally strong, and the habit in which they
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 27
live of being deprived of so many things
which by our civilised manners are become
for us so many necessities, renders them
able to undertake long journies with but a
slender stock of provisions, and to keep
themselves healthy and strong upon what
would be scarcely sufficient for us to live :
and thus to bear hunger and thirst for a
long time, walking and carrying heavy
loads, certainly in tliat respect their con-
formation is superior to ours, even when
living in Europe. Their nervous system is
strong, and their bodies are very muscular.
I have seen some who though very thin
were nevertheless unusually muscular. This
I suppose may account for their perspiring
much less than we do. That thev do not
perspire is fortunate for any European who
has occasion to be in frequent communica-
tion with them; for when they perspire
their bodies exhale a strong and fetid odour
like that of a wild beast, and probably
28 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
from a want of attention to dean their bo-
dies at proper times; this bad smell is also
perceived even when they do not perspire,
but then much less so; and not to an ex-
tent to incommode any except the more
delicate. The hair of the Jakuns is black,
ordinarily frizled, but very different from
the crisp hair of the Gaffree. Some of them
leave the whole to grow, and turn it round
the head, as the Cochin-Chinese; others,
as many of those of Malacca , cut theirs en-
tirely; others, chiefly of the Menangkabavv
states and of Johore, shave the head, leav-
ing it only at the crown above three in-
ches in diameter where they never cut it,
the same as the Chinese; and to provent
this head or hair from being hooked by the
branches of trees in their silvan habitations,
they tie it up in the form of a top knot.
They have scarcely any beard, and many
of them have none at all. The women leave
their hair to grow, and then tie it up in
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 29
tlie same way as the Malay women; but as
they liave but little occasion to care much
for appearance, it will be easily imagined
that they are not very particular in this
respect.
I was told that in the forests of Pahang
are found numerous tribes of Jakuns who
are as white as Europeans ; that tliey are
small, but very good looking, and the Ma-
lays are very fond of catching them. For
this purpose tliey form a party and beat
the forest in order to catch these poor crea-
tures, just as a troop of European hunters
pursue fallow deers. When they succeed in
their chase they take them to Pahang or
to Siam, where, on account of their white-
ness and comeliness, they seil them very
dear. Other persons who have also seen
this species of Jakuns tell me that they are
not as white as Europeans, but that they
approacli more to the colour of the Chi-
nese, vvhicli is the most probable.
30 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
IINTELLECTUAL FACULTIES, KNOWLEDGE.
Both the intellectual faculties of the Ja-
kuiis and the knowledge they evince are
very limited; the reason of which is, I
think, not the defect of the faculties them-
selves, so much as really the want of means
to develope their intelligence. They are in-
deed very ignorant, hut they are also cer-
tainly ahle of acquirement; they are en-
dowed with a sound mind, a right judgment,
and a good memory. I have never found
among them any either insane or idiotical;
all I have seen were more or less intelli-
gent, and I always found their intellectual
faculties in a sound state, corresponding
to the common and ordinary rules of na-
ture. I doubt not but that if they were to
receive the same care that is given to Eu-
ropean children they would become equally
intelligent, and possibly more susceptible
of a good education than a great part of
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 31
the natives of India. If the Missions which
are now to be established among them
succeed, they will clear up these conjectu-
res. A great part of the Jakuns know and
acknowledge the existence of a supreme
Being; they call him by the Malay name
Tuhan Allah^, the Lord God. Many of those
of Johore know and acknowledge too the
truth of a punishment for the man who
commits sin; some of them acknowledge
that punishment in a general way, but by
what means it is to be executed, they do
not know; some others, but few, declared
to me openly that after death, sinners will
be thrown into the fire of hell, but they
do not know any reward for good men and
good works. Those of the MenangkabaAv
states, probably on account of their more
frequent communications with the Malays,
are more learned in divinity; some of them
.vJJ!
o-V-
32 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
spoke to me of God as the creator of every
thing, of Adam, as the first man, of Abra-
ham, Moses, David, Solomon, but in a
very confused way. I have not found
amongst them any knowledge of Christ
nor of the Christian religion; but I was sur-
prised that, having given on one occasion
an instruction of the Catechism to some of
them, and upon asking them again, Ihey
answered correctly to a good number of
my questions. The more learned of them
are those who are called Pawang; I will
speak of them in one of the next articles.
The most ignorant in religious matters are
those of Malacca. A subject of surprise is
that though many of them acknowledge the
existence of a God, of a creator, they have
not amongst them a single religious prac-
tice, and not only they do not practice ex-
terior forms of worship, but from inquiries
from them I find that they have not the
slightest feeling either of thankfulness or of
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 33
love for the Being they call their creator.
All their knowledge in religion is merely
theoretical. They do not worship the sun
nor the moon nor any idol; what Lieut.
Newbold said on that matter must be un-
derstood of some other tribes. The knoAV-
ledge of the Jakuns in the art of physic is
very confined; they use ver)^ little medici-
nes, and those of them who are sick, are
almost without assistance, and the sickness
is ordinarily abandoned to the ordinary
course of nature. Notwithstanding the Ma-
lays consider them as clever physicians,
and in their stupidity they believe them-
selves very fortunate when, with money or
by giving them clothes, they succeed in ob-
taining from these poor people some medi-
cal prescriptions. The following is a speci-
men of such recipes, probably purloined
with great devotion by some superstitious
Malay; it is cited by Lieut. Newbold. crA
person with sore eyes must use a coHy-
4.
34 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
riuni of the infusion of Niet-Niet leaves for
four days; for diarrhoea, the decoction of
the root of kayu-yet and kayu-panamas; for
sciatica, powdered sabtal-wood in water,
rubbed on the loins; for sores, the wood
kumbing. If the head be affected, it must
be washed witli a decoction of Lawang-
wood; if the chest, the patient should drink
a decoction of kayu-ticar leaves, -n Some of
the Jakuns, but few, and only those who
are styled Pawangs , pretend to some know-
ledge in physic, as well as in the secrets
of nature; but their pretensions on that
point are not so great as it is ordinarily
reported; and in fact they are very little
more clever than the others. The Jakuns
have some knowledge of music; they have
several songs which they received from
their ancestors, or which they make them-
selves, only according to the agreement of
the ear, for they have not the slightest idea
of the musical notation; their songs are
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 35
generally rude, and agree perfectly with
the austere aspect of their habitation; )
have heard them too singing in a melan-
choly tone, chiefly during the night. Their
songs, though rude , are not altogether disa-
greeable to European ears, provided they
be not too delicate. I was much surprised
to remark that though they are entirely
ignorant of our European music, which they
have never heard, yet in great part of their
songs, they proceed by thirds and by fifths
assuredly without being aware of it, but
only guided by their ear; which confirms
the opinion of our European musicians who
afllrm that the third, the fifth and the oc-
tave are found in nature itself; and what I
myself have many times observed in any
sound, principally in that of a bell, that
there are three sounds which are at once
to be distinguished with some attention,
viz., the diapason, the third and the fifth.
Some autliors speak of a kind of violin and
36 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
of a rude flute used by the Jakuns. I have
never seen these instruments, but I know
that they use two kinds of drum like those
of the Malays. The Jakuns know the Eu-
ropeans by report only, the greater num-
ber of them having never seen any Euro-
pean. On account of the great number of
Chinese emigrants who inhabit the Penin-
sula, few of them are unaware of the exis-
tence of China ; they are told too of Bengal ,
of Sumatra and of Siam; these are the
boundaries of their knowledge in geogra-
phy. Their science in astronomy is yet
more limited; they see the sun rise and
set every day, the moon sometimes ap-
pear, sometimes not; they use their light
when present, they sleep w^hen it is dark;
but they have never noticed or inquired
about the course of the stars ; they scarcely
know how many days are in the duration
of a moon, and how many moons in the
year. They are not at all aware of their age,
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 37
nor of that of their children; such obser-
vations or remarks appear to them mere
superfluities as being not required in their
way of living. An ignorance of such matters
amongst savages is not surprising when I
mention that the Malays themselves who
live in the interior of the Peninsula are not
aware of all these things, and that on these
subjects many of them are no better in-
formed than Jakuns. A thing in which the
Jakuns (only those of the Menangkabaw
states) are truly skilled is the art of using
the sumpitan and poisoned arrows, as I
will have occasion to mention when speak-
ing of their weapons. They have no know-
ledge of writing nor do they make use of
any symbolical signs. The language spoken
by the three classes of Jakuns I describe is
not entirely the same, but the difference
is not considerable , and I think that it con-
sists in the intonation and the pronuncia-
tion, but chiefly in the inflection upon the
I
38 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
termination, more than in the words them-
selves, which are the same except a very
small number. The Malays say tliat the Ja-
tuns speak a low Malayan language; but,
in my opinion, I would think on the con-
trary that they speak the purely Malayan,
without any mixture of Indostanee or Ara-
bic : I will say nevertheless that those of
them who are much in communication
with Malays have admitted many words of
these two last languages and even some of
the Portuguese. They have also adopted
several circumlocutions and expressions
used in the Malayan language of courtesy,
as for instance, in addressing, the terms
Abang. Kaka^; but I remarked that they
use such appellations and many other ex-
pressions of courtesy, received in Malay,
only when they are in the presence of Ma-
' ijf, abangf cr elder brother. n cJ\^, kaha, ff elder
sisler,fl on expression of politeness when speaking to
some elder person.
INHABITING THK MALAYAN PENINSULA. 39
lays. The following answer given by the
chiefs of tlie Jakuns of the Menangkabaw
vstates, who were summoned to the pre-
sence of king Mahomed Shah, may be con-
sidered as a specimen of their style and
literature as well as explanatory of their
manners and customs : cr We wish to return
to our old customs, to ascend the lofty
mountain, to dive into the earth's deep ca-
verns, to traverse the boundless forest, to
repose , with our head pillowed on the knot-
ted trunk of the Durian tree, and curtained
by Russam leaves. To wear garments made
from the leaves of the Lumbah or Terap
tree, and a head-dress of Bajah leaves.
Where the Meranti trees join their lofty
branches, where the kompas links its knots,
there we love to sojourn. Our weapons are
the tamiang (or sumpitan), and the quiver
of arrows imbued in the gum of the deadly
Telak. The fluid most delicious to us is the
limpid water that lodges in the hollow of
/lO AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
trees, where the branches unite with the
trunk; and our food consists of the tender
shoots of the fragrant Jematong, and the
delicate flesh of the bounding deer, -n
The Jakuns are entirely ignorant of the
first principles of mathematics, nor do they
know the simpilest rules of arithmetic. The
mathematical instrument wiiicli probably
gave origin to the decimal calculation, the
natural indigitation, is adopted by them in
ordinary use.
POPULATION AND PLACES OF HABITATION.
All those persons who have spoken to
me of the population of the Jakuns were
much mistaken. The desire of finding ex-
traordinary things, and the natural pro-
pensity to fancy the marvellous, which are
found in every nation, and chiefly amongst
the ignorant, are in their apogee in the
imagination of Indian nations, who, gene-
rally speaking, are very uninformed, and
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. h\
this was probably the first cause which
gave rise to the many hyperbohcal stories
which have been spread abroad about the
number of the Jakuns; as well as about
their manners and customs. In fact it is
very difficult to ascertain the true number
of the Jakuns, because part of them are a
nomade people, so that the same family,
the same individuals appear to-day in one
place, and next week, two or three miles
farther; next month, they will remove
again, to roam the forest or to come to
their first habitation; so that those who
perceive them here and there imagine that
these are fresh persons, and in their cal-
culation they count two or three times the
same. The number of Jakuns reported to
me was always much more considerable
than the number I found upon visiting the
places themselves. As I have not visited the
entire Peninsula, it is yet diflicult for me to
ascertain the amount of these inhabitants
A2 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
of the Jungle. 1 will however here state
what appears to me to be an approxima-
tion to the truth.
The number of the Jakuns whose exis-
tence is known to me with certainty, that
is, those I myself visited, and who fell un-
der my immediate inspection, amount to
no more than one thousand. Those I know
only by information would amount, I sup-
pose, to about three or four thousand; the
whole to five thousand at the most. They
are distributed in the following way. Those
I termed Jakuns of Malacca are the least
in number, and cannot be more than three
hundred, about one half of whom I have
seen in the following places; viz. near
Reim and Ayer Panas, at Ayer Baru, Gas-
sim, Kom mender, Bukit Singhi; in the ri-
ver of Muar near Pankalang Kota , at Po-
ghalay, Sagil, Segamon, Lemon, Jawee; in
the small river of Pago, and in that of
Ring. The remainder are to be found, at
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 43
Bukit More, Ayer Tross, Bukit Gadong,
Tanka, and it is reported there are a good
number at Segamet. Those I styled Jakuns
of Johore, because they inhabit that part
of the Peninsula which is under the sway
of the sultan of Johore, cannot amount to
more than one thousand, scattered over
that large extent of country; from two to
three hundred fell under my inspection at
the following places; at the extremity of
the Johore river, where there are several
hundred of them living under a Panghulu
Batin, duly appointed by the late sultan
of Johore, and by the present Tammun-
gong of Singapore; at a place entirely in
the interior of the Peninsula called Kem-
bao, and at the extremity of the Banut
river; the others I have not seen are to be
found at Pontian, Ayo, Klambo, on the river
of Batu Pahat, the Bio Formosa of the Por-
tuguese, and in several other places. Those
I called Jakuns of the Menangkabaw sta-
hh AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
tes, 1 suppose to amount to about three
thousand; I have seen only a few hundred
of them, at Sungie Ujoiig, where they are
at least five hundred, at Jellabu, at Rum-
bow and at Johole, where they are in small
number; and on the Company's territory
at Rombia, where there are now one hun-
dred. Those I have not visited are to be
found at Sriminanti , Ulu Muar, Jelley,
Lingi, Langhat, Ulu Coleng and in the
whole of the mountainous chain running
down the middle of the Peninsula until
Kedah. 1 am induced to believe that those
who are said to inhabit the forest of Pa-
hang are an extension of those of the Me-
nangkabaw states, except perhaps those
who are white whom I have already men-
tioned. During the last few months many
families of the Jakuns of Sungie Ujong have
come into the Company's territories. From
what I can learn the following seems to be
the cause of that emigration. About the
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 45
month of Mai (18/17), ^^me Jakuns hav-
ing killed several elephants took the li-
berty to sell the ivory tusks and to apply
the price of them to their private use;
which the Malay chief of that place pre-
tended to be a violation of his rights, and
consequently sent armed Malays with or-
ders to kill these poor people; as such a
crime could only be atoned for by the
death of the guilty parties; seven persons
were killed and wounded, and many others
fled to difi'erent places, and some came
over to the territory of Malacca, where they
find more security and protection, and es-
tablished themselves at Rombia, Malacca
Pinda, Bukit Berdam. The places more
commonly frequented by the Jakuns are
the neighbourhood of mountains and the
borders of rivers. I had been told that
many lived around the base of mount Ophir ;
and possibly this was so a few years ago;
but in the month of June of the present
/i6 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
year (iS^y), I visited the place, and made
a circuit of mount Ophir, and of the neigh-
bouring mountains, without observing any
of them; I found indeed several places
where formerly had been villages, and
also many ruined habitations. I likewise ob-
served several places which had been for-
merly cultivated by the Malays and pos-
sibly also frequented by the Jakuns; but
they were then entirely deserted, and al-
ready covered with Jungle. A few Chinese
who employ themselves in extracting the
gold from the mines, are the sole remains
of a large population of Malay cultivators
and of Chinese miners both of whom a few
years ago were located at the gold mines,
which notwithstanding do not yet appear
to be exhausted. This is the effect of the
misrule of Malay countries. The melan-
choly sight of such places, rich both in mi-
nes and vegetation, excites a regret that
they are not under a wiser government.
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. hi
HABITATIONS.
Before I had myself visited the Jakuns,
report induced me to consider them to be
as savage as wild beasts, and sleeping like
birds on the branches of trees. Even now
when I question the Malays on the subject,
some of them answer the same; but this is
far from the truth : there is no Jakun with-
out some dwelling, more or less well or-
dered. Some of them indeed have habita-
tions which can scarcely be called houses;
but these are very few; and for the most
part they have houses. The Jakuns of Jo-
hore build houses in the Malay way, some
of which are fine buildings. I found several
which were mucli more comfortable than
any Malay house 1 have seen in the inte-
rior of Johore : such are the houses of the
Panghulu Batin on the river of Johore , and
that of a Jakun chief on the river of Ba-
nut; these two houses were divided into
hS AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
several rooms, some of which were for the
private accommodation of the Jakun ladies
of the family; the furniture consisted of
some pots, plates, several other vessels and
a good quantity of mats. Other houses
were much more common, but yet pretty
comfortable, clean, and always divided into
two or three rooms at least, and furnished
with a frying pan of iron to cook rice, a
few shells of coco-nut to keep water, and
baskets used to bring food. All those houses
are raised about six feet from the ground,
and are entered by a ladder like the Malay
houses.
The best houses of the Menangkabaw
Jakuns are about the same as the more
simple and common houses of the Jakuns
of Johore; the others are as described by
Lieutenant Newboid crrude edifices on the
top of four higli Avooden poles; thus elevat-
ed for fear of tigers, and entered by means
of a long ladder, and presenting, viewed
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. h9
through certam holes which serve as doors,
no very satisfactory appearance to the uni-
nitiated. The roofs are often thatched with
Chucho leaves. There is but one room, in
which the whole family is huddled together
with dogs and the bodies of the animals
they catch. The huts are so made as to be
moveable at a moment's warning; they are
ordinarily situated on the steep side of some
forest clad hill , or in some sequestered dale ,
remote from any frequented road or foot-
path, and with little plantations of yams,
plantains and maize; some have also fields
of rice about them. The bones and hair of
the animals whose flesh the inmates of
these scattered dwellings feed upon strew
the ground near them, while numbers of
dogs generally of a ligh thrown colour give
timely notice of the approach of strangers, n
The Jakuns of Malacca whom I charac-
terised as the most ignorant, are also the
poorest and most miserable; their best
50 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
houses are about the same as the worst
of those of the Menangkabaw, and I found
several families who lived without having
any house at all. These gather them-
selves together to the number of five or six
families, they choose a place in the thick-
est of the forest, and there they clear a
circle of about thirty feet in diameter;
having cleared this space they surround it
with the branches of the trees they have
just cut; to this they join other thorny
branches they collect from other parts, and
so make a sort of bulwark against tigers,
bears and panthers, which are there in
good number. Having done that they pro-
ceed to establish their dwelling in this en-
closure, in the following way : each family
works to construct what will serve for a bed
during the night, a seat in the day time,
a table for the repast, and a dwelling or
shelter in bad weather; it consists of about
fifteen or twenty sticks of six feet long.
INHABITING THE xMALAYAN PENINSULA. 51
laid one beside the other, supported at the
two extremities by two other transverse
sticks which are set upon four wooden
posts; the whole being about two feet in
height, four feet broad and six feet long.
One dozen Chucho leaves gathered by their
ends, tied at the head of the bed, extend
themselves and cover it until the other ex-
tremity : these beds are placed around the
enclosure, in such a way that when all the
persons are sleeping every one has his feet
towards the centre of the habitation which
is left vacant, to be used as a cook room,
or for any other purpose.
DRESS.
The clothes of the Jakuns (when they use
any) are ordinarily the same as those used
by the Malays, but poor, miserable, and
above all very unclean; many of them use
cloths without washing, from the day they
receive or buy them, until they become
52 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
rotten by use and dirt; and they are obli-
ged to throw them away. If some vermin
are found, which is often the case, prin-
cipally upon the women who are more
dressed, they are immediatly eaten with de-
light as in Gochin-Ghina. If many of them
are badly dressed, and some nearly naked,
it is more from a want of clothes than in
accordance to their own wishes, chiefly
amongst women ; for all desire to be clo-
thed, and the most agreeable presents
which can be ofl'ered to them are some
trowsers, sarongs, bajus, or some hand-
kerchiefs to put round their head, as is the
Malay fashion. Those of them who go ha-
bitually nearly naked, do not appear so be-
fore strangers, excepting when they have
no clothes. The Jakuns of Johore, who are
superior to the others in many respects, as
can be inferred from what has been said,
are also the best dressed; their women are
mucli the same as Malav women as to dress,
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 53
and tlie order of tlieir appearance; having
also a great number of rings on their fin-
gers, some of which are crystal, some of
copper and some of tin, but also a good
many of silver; they take a peculiar plea-
sure in these ornaments, as well as in sil-
ver bracelets. The men have at least trow-
sers, a small baju and an handkerchief for
the head. The Jakuns of the Menangkabaw
states have the same dress as is used by
the Jakuns of Johore, and the women the
same ornaments, but are not so well cloth-
ed; many of them go nearly naked, at
least near their houses; and those Avho use
clothes, show often an embarrassment which
proves that they are not accustomed to their
use. The Jakuns of Malacca are badly
dressed, many of the women have only a
sarong, and, if tliey are married, a ring,
the necessary present of the husband be-
fore he marries them. The greater part of
the merj have nothing but a strip of the
54 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
fibrous bark of the Terap tree, beaten into
a sort of doth of a reddish brown colour,
called a sabaring, round their loins; part of
this conies down in front, is drawn bet-
ween the legs and fastened behind.
OCCUPATION.
Like all Indian nations the Jakuns have
a propensity to idleness; but to be exact in
this account, and just towards them, I must
say that they are not so lazy as either the
Malays or Hindoos. Their first and princi-
pal occupation is the chase; they have a
great predilection for this exercise, it being
the first means by which they feed them-
selves and their families; and from having
been brought up in that habit, in which
the greater part of their life is spent, they
should be skilful hunters, and which in fact
they are, both in their way and in the man-
ner of using their weapons, as I will say
iiereafter. When there is no more food at
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 55
home, the husband leaves home, beats the
forest, and sometimes returns with large
pieces of venison, but sometimes with no-
thing; and on such days they go to sleep
without supper. This is the ordinary even-
ing work, when the sun is near setting.
In the day time they remain at home , where
they prepare arrows and the weapons, the
matter with which they poison their arrows;
they cook and eat the animals caught the
day before, and build or repair their hou-
ses, etc. Many of them cultivate plantains,
yams, which they call klades, and several
other vegetables. I have seen ^mongst the
Jakuns of Johore some who had large fields
of rice : they cultivate tliis grain in the fol-
lowing way : they choose in the forest a
place where the ground appears to be fa-
vorable for such a purpose, they cut all
the trees, in a space more or less large ac-
cording to the number of persons and the
quantity of rice they intend to plant; they
56 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
put fire, and burn all these trees that are
fallen pell-mell; when the branches are
burnt the fire ceases, and some time after
the rice is planted, it grows up amongst all
the trunks of the fallen trees, and other
larger branches which were not destroyed
by fire : after the harvest the place is aban-
doned, and another is selected for the next
year.
In several places in the interior of the
forest are found durian trees, alwavs in a
body together to the number of about ten
or twelve trees : sucli places are for the
Jakuns an jbject of great attention, and a
matter of work. They cut with great care
all the other trees which surround the dii-
rians, that these by receiving more air may
grow up more easily, and give finer and
greater quantity of fruit ; they build there a
small house of which I will hereafter speak,
and they then return to their ordinary ha-
bitation, whicli is sometimes distant from
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 57
such places one or two days journey. The
Jakuns who have no taste for cultivating
rice, or who are not acquainted with the
manner of doing so, are generally very mi-
serable; they are then obliged to look to
the Malays, to provide for their livelihood :
they traverse the Jungle all the day seek-
ing after ratan, dammar, garu wood, and
several other articles of commerce; the next
morning, they go to some Malay house,
where they dispose of the produce of their
search, receiving in return a small quan-
tity of rice, sometimes scarcely sufficient to
support their family for that very day; after
that they return to the same thing for the
purpose of procuring in like manner food
for the next day; and so on. Where the
Chinese work in the tin mines, they employ
sometimes Jakuns as workmen. I am told
that at some place in Jellabu, .Jakuns work
the mines by themselves, and bring the tin
to Paliang, where they sell it. In some
58 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
other places Malays employ Jakuns to cut
jungle where they mtend to cultivate, and
in several other works; hut there is a ge-
neral complaint on the side of the Jakuns,
who say that the Malays are not just to-
wards them, and recompense not properly
their labour. The business of the Jakuns
women is to take care of the children , to
cook and prepare the food, and to go about
the forest to look for fruits and vegetables.
FOOD.
After what has already been said of the
Jakuns, it can be easily understood that
they have no regular diet. They like good
food, but when they are deprived of it, *
they eat with satisfaction any other, even
that which vould be an object of horror for
civilised people. They live upon the flesh
of every kind of animal, snakes, monkeys,
bears, deers, tigers, birds, etc. Yams, plan-
tains with the wild fruits, the leaves of
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 59
trees and certain roots furnish the princi-
pal part of their ordinary food. Those of
them who cultivate rice sell a part of it to
the Malays, or exchange it for clothes : with
the other part they live a few months of the
year. They do not dislike the flesh of do-
mestic animals, fowls, etc. as it had been
alleged ; on the contrary, I remarked that
they prefer it to that of wild animals. I have
seen several of their houses where there
was a good quantity of fowls. Sometimes
they cook the flesh before they eat it, but
at other times they eat it raw ; some me-
rely put the animal upon the fire till the
hairs are singed, then they consider it as
cooked. I have seen some large monkeys
which, after having been thus cooked, were
dished up upon a kind of mat as a meal to
some seven or eight persons, who speedily
devoured the whole in a few minutes, leav-
ing only the skeleton. In eating they use
no dish ; an iron frying-pan serves for cook-
60 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
iiig, plantain leaves serve as plates, and
some coco-nut shells form their usual drink-
ing cups. Some Jakuns refuse to eat the
flesh of elephants, under the pretext that
it would occasion sickness, but manv others
are not so scrupulous. When an elephant
is killed either by themselves or by the
Malays, they call together their friends and
relatives to partake of the large entertain-
ment which is prepared; they then build
houses in which to lodge their guests, un-
til the animal which furnishes the feast is
entirely finished : then every one decamps,
and returns to his usual way ofliving. When
the durian season is come, a good number
of Jakun families leave their houses, men,
women and children repairing to the pla-
ces I mentioned before, where are found
durian trees. They then again clean the
ground in order to find more easily the
fruit, wliich falls when ripe, and, dwelling
in the small house of leaves, prepare them-
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 61
selves to enjoy the treat which nature pre-
sents to them. For six weeks or two months
they eat nothing but durians. When the
season is over, tlie place is abandoned un-
til the next year.
I observed that one of their most prised
dishes is a honey-comb, and let it be said
with due respect to the opinion of our Eu-
ropean cooks, the time when the honey is
in the comb is not amongst these epicures
of nature considered the proper moment
to take the hive; but thev wait until the
small bees are well formed in the cells, and
a few days before they are ready to fly
away the honey-comb is taken with great
care, and, wrapped up in a plantain leaf,
is put upon the fire for a few minutes, and
then wax and animals are devoured toge-
ther, and considered as an uncommon treat.
The Jakuns chew betel-leaf together with
the areca-nut and gambier; but for the
want of the betel-leaf, they use the leaf of
62 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
a tree called kassi. Tobacco, when it can be |
had, is much used, even by women and
children, in chewing and smoking.
WEAPONS.
The Jakuns of Malacca and those of
Johore have no other arms than spears and
parangs; very few use the sumpitan, and
they are entirely unacquainted with the
use of poisoned arrows. The Jakuns spears
consist in an iron blade of about one foot
long, and one inch broad in the middle,
attached to a thick rudely worked shaft
about five or six feet long, and sharp at
the inferior extremity, in order to enter
easily into the ground; for before they en-
ler a house they strike the end of the spear
into the ground, where it remains until
they go away. It is scarcely possible to
meet a single Jakun without his spear,
which is both a stick to walk with , and an
olfensive or defensive weapon as the occa-
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 03
sion requires. The parang is an iron blade
of about one foot long, and two or three
inches broad with a haft like that of a large
knife; they use it to cut trees employed in
the building of their houses; and to cut
branches to open a passage when jour-
neying in the thick jungle : it is also used
as a defensive weapon against wild beasts.
I know a Jakun who being attacked by a ti-
ger, defended himself with a parang (the
only weapon he had with him at the time).
Nearly half an hour was spent in this sin-
gular combat : the Jakun lost an eye and
was seriously wounded in the head ; but the
royal beast paid the forfeit with its life. The
Jakuns of the Menangkabaw states use the
parang, the sumpitan with poisoned ar-
rows, and a few of them the spear. The
sumpitan is a small bamboo of the size of
the index finger, from six to ten feet long
with a head as large as a fowl egg; this
piece of bamboo is inserted until the head
64 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
into a larger one of the same lengths The
arrows are very slight slips of wood, the
thickness of a knitting-needle, and from
eight to ten inches long terminating in a
fine point, coated with poison for the space
of an inch or so; at the other extremity of
the arrow is placed a cone of white wood ,
cut in such a way that it may just fill the
tube of the sumpitan to receive all the im-
pulse of the air, and this cone also aids in
directing the arrow; this is propelled by
collecting air in the luftgs, and strongly
emitting it into tlie head of the sumpitan
partly inserted into the mouth of the pro-
jector. The range, to take proper effect, is
about seventy or eiglity feet; some can reach
one hundred and forty or fifty feet; but
then there will be little chance of being
dangerously wounded.
^ ^^jwa-jw, sumpitan, the sumpitan is olmost the
frencli sarhncane.
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 05
MARRIAGES.
Marriages are ordinarily celebrated about
the months of July and August, when fruits
are plentiful. The bridegroom frequents for
some time the house of his intended, and
when he has obtained her consent, he ma-
kes a formal demand to the father. Then
a day is appointed, and an entertainment is
prepared, more or less solemn, according
to the means of tlie two contracting parties,
and their rank in the tribe. When the day
of the marriage is arrived, the bridegroom
repairs to the house of the bride's father,
where the whole tribe is assembled. The
dowry given by the man to his intended is
delivered, and must consist at least of a
silver or copper ring, and a few cubits of
cloth ; if the man is not poor, a pair of bra-
celets. Some other ornaments, and several
articles, as of furniture for the iiouse of the
new familv, are added. Sometimes the
06 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
woman presents also some gifts to her in-
tended. Then the bride is delivered by her
father to the bridegroom, and the solem-
nity of the wedding begins. Some other
states that amongst some tribes there is a
dance in the midst of which the bride elect
darts off into the forest, followed by the
bridegroom. A chase ensues, during which ,
should the youth fall down, or return un-
successful , he is met with the jeeis and mer-
riments of the whole party, and the match
is declared off. This story was related to me
a little difl'erently by a European who in-
habited Paliang many years. During the
banquet a large fire is kindled, all the
congregation standing as witnesses; the
bride runs round the fire; the bridegroom
who must run in the same direction, fol-
lows her; if he catches her, the marriage
is valid ; if he cannot it is declared otf. All
the Jakuns 1 questioned on the point de-
clared to me that thev were not at all aware
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 67
of that practice; which proves that, if the
storv is true, it must be referred to a few
tribes only. No marriage is lawful without
the consent of the father. Conjugal faith-
fulness is much respected amongst the Ja-
kuns; so that adultery is punishable by
death. It is peculiarly remarkable that the
Jakuns, though surrounded by Mahomme-
dans and heathens, who all are so much
addicted to polygamy, have yet keep mar-
riage in the purity and unity of its first in-
stitution; it is not allowed to them to keep
more than one wife; I met only one who
had two, and he was censured and de-
spised by the whole tribe. I was much sur-
prised to find such a custom amongst these
wild tribes; a custom which can scarcelv be
found to exist in any but christian nations ;
but nevertheless with this dilference, that
amongst them a man can divorce his wife
and take another. The form of divorcing
is that : if the divorce is proposed by the
68 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBE.S
husband, lie loses the dowry he has given
to the woman; if the woman asks the di-
vorce, she must return the dowry she re-
ceived. The children follow tlie father or
the mother according to their wishes; if
they have not yet the use of reason, they
follow the mother.
BIRTH.
No assistance is ordinarily given to lying-
in women; their physicians or Pawangs are
not permitted to appear in such circum-
stances, and midwives are not known
amongst them. It is reported that, in seve-
ral tribes, the children , as soon as born, are
carried to tlie nearest rivulet, where they
are washed, then brought back to the
house, where a fire is kindled, incense of
kamunian wood thrown upon it, and tiie
child then passed over it several times. We
know from history that the practice of pass-
ing children over fire was in all times
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 69
much practised amongst heathen nations,
and that it is even now practised in China
and other places. A few days after the birth
of the child, the father gives him a name,
which is ordinarily the name of some tree,
fruit or colour.
SICKNESS.
I have already said that the Jakuns were
not much subject to sickness; notwithstand-
ing, on account of want of pro]f)er care, few
of them reach to an advanced age. Tlie sick-
ness of which they have the greatest dread,
and from which they suffer most, is the
small-pox. Is any one attacked by it, im-
mediately he is entirely abandoned; pa-
rents, relations, friends and neighbours fly
away, and the poor sick man , thus left with-
out any assistance, of course dies misera-
bly. In their other sicknesses, they are not
so entirely uncared for; some physic, con-
sisting ordinarily oF an infusion or decoc-
7-
70 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
tion of wild plants, is given according to
the rude prescription of a Pawang, but
ordinarily without any success. They mostly
die of fever caused by the dampness and
insalubrity of the places they inhabit; like
the people of India , they are generally very
subject to ulcers* Many of them have also
disgusting skin diseases, but ordinarily not
dangerous. I think that, if the Missionaries
succeed in gathering the Jakuns into villages
as they intend to do, and in making their
habitations more salubrious, ulcers amongst
them will be certainly much more scarce;
and I hope the cure of their skin diseases
would not present great difficulty. A small
provision of quinine or some other reme-
dies for fever would also doubtless preserve
the life of man v.
FUNERALS.
The preparations they make for their
funerals are few and simple. If the decease
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 71
took place before noon, the body is buried
the same day; if after noon, the funeral is
defered until next day. The corpse is wash-
ed, wrapped in some cloth, and interred,
by relations and neighbours, in a grave
about four or five cubits deep. The sum-
pitan, quiver of arrows, knife, etc. of the
deceased are buried with him; along with
some rice, water and tobacco. I questioned
them respecting the reason of burying such
things with the deceased, but I could not
obtain any answer except that this was the
custom practised by their ancestors and
followed by them. This practice is not pe-
culiar to the Jakuns; we know from history
that many of the ancient people did so,
and that such a custom is even yet followed
amongst some Tartar tribes. Like many
other people, the Jakuns consider white as
a sacred colour; and it is a peculiar sub-
ject of comfort, when, in their last sickness,
they can procure for tliemselves some white
72 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
cloth, in which to be buried. When too
poor to obtain such a consolation, the Te-
rap bark supplies the funeral dress. I was
told that, amongst the tribes who are near
to Pahang, the corpse of the deceased is
burnt as is practised amongst the Hindoos
and Siamese. Also that the place where a
Jakun died is deserted by the others, and
the house burnt; but, after having ques-
tioned many of them on this last subject,
I found it was practised only by a few.
NATURE.
The Jakuns are entirely inoffensive, na-
ture having endowed them with an ex-
cellent temper; they are generally kind,
affable, incHned to gratitude and to be-
neficence. Hospitality is much practised
amongst them , not only towards other Ja-
kuns, but towards any stranger, who should
reach their liabitations. I have remarked
that all Indian nations are much inclined
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 73
to begging; thus any thing they see that
pleases them, they ask of the owner, when
they know that there is no means to steal
it, and sometimes their demands are so
frequent and repeated that they are very
importunate. The Jakuns are not so; they
differ much in this respect from other In-
dians; they are liberal and generous. When
I visited them, they very seldom asked me
for any thing ; and they never refused what
I asked from them; and when after asking
I refused to take it, they pressed me to do
so. They have very seldom quarrels amongst
themselves; their disputes are ordinarily
settled by their Batins or chiefs, without
fighting or malice. Their laws allow of pu-
nishment for several sorts of crimes; but
the Batin has seldom occasion to apply
them. Candour and honesty, qualities very
rare in India, and I dare say in all Asia,
are notwithstanding found amongst Jakuns.
It is lemarkable that they abhor lying and
74 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
thieving, not in words as the Malay, but
really and in practice. They are never known
to steal any thing, not even the most in-
significant trifle. Such remarkable qualities
induced several persons to make attempts
to domesticate them , but such essays have
generally ended in the Jakuns disappear-
ance on the slightest coercion. Mr. Lewis,
Assistant Resident at Penang, related to me
that he had for some time a Jakun family
in his house; they appeared at first to be
very glad of their position , and indeed the
remarkable kindness which that gentle-
man shows to all inferiors could not fail to
please them ; but, having been one day em-
ployed in some servile work , they fled away
and appeared no more. The reason is that
the Jakuns are extremely proud, and will
not submit for any length of time to servile
offices or to much control. This, if it is a
defect, is the only one I have yet remark-
ed in them.
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 75
The Jakuns, by their nature and their
peculiar qualities, offer the most encourag-
ing hopes to the Missionaries who will be
employed in their amelioration. Few In-
dians present such good dispositions to em-
brace the Gospel. With the favour of God
and the assistance of those who are in a
position to concur in the work, there is a
vast deal of good to be effected amongst
the Jakuns.
LAWS.
Though the Jakuns are generally good
and little inclined to evil, they show not-
withstanding, from time to time, though
seldom, that, as the rest of mankind, they
are in natura Japsa, and participants in the
wickedness common to all the children of
Adam; from whence the necessity of esta-
blishing laws amongst them ; but we can say,
to their praise, that their laws rather pre-
vent disorder than punish it. Their laws are
76 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
not every-where the same; eacli tribe has
its customs and regulations ; I will state here
those I observed to be more generally re-
ceived. They are not written; but they can
be expressed in the following way.
FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
Each tribe is under an elder termed
the Batin, who directs its movements and
settles disputes.
Under each Batin are two subordinates,
termed Jennang^ and Jurokra^, who assist
him in his duties.
A fourth title is that of Pawang, but is
more a title of honour than of jurisdiction,
and indicates the persons who are gene-
rally charged to fulfd the office of physician
and that of teacher.
^ iJOh , jennang, k a commander, a deputy, « from the
Javanese word a^ m^ , jenneng ^ rran honorary title. »
" Jurohra, from the words s^-. juro, rra chief," and
y^, kera, era monkey ;« Hterally. rr chief of monkeys. ^^
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 77
The functions of the Batin resemhle
those appertaining to the Malay Rajahs.
The title of Jennang is equivalent to that
of the Malay Panghulu, or our police ma-
gistrates; and that of Jurokra to that of
the men who, in our European govern-
ments, are charged to execute the orders
proceeding from the police office. There is
also a war chief called Panglima.
OF THE ELEVATION OF PERSONS TO THE GOVERNMENT.
After the death of a Batin (or chief of the
tribe), the eldest of his sons will be pre-
sented by his nearest relation to the whole
collected tribe, and Avill be declared and
recognized publicly heir of his father in the
Batinship. If the people refuses to declare
him Batin, the second son of the late Ba-
tin will be presented; if the people refuses
this second son and his other brothers, a
stranger to the family will be elected ^
' This form of election proves the truth of the prin-
f
78 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
After the death of a Jermang or of a Ju-
rokra, the Batin will appoint the eldest son
of the deceased to succeed to the office; if
the Batin finds the eldest son of the late
dignitary unfit for the appointment, he will
name another of the same family, or, if there
is in the family no proper person to fill the
office, he will then appoint a stranger to
the family.
ciple, that, from the very commencement of the social
state , the source of all temporal power and jurisdiction
is in the will of the people volontarily giving up their
hberty, and placing it in hands of persons to whom
they are naturally led to look up , and from whom they
can receive protection and assistance. In such course of
things, as remarks wisely some author, laAvs must have
preceded the knowledge of letters and the other arts
of civilized life ; and this we accordingly find to be the
case, in the oral traditional code which is in force
amongst the Jakuns.
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 79
OF A PERSON VIOLATING THE RIGHTS TO ANY NEIGHBOUR
IN HIS PERSON \
If a person kills another without a just
cause, he shall be put to death.
If a person beats another, he will be
beaten in the same way; if he wounds him ,
he will be wounded in the same way.
If a person insults another, he shall pay
a fine.
OF STEALING.
If any person shall steal the property of
his neighbour, he* shall return it, and pay
a fine to the Batin.
If a person has already stolen several
times, the Batin will take all his property.
If it is recognized that a person is in the
habit of stealing, he will be killed; because
it is not considered possible that a man
' We may remark in this chapter a perfect identity
with the punishment of talion, g-iven to the Jews by
the ministry of Moses.
80 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
who is given to such a habit can ever be-
come an honest man.
OF MARRIAGE.
No marriage is lawful without the con-
sent of the father.
A man cannot have more than one wife
at once.
A man divorcing from his wife loses
the dowry given to her.
If the divorce comes from the side of the
woman, she must return the dowry which
she received from the m*an.
Any married person surprised in adul-
tery shall be put to death.
If the woman surprised in adultery can
prove that she was seduced, she will not
be put to death ; but she will be sent away
by her husband, because it is a shame for
a Jakun to keep a wife after she has had
commerce with any otiier man than her
lawful husband.
[NHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 81
After divorce, the man and woman can
marry again with others.
OF CHILDREN.
A father cannot sell his child, but he
can give him to another, provided that the
child will consent, whatever may be his
age.
If children are left orphans , the nearest
relations will bring them up , unless with
their consent another person agrees to ful-
fil that duty.
OF INHERITANCE.
After the death of parents, the whole of
their property will be divided amongst all
the children in equal parts.
It is related by different persons that the
Jakuns have great influence in the respec-
tive Malay states where they are living , and
chiefly in the election of Malay Panghulus
in theMenangkabaw states. Lieut. INewbold
82 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
too says the same, and confirms it by the
following fact. — cr A few years ago the late
Panghulu of Sungei Ujong, Klana Leher,
died, leaving two nephews, Kawal and
Bhair. It is an ancient custom prevalent
still in the interior, and, I believe, gene-
rally throughout Malayan nations, that,
when a chief dies, his successor must be
elected on the spot, and before the inter-
ment of the corpse (which is not unfre-
quently defered through the observance
of this usage to a considerable length of
time); otherwise the election does not hold
good.
vtNow it happened that Kawal was ab-
luent at the time of Panghulu Leber's death.
The three Sukus and one of the twelve Ba-
tins took advantage of Bhair's being on the
spot, elected him, and buried the body of
the deceased chief. Against this proceeding,
the Rajah de Rajah, and the remainder of
the elective body, the eleven Batins, pro-
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 83
tested; a war ensued, which terminated
in 1828 pretty much as it began. Kawal,
however, by virtue of the suffrages of the
eleven out of the twelve Batins, and by the
support of the Rajah de Rajah, is generally
considered the legitimate chief. In Johole,
the Batins have a similar influence in the
election of the Panghulu. -n
It appears certain that, in former times,
the Batins exercised such an influence in
the elections of tlie Malay chief; but we
must say thai they have at the present time
lost a great part of it ; for in Johole , Rum-
bau and several other places, they are so
few in number that such a fact would be
impossible, and the contempt which the
Malays have for them, as well as their own
natural disposition to tranquillity and
peace, scarcely permit us to believe that
such is the case now^ even for Sungei Ujong,
where they are the most numerous.
84 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
TRADITIONS.
The traditions entertained by the Jakuns,
though frequently ridiculous, and relating
impossible and fictitious facts, are not al-
ways to be rejected, because sometimes
they contain more or less truth, or may
otherwise lead to the discovery of it. I will
relate here a few of these traditions, which,
if of no other utility, will assist in making
known the interesting race I am now de-
scribing.
The following is a tradition entertained
by a part of the Jakuns of Sungei Ujong
and Rumbau and related bv some of their
Batins.
cr In the beginning of the world , a white
Unka and a white Siamang^ dwelt on a
lofty mountain : they cohabited and had
four children, who descended from the
' LCcJ , unka J rra species of monkey having no tail
and walking erect, ^i i^L^, siamang, rr the gibbon. »
iJNHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 85
mountain into the plain , and became man-
kind. From them sprang four tribes. In after
times, the heads of these tribes, Nenek^
Tukol, Nenek Landasson, Nenek Jelan-
dong, and Nenek Karoh, were invested by
an ancient king of Johore, with the hono-
rary titles of To Batin Kakanda Unka , To
Batin Saribu Jaya, To Batin Johon Lelah
Perkasseh, and To Batin Karah.
ff The first founded the state of Galang,
and possessed the Canoe Sampan Ballang;
the second ascended the Samowa, or Lin-
gee river, and founded Sungei Ujong; the
third proceeded to the hill of Lantei kulit,
and founded the state of Johole; and the
fourth to Ulu Pahang. -n
The following is another tradition enter-
tained by several tribes, and delivered to
me by a Batin of Johole.
Formerly God created in heaven a man
" Xk^, nenek, rrpalernal grandfather, n
86 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
and a woman. They were Batins (that is
a king and a queen), of course, without
kingdom or subjects. History says not how
long a time this couple inhabited heaven ;
but only that, one day, they descended on
earlh, and were found near the river of
Johore, on the southern part of the Penin-
sula. There, this celestial Batin and his
consort begat a numerous family, who peo-
pled all the Peninsula : those of them who
embraced Islamism are called now Malays;
and the others who remained more faith-
ful to the manners and customs of their
ancestors retained the name of Jakuns.
It is not necessary to pay great attention
to perceive the analogy between this tradi-
tion and the true history of the creation
of mankind, as it is reported in the holy
scriptures; or rather, would it not be the
same history deformed in several circum-
stances, but correct and easily recognized
in several others?
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 87
There is a tradition on the origin of some
tribes of Jakuns, called Orang Laut (men
of the sea), because they live ordinarily in
boats upon the sea, and on the sea-shore.
It is related in the following way.
rrDattu Klambu, a man of power in for-
mer days, employed a number of Jakuns
in the building of a palace. He had an only
daughter, who, once upon a time observing
the primitive costume of some of her fa-
ther's workmen, was seized with an un-
controllable fit of merriment. Whereupon,
the irritated Jakuns commenced the incan-
tation cf chinderwye , T^ and pursued their
way to the forest, followed by the spell
bound princess. Dattu Klambu despatched
messengers to bring back his daughter, but
she refused to return, and eventually be-
came the spouse of one of the Jakun chiefs.
Dattu Klambu, on receiving intelligence of
this occurrence , dissembled his resentment,
and invited the whole tribe to a sumptuous
88 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
entertainment, on pretence of celebrating
the nuptials. In the midst of the feast he
fired the palace ia which the revels were
carried on, and the whole of the Jakuns,
except a man and a woman, perished in
the flames. These two Jakuns fled to the
sea-shore , and from them sprang the Orang
Laut, who, not daring to return into the
interior, have ever since confined them-
selves to the coasts and islets, n
This tradition related by Jakuns is enti-
rely diff'erent from another entertained by
the Orang Laut themselves on the same
subject, for they say that their first pa-
rents were a white alligator and a por-
poise.
PAWANGS.
The Pawangs are a class of men endow-
ed with the power of performing the func-
tions of priests \ teachers, physicians and
* The functions of priests amongst them consist only
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 89
sorcerers. Under any of these titles they
have not much to do amongst the members
of their own nation; many of them do not
believe that the Pawangs have any super-
natural power as sorcerers or as priests,
nor do they attribute any efficacy to the
acts they perform under tliese two titles.
Many others have great doubts on this sub-
jects however some of them certainly ac-
knowledge in them some extraordinary
power, more or less. The Pawangs them-
selves, at least those I have seen, have very
little confidence in their own ability either
capacity of sorcerers or physicians. Though
their knowledge be much circumscribed,
they are generally more clever than their
countrymen, and in every kind of sickness
they are of course called upon. Their pre-
scriptions are always accompanied with some
in performing some superstitious practices, since, as I
liave mentioned in another place, they have no true
and real worship.
90 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
superstitious practices, without which they
are supposed to be of little or no effect.
But it is amongst the Malays that their
skill is much in honour, and their persons
objects both of veneration and of fear. The
Malays are ridiculously superstitious on
that point; they have a firm faith in the
efficacy of the supplications of the Pawangs,
and an extraordinary dread of their sup-
posed supernatural power. The Malays ima-
gine that they are endowed with the power
of curing every kind of sickness , and of
killing an enemy, however distant he may
be, by the force of spells; and with the
gift of discovering mines and hidden trea-
sures. It is not uncommon to see Malay
men and women, at the sight of a Binua
Pawang, throw themselves on the ground
before him.
I could not ascertain the ordinary way
for becoming a Pawang, nor discover any
ceremony by which the Pawangship is en-
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 91
tered upon : it appears very probable that
uncommon natural ability, which is found
from time to time in a few of the Binuas,
gives a sufficient right to exercise the func-
tions of such ministry. The right of inherit-
ance seems also to be looked for as contri-
buting much to the claim of being Pawang.
In the absence of more positive information
on the subject, I will here quote a passage
from Lieut. Newbold.
re The soul of a Pawang after death is
supposed to enter into the body of a tiger.
This metempsychosis is presumed to take
place after the following fashion. The corpse
of the Pawang is placed erect against the
projection near the rootof a large tree in the
depth of the forest, and carefully watched
and supplied with rice and water for seven
days and nights by the friends and relations.
During this period the transmigration (be-
lieved to be the result of an ancient com-
pact made in olden times by the Pawang's
92 AN ACCOUNT. OF THE WILD TRIBES
ancestors with a tiger) is imagined to be in
active operation. On the seventh day, it is
incumbent on the deceased Pawang's son,
should he be desirous of exercising similar
supernatural powers, to take a censer and
incense of kamunian wood, and to watch
near the corpse alone, when the deceased
will shortly appear in the form of a tiger on
the point of making the fatal spring upon
him. At this crisis it is necessary not to
betray the slighest symptom of alarm, but
to cast with a bold heart and firm hand the
incense on the fire; the seeming tiger will
then disappear. The spectres of two beau-
tiful women will next present themselves,
and the novice will be cast into a deep
trance , during which the initiation is pre-
sumed to be perfected. These aerial ladies
thenceforward became his familiar spirits ,
by whose invisible agency the secrets of na-
ture, the hidden treasures of the earth are
unfolded to him. Should the heir of tlie
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 93
Pawang omit to observe this ceremonial,
the spirit of the deceased, it is believed,
will reenter for ever the body of the tiger,
and the mantle of enchantment be irreco-
verably lost to the tribe. r>
RECIPROCAL FEELING OF JAKUNS AND MALAYS.
The Jakuns hate the Malays, and the
Malays despise the Jakuns. There is a na-
tural and uncontrollable antipathy between
these two peoples; but they stand in need
of each other, and their mutual intercourse
is necessary; the Jakuns launch out into
incessant complaints against the Malays, as
being bad people, cruel, murderers; and
what is no less criminal before them , thie-
ves, pilferers and liers. Some made to me
the sensible remark, that the numerous
sambayangs, or prayers of the Malays,
could not be gf any use for them so long
as they continued addicted to so many vi-
ces; but they take great care, before they
94 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
thus express Iheniselves, to look about, for
they know that, if any Malay should chance
to overhear them, they would not remain
long uninjured. The Jakunsthus hate and
abhor the Malays, but they fear them; and
what makes their position more irksome is
the necessity they are in of having con-
tinually commerce with them : the dam-
mar and several other products they find
in the forest cannot be disposed of except-
ing by the hands of the Malays ; which es-
tablishes a dailv intercourse between them.
But it is really surprising that these com-
munications are always in good terms, and,
though the Jakuns are rude and wild, they
yet know how to give to the Malays de Teau
benite de cour, and keep habitually great
harmony and peace in their relations. But
if the Jakuns hate and fear the Malavs, the
Malays in return despise and fear extremely
the Jakuns. The Malays consider the Jakuns
as Cafirs, that is as infidels, and in that
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 95
quality to be despised, and as being in a
rank only a little higher than animals; but
on the other hand, the Malays are super-
stitious in the extreme. For Malays, every
thing they do not understand is a mystery;
every thing not common must be endow-
ed with extraordinary virtue ; and conse-
quently, for a Malay, a Jakun is a superna-
tural being, endowed with a supernatural
power, and with an unlimited knowledge
in the secrets of nature ; he must be skilled
in divination, sorcery and fascination, and
able to do either evil or good according to
his pleasure; his blessing will be followed
by the most fortunate success , and his curse
by the most dreadful consequences. When
he hates some person, he turns himself
towards the house, strikes two sticks one
upon the other, and whatever may be the
distance, his enemy will fall sick, and even
die, if he perseveres in that exercise for a
few days. Besides to a Malay the Jakun is
k^
96 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
a man who, by his nature, must necessa-
rily know all the properties of every plant,
and consequently must be a clever physi-
cian; which explains the impatience of Ma-
lays , when sick , to obtain their assistatice ,
or at least get some medicinal plants from
them; and these they must obtain,^ on any
terms , because it is necessary for them , and
must preserve their life. It is not necessary
that such a physician should go to the house
of the sick man; as he knows every thing,
he will give in his own house the proper
remedies to cure the sickness. He is gifted
with the power of charming the Avild beasts,
even the most ferocious. Such are the ef-
fects of Malay silliness and stupidity, joined
wath the most absurd superstition; and the
reason why, though they despise the Jakuns ,
they fear them , and refrain from ill treat-
ing them in m<my circumstances ^
^ I must remark that I do not here mean to speak
of many of the Malays who live within the limits of the
INHABITLNG THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 97
COMPARISON BETWEEN JAKUNS AND MALAYS.
When we compare those two peoples in
whom many points seem to assign a com-
mon extraction , we cannot prevent oursel-
ves from having a feeling of astonishment
on perceiving so remarkable a difference.
1 have already said what is the dissimili-
tude , if considered in their physical appear-
ance; but I can say that it is very little
when compared with tliat which exists in
their manners, customs, and with the mo-
ral qualities of these two races.
The Malays are much inclined to rob-
bery and cheating, and they generally fol-
low this inclination ^ No man can entrust
English settlement; many of these, on account of their
more frequent communications with Europeans, are
more civilized, and consequently less superstitious.
^ I speak more particularly of the Malays living in
the interior; there is a great difference between them
and those who are in contact with Europeans.
98 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
them with any thing. Though I paid the
most particular attention to my trifling and
simple baggage, every time that I have tra-
velled in the interior, and had always a
servant watching, several things were stol-
en, and some times I caught the rogue in
the fact : and what moreover shows a peo-
ple accustomed to such a vice, is that, af-
ter having been caught in the fact, they are
not at all disconcerted, and with an imper-
turbable sang-froid deny the circumstances.
To lie for a Malay is nothing, injustice and
perjury are but small peccadilloes, which
will be forgiven by God as soon as forgotten
from their memory, which happens pre-
sently. In order to plunder stranger who
journeys amongst them, they must know in
detail all the parts which compose his pro-
perty; this is the reason of so many ques-
tions, more or less importunate, which
they put to the traveller, upon his state,
his fortune, his position, and the objects
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 99
contained in his baggage , which must be
unfolded and examined in detail and which
they as surely ask for as a gift; then the
traveller must consider himself as warned,
and direct his particular attention to the
things which were asked for, as they are
in danger of disappearing.
I recollect that, when journeying in Jo-
hole, every time I reached a campong of
Jakuns, and entered any house where I
intended to stop , at once a woman of the
family took a basket, went away, and a few
minutes after entered again with some kla-
dees or other vegetable , which were cooked
and presented to me about half an hour
after my arrival. When the next day I of-
fered to them some small articles as a re-
turn, they received them with some ap-
pearance of shame; so much so, that I was
obliged to show them that this was not a
present, but a debt; and that I was only
doing according to the custom of my native
too AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
country, where a traveller must always give
some thing to the owner of the house where
he has slept. On the contrary, on my enter-
ing any Malay home, I perceived that the
chief of the family, in the persuasion that
this was a lucky windfall not to be lost,
began at once by taking every means to
speculate upon me ; hence the exaggerated
difficulties to continue the journey, which
are made to appear as impossible, for want
of coolies, of guides, etc. — which signi-
fies , ff If you do not give me some good pre-
sent, you shall not pass farther. r> The travel-
ler may give as much as may be in his
power, yet this will never be sufficient. The
actions of Malays generally show low senti-
ments and a sordid feeling; but the Jakuns
are naturally proud and generous.
These two peoples , so different in many
points , are notwithstanding similar in some
respects : both are ignorant, and conse-
quently superstitious. In these two points
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSiia. \ ^i)3 ';
they resemble each other, with this difler-
ence that the Malays are ignorant and pre-
tend to be the most enlightened people and
refuse to hear any body. The Jakuns are
ignorant, but aware of their ignorance;
though they are proud and independent,
yet they think that others know better than
themselves, and thus bear easily to be taught.
With respect to the latter, though these two
races are superstitious, certainly the Ma-
lays are more so than the Jakuns; and I
further observed that those of the Jakuns
who have less correspondence with the Ma-
lays are also the less superstitious.
From whence then comes so remarkable
a difference between two peopdes who have
inhabited the same country for so many
centuries, and who appear to have about
the same origin? This question presented
itself many times to my mind, during my
several journeys in the interior of the Pen-
insula; and to it I have not yet found a
:104 Aj^r ACrC0UNT OF THE WILD TRIBES
satisfactory answer'. I will notwithstanding
offer here a few expressions, which may
present more or less probability. The Ma-
Jays are Mohammedans : would not the
plundering and bloody way of propagating
the Koran be the first principle of their
inclination to plundering and bloody ac-
tions? as it is natural in human nature to
feel less repugnance for any thing which al-
ready has become consecrated by religious
views. It is remarkable that about the same
inclination is found in almost all the Mo-
hammedan nations. Every one knows that,
before France took Algiers, the whole of
the Algerine states were an empire of pi-
rates. In the same manner, before the En-
glish sway had established security in this
part of the world, the Malays too were a
nation of murderers and pirates. It is cer-
tain also that Islamism leads its followers
into ignorance, and consequently into su-
perstition, which is its usual result. It is
INHABITING THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. 103
ascertained by travellers that countries in-
habited by Mohammedans are those where
exists the profoundest ignorance. And every
one is aware of the historical fact of the
destruction of the famous Library of
Alexandria, under the pretext that the Ko-
ran was the only book necessary, all others
being useless; hence was destroyed this sa-
cred sanctuary of doctrine , and extinguished
one of the brightest scientific luminaries
which has ever enlightened any part of
the world.
SYMPATHY AND CONFIDENCE TOWARDS EUROPEANS.
If the Jakuns hate the Malays, and fear
them, it is certainly not an effect of ego-
tism and of a natural timidity, for they
do not so towards other nations : they dis-
like not the Chinese, and they have a re-
markable sympathy for Europeans, and
place unlimited trust in them even after a
single interview. The reason is that gene-
104 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES.
rally Europeans show in their conversation
a security and frankness, which, by its
great contrast with the deceitfulness of the
Malays, catches at once the hearts of this
people of children. They love the European
and attach themselves to him as soon as
they know him , and the slightest good of-
fice received from him is the source of the
most unbounded gratitude; though this
fact was related to me by several persons ,
I scarcely believed it, until I was myself
witness of it.
r
A JOURNEY IN JOHORE,
A JOUUNEY IN JOHORE,
The many difTiculties I had met with
in the several journeys I had already un-
dertaken in the Malay countries, from the
petty chiefs who are established in each
village, convinced me that it was almost
impossible to succeed in such journeys
without having previously obtained a re-
gular passport from the rulers of the Ma-
layan States. In September i8i6, I there-
fore repaired to Singapore to obtain from
His Majesty the Sultan of Johore and His
Highness the Tumongong of Singapore
the necessary permission to travel in the
Johore territory. As I was acquainted with
the mother of His Majesty the Sultan, I
had taken the precaution of obtaining from
her a letter of recommendation to the Sul-
108 A JOURNEY IN JOHORE.
tan; by these means I found the way of
communicating with His Majesty free from
obstacle. 1 was received by him with re-
markable familiarity and kindness, and
a few days after the requested document,
duly authenticated with the Sultan's seal,
was delivered to me.
I likewise asked the same from His High-
ness the Tumungong of Singapore. I was
neither received by him so familiarly nor
so kindly; he gave me however the permis-
sion requested; but he gave it by word
only, saying that the document already
given by the Sultan was sufficient, and
assuring me that the authority of the Sultan
and his own were unum et idem.
I left Singapore on the fifth of Septem-
ber; I was accompanied by an Indo-Por-
tuguese boy as servant and by a Chinese
as cooly ; the boat which conveyed me was
of a small size, having two Malabar men
as rowers, in case the wind should fail,
A JOURNEY IN JOHORE. 109
and one as pilot. My provisions consisted
of a few gantangs of rice and a small quan-
tity of dried fish; and a few changes of dress
composed my wardrobe. Experience had
already taught me all the difficulties at-
tending such journeys, and that a good
and comfortable supply of food and of
clothing, though very useful, would, under
such circumstances, be more cumbersome
than advantageous, on account of the dif-
ficulty of transporting them. So I took
with me only what was absolutely neces-
sary to support my own existence and that
of the two persons who accompanied me
for the space of one month, the supposed
duration of the journey I was then under-
taking.
My intention was to enter the Malayan
Peninsula by the river of Johore , and , con-
tinuing the^ route by land through the
jungle with which the Peninsula is almost
entirely covered, to direct my march in
110 A JOURNEY IN JOHORE.
the direction of mount Ophir, and thence
to Malacca; tracing from Johore to the
latitude of Malacca , through the midst of
the Peninsula, a line which had not yet
been followed by any European , and per-
haps by very few, if any, Malays. It will
be seen hereafter that several accidents
prevented me from making the journey as
I first purposed. My design was to visit the
several wild tribes which were said to in-
habit in great numbers the most interior
part of the Peninsula, and to obtain, re-
specting them , the most full and exact in-
formation which circumstances would allow
me. I was also ordered by his lordship
D"" Boucho to ascertain if there would
be a possibility of establishing a Mission
amongst them.
My small boat, which left Singapore on
the fifth of September at five o'clock a. m.
with a most favourable breeze, was at ten
o'clock between Tanjong Ghangy, the most
A JOURNEY IN JOHORE. Ill
eastern part of the island of Singapore,
and Pulo Tikong; doubling the western
point of this small island, I reached, a few
minutes after, a small Malay village near
Gunong Bau. The name of the village is
Tikong. It consists only of a few miserable
Malay houses, and is governed by a Pang-
hulu who was absent. I stopped there only
a few moments and entered at once the
Johore river. At half past eleven o'clock I
reached another village called Pomatang,
where I landed. This second village is
more considerable than the first, and is
the residence of a Rajah then called Ra-
jah Prang, who was absent. I tried to ob-
tain some information about the village it-
self as well as respecting the neighbouring
places; but, upon seeing me, the inmates
of the place fled, and I could scarcely suc-
ceed in reaching a few of them, who ap-
peared so much surprised and astonished,
that I could not obtain from them any
112 A JOURNEY IN JOHORE.
satisfactory answer. I left the village about
an hour after my arrival there ; I sailed for
Johore , where I arrived at four o'clock p. m.
Johore, formerly the chief city of the
empire of that name and residence of the
Sultan, is situated about twenty miles up
the river. The town was founded in 1 5 1 1
or 1 5 1 2 A. D. by Sultan Mahomad Shah II
of Malacca , who , after his expulsion from
that place by the Portuguese, fled to the
river of Johore. From that time the town
of Johore has been the capital of the em-
pire , which took the name of the empire of
Johore instead of that of Malacca.
The inhabitants of Johore told me that
their town was formerly a considerable one,
that the Sultan who used to reside there
had a fortified castle , and that the city was
adorned by several handsome buildings
erected chiefly upon some elevated ground,
distant a few hundred steps from the last
houses of the present village going down
A JOURNEY IN JOHORE. 113
the river. I visited the place, but I could
not find any remains of them.
The town of Johore has undergone the
same fate as the empire; it has fallen en-
tirely. It consists of about twenty-five or
thirty Malay houses built on wooden poles
and covered with ataps and chucho leaves ;
about the center of the village I remarked
a mosque built with planks , but it appear-
ed to be in a miserable state, calling for
repairs; the place is now of no importance.
Johore is the residence of a Panghulu
who is appointed both by the Sultan of
Johore and by the Tumungong of Singa-
pore. The present Panghulu, who is call-
ed Java, after having examined the cre-
dentials I had from the Sultan, received
me very kindly. The men I had engaged
at Singapore, refusing to go further, re-
turned back with their boat. I passed the
night in llie house of a China man who
kept a shop.
114 A JOURNEY IN JOHORE.
The next day, the Panghulu procured
me a small boat with three men , in order
to go up the river to the small stream of
Kamang. At ten o'clock a.m. I left Johore.
At about twelve o'clock , I was near Pulo
Kayu Anak Besar ; this is an island of about
four or five miles in length; near this is
another smaller called Pulo Kayu Anak
Kechil. At about six o'clock, I arrived at
the small river Kamang; a few houses are
found there, and a Panghulu resides at the
mouth of the river; the name of the Pang-
hulu is Sapa. I passed the night in his
house, and the men who brought me there
returned to Johore with their boat.
The next morning, it was matter of no
small trouble to get the Panghulu to pro-
cure men and a boat to take me up the
river. As he knew that none would consent
to accompany me if not allowed by him ,
he asked such a high price for each man
and for the boat, that I could not agree
A JOURNEY IN JOHORE. 115
with him. As he remained obstinate in his
first demand, I thought it impossible to
proceed further; so I asked him at least
for a boat and men to return back to
Johore; but this he roughly refused. I then
began to be a little anxious, finding myself
a prisoner in such a remote place and in
such hands. After breakfast, we came again
to a new discussion on the same subject;
he then appeared a little more complying ,
and at last, after a long parley, he con-
sented to furnish men to convey me up the
river for a moderate price. This man was
no worse than any other Malay. It is gene-
rally admitted amongst them that every
one may use all means of making mo-
ney, whatever these means may be; and, if
this man had not perceived that I had but
very little money, I would never have pass-
ed on till a good part of it had found its
way into his pocket. However I think that
he is to be considered as an honest Malay.
116 A JOURNEY IN JOHORE.
I started from that place about ten
o'clock; nothing else remarkable occured
on that day ; only I was informed that near
the river of Kamang are the remains of an
ancient fort; but I did not visit the place.
About six o'clock, I stopped to rest; I slept
in the boat, and, as there was no place for
a second person , my men went to sleep in
a house on the right bank of the river.
On the 8th, we could make but a few
miles, the river being then obstructed by a
great quantity of fallen trees. My men were
often obliged with great trouble to cut the
trees and their branches when lying across
the river, or to take up the boat to make
it pass over the large pieces of wood they
could not cut : this was somewhat danger-
ous on account of the depth of the river.
At sunset 1 stopped in a desert place; my
men slept under a tree near the river on
the left bank, and I passed the night in
the boat.
A JOURNEY IiN JOHORE. 117
On the gth, at about nine o'clock a. m.
I reached the junction of the two rivers
Sayong and Negaoyoung with that of Johore ;
I was then informed that both were inha-
bited by Jakuns; but, as many days would
be required to visit them, I continued to
go up the river. In the evening, I reached
a place called Menkao, where are the two
last Malay houses in a kampong on the left
bank going up the river, and where I li-
kewise found the first families of Jakuns.
They amount in that place to the number
of thirty persons. On the opposite side, in
another kampong named Kampong Ynass,
are also found five families of Jakuns.
The incessant rain forced me to remain
here two days. The river is here no more
than twenty or twenty-five feet in breadth ,
but is very deep. I remarked that the river
of Johore from its source to Menkao is call-
ed Sayong Besar by the aborigines, while
they give the name of Sayong Kechil to
118 A JOURNEY IN JOHORE.
the Sayong river, which I have before men-
tioned.
During my stay in that place, I was in-
formed that the great Panghuiu Batin, who
rules over all the Jakuns who inhabit this
part of the Johore territory, was living
about two hours from there; as the Ma-
lays who had brought me up refused to
go further, I sent for him. The next morn-
ing, he arrived with six other Jakuns : he
promised to give me men to conduct me
by land to the extremity of the Banut river.
I therefore started with him in a small
boat, in order to repair to his house. When
I left the Malays to entrust myself amongst
the Jakuns, I felt quite easy : I was much
satisfied to. find myself again amongst
people whom I already knew to be per-
fectly honest and most inoffensive. I had
scarcely departed when a heavy rain be-
gan to fall, and it continued until the even-
ing; we proceeded however up the river
A JOURNEY IN JOHORE. 119
for about one hour, when the rain was so
violent that the Batin declared that it was
impossible to go further. We stopped at a
Jakun's house, on the right side of theriver,
which is in that place no more than eight
or ten feet broad, but yet very deep. As
the branches of the trees which cross the
river had prevented us from keeping a
covering upon the boat, we were all wet
and in a very unpleasant state. We lighted
fires in several places to warm and dry
ourselves. Several of my men felt a little
sick all the evening. Two hours after my
arrival there, the Batin had a severe fit of
fever, the Indo-Portuguese boy had likewise
an attack , but slight. I was a little anxious
about them; but the good appetite which
every one of them shewed the next morn-
ing at breakfast cheered me up again.
That day I repaired to the house of the
Panghulu Batin, which is in the interior of
the jungle, about one hour's walk from the
120 A JOURNEY IN JOHORE.
bank of the river. I stopped there two days,
which I spent in visiting some neighbour-
ing kampongs of Jakuns and in collect-
ing information about the place. I was
told that the source of the Sayong Besar,
that is, of the Johore river, was not far
from there, near a hill which was pointed
out; but I could not perceive it. According
to this indication, it should be quite in the
centre of the Peninsula, about the latitude
of the mouth of the Sedilli river. I wished
much to go up the river to its source; but
the Jakuns told me that this was impossible,
on account of the great quantity of fallen
trees which entirely obstruct it.
The Batin, whom I have mentioned, is
an old man of about eighty years of age ;
he is duly appointed by the Sultan of Johore
and by the Tumungong of Singapore to
rule over two to three hundred Jakuns,
living in a radius of about one day's walk
from his house; this dignity was conferred
A JOURNEY IN JOHORE. 121
upon him, about fifteen years ago, by two
written documents, the first authenticated
with the seal of the Sultan and the second
with that of the Tumungong. At the same
time he received from each of these two
authorities a spear adorned with gold and
silver, as the insignia of his Batinship. On
asking to see the written documents, I was
answered, suda makan api, they are burnt;
but as to the two spears, as they were much
more precious for these children of nature
than a dead letter of which they could not
understand the slightest part, they were
also kept more carefully and daily used.
Before I proceed further with the narra-
tive of my journey, I must say a few words
about the river of Johore. This stream is
probably the largest of the Peninsula. At
its mouth it is about three miles wide ; at
an island called Pulo Layang, a few miles
above the ancient town of Johore, it is yet
about two miles broad; after the two is-
122 A JOURNEY IN JOHOBE.
lands called Pulo Kayu Anak Kechil and Pulo
Kayu Anak Besar are passed , it is from two to
three hundred yards wide; but, after that,
it rapidly narrows, so that, a few miles
further up , at the junction of the small ri-
ver Kamang, it is no more than thirty yards.
It then diminishes very little in breadth
till Menkao, where I found it twenty-five
feet, and a few miles after only ten. It is to
te remarked that this river, as well as se-
veral other rivers of the Peninsula w hich I
have visited, do not become shallow in pro-
portion as they become narrow ; as I found
fifteen feet of water at Menkao , where the
river is no more than twenty-five feet broad.
Thus Johore might be considered as navi-
gable even for boats of considerable size
until near its source, if it could be cleared
of the trees by which it is obstructed. 1 re-
marked that the jungle which covers both
banks of the river abounds in rattans,
chiefly in the upper part; there is also
A JOURNEY IN JOHORE. 123
much dammar and garru wood. These se-
veral commodities are to a small extent
collected by the Malays, but in a much
greater quantity by the Jakuns, who ex-
change them with the Malays for rice,
cloth, etc. They are brought by the Malays
to Johore, where several Chinese traders
buy them and bring them to the market of
Singapore. The banks of the Johore river
are almost desert, a few Malay houses are
the only habitations met with, and these
ordinarily at a great distance from each
other. The traveller proceeds sometimes
half a day or an entire day without meet-
ing any of them. There is nothing like a
village except that of Johore. But, in the
absence of human beings, a great number
of wild beasts are met with on both sides
of the river. We perceived several tigers;
and the many places where we observed
their prints, near the water, cannot leave
any doubt as to the presence of this fero-
in A JOURNEY IN JOHORE.
cious animal, which must be found here
in great numbers. This fact is also confirm-
ed by the Malays; several of whom as-
sured me that, during the last six months
preceding my visit, five Malays had been
devoured by tigers on the banks of the
river, and one in a boat on the water ; for
they assured me that one of the five Ma-
lays above mentioned had been taken out
of his boat by the animal while he was
asleep during the night.
On the 1 4th, I left the house of the Ba-
tin , in order to reach the extremity of the
Banut river. The Batin had for a long time
tried to dissuade me from going further,
assuring me that there were several places
where a gentleman could not pass. I asked
him if he had never passed there. As he
answered that he was accustomed to do so,
ff well , -n said I , cr wherever another man
can pass, I can pass also,^^ and we start-
ed. I was obliged to take five Jakuns to
A JOURNEY IN JOHORE. 125
carry my baggage, trifling as it was, be-
cause each man could only carry a very
small load, on account of the difficulty of
travelling. Part of the forenoon we spent
traversing a country covered with rank
grass, which reached to the height of eight
or ten feet; the ground was low and co-
vered with water, in which grew the above
mentioned grass. We proceeded on our
journey, having for long time muddy water
up to the knee; a little after it reached as
high as the thighs, and finally we found
ourselves in mud and water up to the
waist. Then I began to believe that what
the Batin had told me was true; but, before
turning back, I asked my guides if the depth
of the quagmire would increase further, and,
as they answered that we were just now in
the deepest part, we continued our way,
and in about half an hour after we found
ourselves on dry ground. We entered a
good footpath , but did not enjoy it long, for
126 A JOURNEY IN JOHORE.
scarcely haif an hour had elapsed, when
we were obhged to enter mud again. In
the absence of a footpath, we followed a
small muddy stream. We had no mud or
water higher than the knee, and could
have walked pretty fast if another impedi-
ment had not presented itself. This was oc-
casioned by the thorny rattan tree which
grows there abundantly. The leaves and
branches which every year fall from that
tree, and in the course of tiaie enter the
mud, must be a serious inconvenience to
the traveller who is obhged to journey ba-
refoot. This, together with the branches
and the thorns of the trees by which the
clothes are hooked on every side, renders
such travelling very difficult. We spent thus
about three hours, and, I suppose, we did
not walk more than a mile and half. About
three o'clock p.m. we arrived at a kampong
inliabited by Jakuns, three Iiouses, five fa-
milies and eighteen persons. These Jakuns
A JOURNEY IN JOHORE. 127
have inhabited the place for many years ;
they have a large cultivated kampong well
furnished with mangosteen , champadah
and many other kinds of fruit trees. I re-
marked likewise a number of betel trees
and sugar canes, and a large paddy field.
The Jakuns here are the most comfort-
ably established I have ever met with. I
was kindly received by the inmates of this
solitary place; and my arrival was the occa-
sion of a feast. All the population of the
kampong being gathered together in the
largest house , that in which I had already
taken my lodging, cakes of more than one
kind were made, and kladees were pre-
pared with several sauces ; a fowl was killed
and presented to me; all the evening was
spent in lively conversation and in singing
accompanied with drums. I was told that
the place is entirely solitary, the nearest
house being thai of the Batin which I had
left in the morning, and that on all other
-m , ..
128 A JOURNEY IN JOHORS:.
sides there were no houses nearer than
those on the river of Banut, where I in-
tended ta go, and which could be reached
in three days by a tolerably good footpath
through thick jungle. The next day, the
owners of the place gave me a fowl, some
kladees and other vegetables; and, as one
of them remarked that my China man com-
plained much of the weight of his load, he
offered himself to take a part of it as far as
the Banut river; I willingly accepted this
offer, and, having given several articles in
return for the hospitality I had received
1 started.
We had pretty good roads and weather
until about two o'clock p.m. when a heavy
thunderstorm burst over us. The Jakuns
told me that it was impossible to go further
for that day, and at once disappeared; 1
was anxious as to this, when I perceived
them coming back, each bearing a large
bundle of chucho leaves, by means of
I
A JOURr^EY IN JOHORE. 129
which a sort of shed was in a few minutes
erected. We kindled a fire, to dry our
clothes; and the rain continuing until dark,
we huddled ourselves there together to
pass the night, though as uncomfortably
as possible. About nine o'clock, we received
the visit of a tiger, which did not harm us;
he passed close beside me and the Portu-
guese boy, and continued his way quietly ;
we heard his roar in the neighbourhood,
but we did not see any thing more of him.
The next day, the Portuguese boy told me
that he had been so much frightened by
the siglit of the tiger, that he could not
sleep the whole night.
On tiie 1 5th, we walked all the day, and
nothing happened worthy of remark; we
stopped in a desert place and slept as on
the preceding night.
On the 1 6th , at about two o'clock p. m.
we arrived at a place named Kampong
Bamit, where formerly there had been a
130 A JOURNEY IN JOHORE.
village inhabited by Jakuns : their number
had probably been considerable, since a
large piece of ground had been cleared and
cultivated. My guides told me that the in-
salubrity of the place had forced the inha-
bitants to abandon it several years ago;
the jungle is already grown up, and a few
years more the place will be scarcely distin-
guishable from the thickest forest. At sunset
we arrived at the place where the Jakuns
of Banut live at present. The population
of the place amounts to eighty persons, who
are governed by a chief termed Panghulu.
The whole of them inhabit comfortable
houses, and they cultivate much rice; this
grain with kladees, and a quantity offish
they catch in the river Banut, compose al-
most the whole of their daily food. I was
received by the chief in the most kind and
polite manner, and at his earnest request
I passed two nights in his liouse. I intended
to go from there to the extremity of the
A JOURNEY IN JOHORE. 131
river of Batu Pahat (the Rio Formosa of the
Portuguese) , and I had already agreed for
a guide and coohes, when my Portuguese
boy and my China man declared that they
were unable to continue the journey by
land. Their feet were in a dreadful state;
this was the effect of the bite of a kind of
leech called by the Malays pachat. As I
have not yet seen this inconvenience no-
ticed in any writing, I will mention it here.
These leeches are of a peculiar kind, small
in size, but very numerous in the interior
of the jungle. They are chiefly met with in
damp weather; persons who are not accus-
tomed to travel through the jungle some-
times suffer much from their bite, which
is the more dangerous as very often it is
not felt, thus giving them ample time to
be cloyed before they are perceived; ordi-
narily the blood continues to trickle long
after they are removed; and the wounds
they cause are difficult to cure : I have
132 A JOURNEY IN JOHORE.
seen wounds caused by them , which after
several weeks were yet quite fresh.
The state of my two men obliged me to
take a new resolution. I agreed with the
Jakun chief to convey me down the river
to near the sea, Avhere there is a small Ma-
lay village under a Panghulu. He provided
me with his own boat, two of his sons and
a third man. The Malay Panghulu , I hoped ,
would furnish me with men and a boat to
convey me to the river of Batu Pahat. I in-
tended by that way to re-enter the interior*
of the Peninsula, and prosecute my first
intended journey.
On the i8th, I left the Jakuns of Banut.
Two days and a half were spent in coming
down the river. The boat being unfit to
sleep in, I passed the two nights on the
bank, and, as on both sides of the river
the ground is generally low and covered
with water to a considerable depth, we cut
some forked poles, and upon these placed
A JOURNEY IN JOHORE. 133
sticks cross wise; by which means we had
a dry place to sleep upon. We experienced
no other inconvenience during the night,
but that caused by the rain from a thun-
derstorm which burst over us.
On the third day, I arrived at the Malay
village. The chief being at his paddy field,
in a kampong situated a few miles up a
small river called Pingan , I was obliged to
repair to that place. I reached the Pang-
hulu's habitation at about two o'clock p. m.
The title of this chief is Panghulu Kissang,
from his having for many years ruled a
small place in the river of that name. He is
an old man more than eighty years of age,
his eyes seem to announce fraud and de-
ceitfulness, hidden under a composed ap-
pearance. His children, to the third and
fourth generation, form a numerous fa-
mily. From information I received about
this personage, a few days after my arrival
at Malacca, I am induced to believe that
\^^ A JOURNEY IN JOHORE.
both himself and the whole of his family
have a bad character. I was not aware of
this when I arrived at his house , but I had
soon occasion to know this people.
The Panghulu was not at home when 1
arrived; several persons of his family told
me that he had gone to catch fish , and was
expected back in a lew hours. They as-
sured me that there would be no difficulty
in finding a boat and men to take me wher-
ever I intended to go. After such an assur-
ance, I paid the Jakuns for their trouble
and sent them back to their habitation;
but scarcely were they departed when the
conduct of the Malays changed. There were
no longer means to find either boat or men ;
and on the arrival of the Panghulu the dif-
ficulty increased. My Portuguese boy, hav-
ing observed the behaviour of the Malays,
said to me : cc Sir, you are in the hands of
bad people. 1^ Ere long the event proved
the correctness of his opinion. The Pang-
A JOURNEY IN JOHORE. 135
huiu, on several pretexts, refused either
boat or men; and finally told me, plainly,
that, as he had not invited me to come
into the place, it was not his business to
take me away. I shewed the Sultan's letter.
He considered that, being under the Tu-
mungong only, he was by no means bound
to obey the Sultan's order. I tried to make
an agreement with some other Malays; but,
as they knew the intention of the chief,
they refused to take me away on any terms.
I asked likewise for a man to take a letter to
Singapore. This I was also refused, though
I offered a good reward.
The Panghulu kept me one week in a
small house in the middle of a paddy field
remote from any habitation; hoping that
I would be soon tired of such an uncom-
fortable gaol, and offer a considerable ran-
som. As my provisions were expended, I
asked to buy a fresh supply; I was fur-
nished with rice and sugar cane; but fowl
136 A JOURNEY IN JOHORE.
and fish were absolutely refused. On the
fifth day of this petty captivity, a man was
sent to me by the Panghulu, who assured
me that I was free to go away, provided I
previously paid a certain sum of money : I
answered him, ccGo tell the Panghulu that
he shall never congratulate himself with
having stolen any money from me ; -n upon
which he remarked that I would possibly
be obliged to remain there a long time;
but I told him, crl see no great inconve-
nience in that, since I am a single man,
having no family, -n He repeatedly asked
me ff whether I was afraid of robbers ?n
cf Why, -n was my reply, cr should I fear rob-
bers , since I have nothing precious for them
to rob?Ti But said he, fcThey could kill
you; Ti and I told him, rr Did I fear to die, I
would not have come here; but if I were
attacked, possibly two of my enemies would
die before me, look at this,^ showing him
a double barrel gun which I had to protect
A JOURNEY IN JOHORE. 137
me against the wild beasts, cf it could be used
on such an occasion. ^i Two days after, the
same man came again, and, having fruitlessly
tried to make me agree to give money, he
told me that I could start the next day,
but that the men who accompanied me
would be ten in number, and must be well
paid. I could not imagine for what reason
so many men were required to accompany
me; I suspected that, fearing I might make
a complaint against them after my arrival
at Malacca, they might possibly intend to
despatch me in the river or on the sea,
where this could be more easily executed
than in the kampong; under this impres-
sion I told him that, four or five men being
quite enough, I would not take one more.
He went to see the Panghulu , and , coming
back, told me that the next day the boat
would be ready.
On the evening of the same day, we re-
marked that all the men of the kampong
138 A JOURNEY IN JOHORE.
had repaired to the house of the Panghulu.
They spent the night there; when they
made a dreadful noise, the cause for which
1 did not know. For several nights we had
slept but very little , keeping a look out in
case of being attacked, and being assisted
in our sedulous watching by musquittos,
which were there very numerous; but, on
the last night, the mysterious manner in
which all the population of the place had
repaired to the house of the Panghulu still
more excited our attention. About midnight
I began to be sleepy, when my China man
awoke, me saying that many men had come
and were under the house, where they
spoke for some time in a low voice, but
the meaning of their conversation could
not be understood. My two men appeared
much frightened, thinking, as they told
me, that this people at such an hour could
only come for some bad purpose. But, the
conversation which had called our attention
A JOURNEY IN JOHORE. 139
having ceased, we remained quiet the lesi
of the night, and heard nothing more, ex-
cept the noise which continued in the house
of the Panghulu.
The next day, at ten o'clock a.m. the boat
being ready, we prepared to start. I was
surprised to find the Panghulu and his family
apparently afraid, and making a long and
tedious apology for not having been able,
as he said, to procure me a boat sooner. I
suppose he was under the apprehension , I
would take some revenge against him after
my arrival at Malacca.
At twelve o'clock we left the place, being
accompanied by one of the sons of the Pang-
hulu and three other men; about half a
mile before we reached the sea, they threw
the anchor, intending, as they told me, to
pass there the night; but, in the apprehen-
sion that they could have some other in-
tention, I refused to slop there, and, as I
did not consider myself in security in a so
i3
k
UO A JOUR?^EY IN JOHOUE.
remote and solitary place, I obliged them
to go forward to the mouth of the river,
where, on account of low water, we re-
mained till about ten o'clock in the night :
at that time I wished to sail , but new ob-
jections from the Malays, who intended
to sleep there; I ordered imperiously, and
they started. All the night we had a most
propitious wind, and at the break of day
we found ourselves before the river of Batu
Pahat, which I had first intended to enter;
but, my Portuguese boy being presently in
a serious state of sickness caused by the
bad quality of the water we had used dur-
ing the seven days of our captivity, 1 or-
dered to steer towards Malacca. At first the
Malays refused; but, after assuring them
that they would not meet there with any
offensive event, and promising a conve-
nient pay for their trouble , they consented :
and on the 3oth we reached this place,
where, after an attendance of fifteen days
A JOURNEY IN JOHOBE. Ul
given by D'* Raton, the assistant surgeon of
the honourable Company, to my Portuguese
boy, he recovered.
REMARKS ON THE RIVER BANUT.
This river has its source about the cen-
tre of the Peninsula. A boat can come
down from its source to the sea in three
days, and I suppose that five days would
be spent in going up. It is very crooked
from its source to the habitation of the Ja-
kuns, but not deep. I crossed it in many
places, having water scarcely up to the
thighs. But from the kampong of the Ja-
kuns to the sea it is very deep; in many
places I could not reach the bottom with a
stick of three fathoms. The two banks are
so low, that the true channel of the river
cannot be distinguished without some diffi-
culty : the great quantity of large trees
which grow to the middle of the river make
i3.
I
U2 A JOURNEY IN JOHORE.
its bed easily lost; a boat is obliged to go
among these trees in the same way as a
traveller in the jungle without a footpath :
a current always rapid, with these incon-
veniences, renders the navigation danger-
ous. It would certainly be very imprudent
to undertake to navigate it without a guide
well acquainted with the place. The Jakuns
who guided me, though well accustomed
to the locality, lost their way several times.
At about five miles distant from its mouth ,
the river is clear from trees, and presents
a fine prospect. The banks are now high,
and a great part of the adjacent grounds
have been cultivated in former times, al-
though they are now almost entirely aban-
doned. A considerable number of alligators
which are met with in the mouth of the
river, and a few miles higher, astonish the
traveller who for the first time navigates
it. The river of Banut abounds with fish,
and turtles of very large size. My guides
A JOURNEY IN JOHORE. U3
caught several large fishes, and a turtle
which weighed no less than sixty pounds.
About three miles from the mouth of
the river, on the left hand coming down to
the sea, there is a small village called Ba-
nut, consisting of about twelve or fifteen
houses scattered over a space of nearly one
mile. A Mohammedan priest resides there ;
there is also a mosque, but in a miserable
state.
About one mile from the sea, also on
the left hand descending, is the junction
with the small river Pingan; about two
miles up which is a kampong or small vil-
lage called Pingan, consisting of eight or
nine houses; this village is inhabited only
a part of the year. The inhabitants of Ba-
nut come there in order to plant rice, and
after the harvest they return to their ordi-
nary habitations. The river Banut is thus
inliabited by two kinds of men: the Malays,
about forty or fifty persons in number, in-
UA A JOURNEY IN JOHORE.
habit the lower part; and Jakuris, about
eighty persons, are found in the upper part.
The great interval which divides these two
populations is entirely deserted.
GENERAL REMARKS ON THE INTERIOR OF THE
SOUTHERN PART OF THE PENINSULA.
From the observations I made in this
journey, and in several others I performed
in the interior of the Peninsula, I am in-
duced to consider it in the following view.
That part of the Malayan Peninsula com-
prised between a supposed right hne taken
from the mouth of the river Cassang on the
West coast, passing by mount Ophir and
terminating on the East coast about half
way from the Sedilli river to that of Pahang,
and Point Ramunia, may be considered as
almost a vast desert ; only a few Malays are
found in several places on the sea-shore,
and more or lesson the banks of the rivers;
and a small number of Jakuns inhabit the
i
A JOIIRNEY IIN JOHORE. 145
interior. I suppose all the population of
that immense territory is not equal to a
sixth or a seventh of the population of the
single island of Singapore. The principal
Malay villages are the following : one on
the West coast, at Padang, near the mouth
of the Muar river; a considerable quantity
of fruit was formerly exported from that
place, but, a great part of the fruit trees
having been destroyed by elephants a few
years ago , the export is now of little consi-
deration; one on Batu Pahat, or Rio For-
mosa, whence ebony and rattans are ex-
ported; the village of Johore, on the river
of that name; and another I have not visit-
ed, on the Sedilli river, on the East coast.
The principal habitations of the Jakuns
are found at the upper extremity of the
rivers of Johore, Banut, Batu Pahat and
Muar.
The interior of this part of the Peninsula
is generally a low ground, at some period
146 A JOURNEY IN JOHORE.
of the year covered with water in many
places. A majestic and solemn forest, which
extends itself over almost the whole of this
immense space, bounds continually the
view of the traveller, even when placed
upon the hills which are sometimes, though
seldom, met with. The gloom caused by
the thick foliage of lofty trees, and the dull
silence of the place, often joined with the
humming murmur of rocky rivulets, pro-
duce the most melancholy imaginations,
while the sight of some old trees fallen down
calls to the mind the end of every earthly
thing, and offers to the traveller an appro-
priate subject for philosophical meditation.
The birds, which, by their melodious lan-
guage, might raise his mind to some gay
and joyful reflections, are there in small
number. The most numerous inhabitants
of that land are the wild beasts. The pan-
ther, falsely called black tiger by the Malays,
is one of the most common. The royal tiger
A JOURNEY IN JOHORE. U7
appears likewise to be very numerous. Ele-
phants are found in herds, but in some
places only. I had been told that bears were
not found in the Peninsula, but I have been
convinced of the contrary by my own senses.
I am told rhinoceroses are to be met with
in the thickest and lowest part of the forest,
but I have never seen any of them. I have
seen but few snakes, though the Jakuns
assured me that they are very numerous;
and not uncommonly they meet with a kind
they call ular sawah, which appears to be
the boa, of which some are of the size of
the body of a man, and swallow a buffalo ^
The vegetation of the interior of the Pen-
insula is one of the most luxuriant that
can be seen; trees grow to the greatest
size that can be reached.
* A snake noticed in the Journal of the Indian Archi-
pelago, although no more than three inches in diameter
at the thickest part of the body, swallowed a pig of
more than fifty pounds weight.
l/i8 A JOURNEY IN JOHORE. .
Amongst the fruit trees, the durian is
one of the most remarkable; it grows in the
thickest part of the forest without any cul-
ture. The wild mangosteen and rambootan
are likewise found in many places, and
their fruit is but little inferior to those cul-
tivated in gardens.
The interior of the part of the Peninsula
I now speak of is certainly very productive.
AH low places appear to be fit for cultivating
rice ; and I have no doubt that sugar cane
would succeed in many places, principally
where is found the kind of palm tree called
nibong by the Malays. I have seen in seve-
ral instances sugar cane of an extraordi-
nary luxuriancy, though after having been
planted by Jakuns it received very little
care.
It is probable that the country is rich in
gold and tin; at least the fact of their exis-
tence in several places induces me to be-
lieve that they must be found in others.
A JOURNEY IN JOHORE. U9
Tliere are tin mines on the banks of the
Joliore I'iver. Several others were lately dis-
covered in the piece of ground which lies
between the two rivers of Muar and Cas~
sang; and every one is aware of the consi-
derable quantity of gold which is extracted
every year from the mines of mount Ophir,
though worked without proper means and
by a few persons only.
Many of the numerous rivers which open
both on the East and West coast would be
navigable to the centre of the Peninsula ,
if they were cleared from the fallen trees
by which they are obstructed, and the ex-
portation of the produce both of the culti-
vated ground and of the mines would be
thus rendered very easy.
A JOURNEY
IN THE
MENANGKABAW STATES
OF THE MALAYAN PENINSULA.
i
I
A JOURNEY
IN THE
MENANGKABAW STATES
OF THE MALAYAN PENINSULA.
As I was assured by several persons that
a great number of Jakuns were to be found
in the Menangkabaw states, particuiariy in
Rumbau and Sungey Ujong\ I intended to
visit these several states, in order to ascer-
tain the true number of these tribes , and
in the meantime to examine the chances of
success in establishing a Mission amongst
them.
' The information I had from several parts made the
number of the Jakuns of Sungey Ujong only to amount
to seven thousand; this information was erroneous, as
it will be seen hereafter.
a.
15/i A JOURNEY
I left Malacca on the seventh of July, ac-
companied by the Rev. M"" Borie. The same
day we reached Alorgaja, a village in the
province of Naning, near Fort Lismore,
where a garrison of a few native soldiers is
kept by the honourable Company. We stop-
ped at the Bungalow, where bad weather
obliged us to remain until the tenth. We
spent these four days in seeking for coolies,
for it was very difficult to get them ; several
times we agreed with Malays, but after con-
sideration they refused to follow us; the
reason was that, the people who are living
in the Company's ground being accustomed
to the freedom given by British government,
they fear much to find themselves in the
Malay country, where very little security
is found, both from government and from
private Malays ; however, after we had pro-
mised that we would avoid every thing
which could offend either the Malay chiefs
or their subjects, in all the places we miglit
IN THE MENANGKABAW STATES. 155
journey in , two Malays consented to accom-
pany us as guides and coolies.
On the eleventh, at seven o'clock a. m.
we left Alorgaja, directing our journey
towards Johole, the most south-east of the
Menangkabaw states. The boundaries of that
state with the Company's ground are form-
ed by a line supposed to be drawn from a
small mountain called Bukit Putus, passing
by another called Battang Malacca, and ter-
minating at the foot of mount Ophir. At
about eleven w^e passed the bourrdaries of
the Company's territory a few miles west
of Bukit Putus, and entered a small state
called Tamping, from the name of a high
mountain. Three chiefs termed Panghulus
rule over this small place. They told me
that they were only dependant on Syed
Saban, formerly chief of Rumbau, now
residing at Malacca, though, on the other
hand, the actual chief of Rumbau, a few
days after, declared the contrary. By about
156 A JOURNEY
one o'clock we had already crossed Tamping
and passed its boundaries with Johole; we
continued our journey through the jungle
till about three o'clock, when we found
ourselves in a most pleasant place, though
in the thickest part of the forest. The pro-
spect is not very extended, but is however
a beautiful one; there is a small valley in
which a fine cascade, falling from the next
eminence amongst large rocks, offers to
the traveller both excellent water to quench
his thirst, and one of the finest accommo-
dations to bath. We rested there about half
an hour, and then continued our journey
until half past four, when we found our-
selves in a large valley in which lies the
kingdom of Johole. The whole of the po-
pulation of that state, which is said to
amount to about three thousand souls only,
Inhabit this valley, which runs nearly in a
line from west to east, extending six or se-
ven miles. Several places, where a greater
IN THE MENANGKABAW STATES. i57
number of houses are found more cluster-
ed together, are termed villages. There are
five principal villages, viz. Nury, Landang,
Iney, Toman and Bennong. Rice is culti-
vated throughout the valley, which appears
very fit for such cultivation; on both sides
are the five villages before named, and a
few other habitations; the rest of the state
is covered with forest, and is almost unin-
habited.
The village at which we arrived is that
of Nury, the ordinary residence of the chief,
who is termed Panghulu. This dignitary,
then absent, was about one mile further
celebrating the nuptials of some of the
nobility of the place. After some difficulty,
occasioned by the absence of the chief, we
were allowed to take our lodging in a com-
mon Malay house, where we passed the
night. The next day, we were obliged to
remain where we were, because, not yet
having seen the chief, we could not be per-
158 A JOURNEY
mitted to visit any place. We spent part of
the day in making inquiries; and we were
informed that the Jakuns living within the
limits of the kingdom were not numerous ;
two or three places only were mentioned
as being frequented by a few families of
them.
The second day after our arrival, having
previously obtained the necessary licence,
we went to meet the king at the wedding ;
but we encountered him on the road about
half way as he was returning home. He is
a man of about sixty years of age, his ap-
pearance is at first sight prepossessing; he
appears respectable, simple and collected
in manner. We accompanied him to the pa-
lace , which, though one of the first buildings
in the place , would scarcely be called a
house in Europe. In his march he was pre-
ceded by a standard similar to that used by
Musulmen, and by a great dignitary bear-
ing the royal sword; he was followed by
IN THE MENANGKABAW STATES. 159
about fifteen men, armed with muskets ot"
several kinds and calibers, and more or
less in order; perhaps the greatest part of
them would have been put in remotis in our
European armies.
At the invitation of the sovereign we en-
tered the yard of the palace, and we were
soon after introduced into a large verandah ,
where the Court is habitually held. After a
few minutes conversation, the chief gave
order to bring our baggage into his house,
and allowed us to visit the localities fre-
quented by the Jakuns; we perceived how-
ever that such excursions, as well as a
long stay in the state, would be far from
pleasing to him. The Rev. M"* Borie spent a
part of the day in visiting the Jakuns, while
I was detained at home by a slight indispo-
sition. This circumstance gave me another
opportunity of experiencing the unfortunate
custom of that nation , in asking every thing
which falls under their sight. The king
160 A JOURNEY
himself ceased his repeated demands only
after I had given him some miserable dried
fishes, and some clothes which he could
scarcely use, being made in the European
fashion. During the evening, I was witness
to one of the most remarkable instances of
Malay silliness which can be met with. At
seven o'clock , the king , who a great part of
the day had smoked opium, left his place,
and went to the other extremity of the ve-
randah, where, as I had remarked in the
day-time, a cock was tied with a rope. The
king then with his royal hand took the
martial animal, and brought him to a place
where he used to keep his Court, forming
a miserable throne. I was near the place,
preparing to sleep , when my curiosity was
excited by the extraordinary fact which I
will now relate. Opium having been pre-
pared, and a pipe, a candle, and all the
other necessaries to smoke it, having been
brought in, his Majesty began a bombastic
IN THE MENANGKABAW STATES. 161
discourse, in which he first endeavoured to
show the great benefit that is produced by
cock-fighting, and the remarkable pleasure
enjoyed by witnesses of such combats; after
which, he remarked that this amusement
had much fallen into disuse in his state dur-
ing the last few years, and this he lament-
ed with sorroAv; and finally, opening his
mind, he declared that his intention was to
restore it in his dominion. This was his pur-
pose in bringing up in his palace and by his
own care the handsome cock he had in his
hand. The way of preparing this royal cock ,
in order to make of it a warrior, was one
not a little curious ; this was practised be-
fore me in the following manner and ac-
companied by several superstitions. Having
ended his discourse, the king took the head
of the cock, passed its beak twice through
the flame of tlie lamp , after which he made
(lie animal walk six or seven steps, which
was repeated six or seven times; this pre-
162 A JOURNEY
liminary ceremony being over, he dipped
his fingers in the oil of the lamp , and rubb-
ed the cock under the wings and upon the
back, and then immediately commenced
smoking opium; having inhaled the smoke
of the drug in the ordinary manner, he blew
it into the beak, the ears and upon every
part of the body of the poor animal , which ,
though accustomed to that exercice, ap-
peared not to take any peculiar pleasure
in it.
This being finished, the same ceremony
began a second and finally a third time,
after which the cock was carried carefully
to its ordinary place, and left there to pass
the night under the influence of opium. The
desire I had to sleep on account of my in-
disposition made me see with satisfaction
the end of this tedious ceremony. We were
ten persons in the verandah , all lying pell-
mell; several were already asleep, and I
prepared to do the same, when, being pla-
IN THE MENANGKABAW STATES. 163
ced near his Majesty, my attention was again
excited by a spectacle of a new kind.
A large vase of earth , containing lighted
charcoal, was brought by the great minister
of state, and was set before the king. In
the centre of the vase, another of the same
kind, containing water, was placed, and in
the centre of this was a candlestick with a
lighted candle. Near to this were two other
but smaller vases, one filled witli flattened
grains of rice, having the form of small
white flowers, the second containing in-
cense. The king, sitting with his legs cross-
ed, began by delivering some formulary
which I did not understand; he then made
several salutations towards the lighted can-
dle, took incense and poured it upon the
fire, threw some of the flattened pieces of
rice into the water, took the candle, and,
turning the flame towards the ground ,
made several drops of wax fall into the
water, and , having moved the candle as if
16A A JOURNEY
he would form some written characters with
it, lie placed it again upon the candlestick.
All this ceremony was accompanied with
the recitation of long formularies , some
being delivered in a high voice, some in a
low voice. The king spent about one hour
in repeating three times over the whole of
this ceremony, and finally he took the
candle, and put its lighted end into the
water; which ended the ceremony. Tlien
his Majesty began again smoking opium
until he smoked himself asleep. The next
day, I asked my Malay coolies the meaning
of such superstitious practices; they an-
swered that it is a Malay physic, and that
the king intended to cure his grandchild
who was dangerously sick, a few miles
further in the valley. They added that such
remedies are much used by Malays against
every kind of sickness. They appeared
themselves to be convinced that the worst
sickness cannot withstand it, if the cere-
IN THE MENANGKABAW STATES. 165
mony is faithfully performed. It appears
also that the way of bringing up cocks, by
smoking opium, is much used by those of
the Malays who are fond of cock-fighting.
The inhabitants of Johole appear the
most savage Malays I have ever seen ; many
of them possess a very bad appearance,
and 1 think the place is not secure for Eu-
ropeans; however the people of the place
are very timorous, and the slightest cir-
cumstance frightens them. Our arrival
caused a great agitation in all the country,
and a few hours after a report had already
spread abroad, that thirty armed Euro-
peans had arrived in order to take the
place. The evening of our arrival and the
next day, all the state was in motion, and
several hundred persons came in order to
ascertain for themselves the truth of the
report.
We left Johole on the thirteenth. After
having walked through paddy fields for
10.
166 A JOURNEY
about an hour and a half, we reached the
mountains which separate the state of Jo-
hole from that of Rumbau; we crossed them
between Tamping and Beraga. These moun-
tains, though entirely covered with jungle,
present in several places a fine prospect,
and offer to the consideration of the tra-
veller several beautiful streams and rivulets
carrying a limpid water amongst large stony
blocks.
At three o'clock p. m. we found oursel-
ves in the kingdom of Rumbau. This state
stretches itself out in an extensive, plain,
terminated on the South by the Company's
territory, on the East by the mountains
which bear its name, on the West by Sa-
langore, and on the North by Sungey Ujong.
This plain is in great part occupied by paddy
fields , and inhabited by nine thousand souls ,
which is the amount of the whole popula-
tion of the state. We walked in that plain
two hours before we reached the house of
IN THE MENANGKABAW STATES. 167
the chief, termed Panghuiu, who resides at
a place called Chunbong. We met that di-
gnitary at our entering his house; he is an
intelligent looking person, of from forty to
fifty years old, simple and free in his man-
ners, and seems to be a Malay of good edu-
cation. We were received by him with re-
markable pohteness; a servant was at once
appointed to attend upon us , and we were
abundantly supplied with refreshments.
We had in that place an opportunity of
observing the way in which justice is done
in Malay countries. The usual hour at which
the chief of Rumbau holds his Court and
administers justice is about seven or eight
o'clock at night; he fulfils this duty con-
jointly with the high priest of the state.
On the day of our arrival, about the
above mentioned hour, the chief or king
went to the extremity of the verandah , to
a place arranged somewhat in the fashion
of a throne, where he placed himself in the
168 A JOURNEY
centre ; I was near him , on his right hand ,
and the Rev. M' Borie on his left; the high
priest stood outside the throne, and many
persons placed themselves in the verandah.
We had already spent about an hour in
friendly conversation, when there arrived
a dignitary of the state termed orang besar,
great man; lie was accused of some mis-
chief (it appears the affair was not of great
importance). The two parties, complainant
and defendant, made three prostrations,
touching the ground with their heads, and
came to kiss the hands of the king, after
which they went to take their places at some
distance before the throne.
They were both very kindly received by
the king, who appeared to pay great atten-
tion to the cause, hearing both parties in
silence ; he afterwards put several questions
to them , and , having received their answers,
he became exceedingly angry, assuredly ex-
cited by horror at the mischief, and began
IN THE MENANGKABAW STATES. 169
to cry out with all the strength of his lungs.
The high priest, in imitation of him, began
also to cry out no less Iiigh and strongly,
so much so that for some time this made
such noise and confusion, that I could not
understand any thing of what was said by
them; while the poor guilty man shewed
by his humble countenance that he receiv-
ed the reprimand with a deep humility.
The whole was ended by condemning
the guilty party to pay a fine. As there were
no more cases submitted to the Court for
that day, our friendly conversation began
again , during which the high priest put to
us several curious questions; for instance,
speaking of the English East India Com-
pany, he asked : cr Where is M"" Company
living ?Ti
As the information we obtained in the
house of the chief, as well as in several
houses of Rumbau, shewed that the Jakuns
were there in very small numbers, and Avere
170' A JOURNEY
living far from the place where we were,
we proposed to pursue our inquiries further,
and to go to Sungey Ujong, another of the
Menangkabaw states, at a distance of two
days walk from Rumbau.
With much pleasure I will mention here
that on the several occasions I stopped at
Rumbau, I found the inhabitants very po-
lite, hospitable and entirely inoffensive;
they are assuredly the most civilized of all
the Malays living outside of the Company's
territory; at least according to my know-
ledge.
On the fourteenth , we left Rumbau. After
having walked for some time in paddy fields ,
we entered the jungle, where we journeyed
all the rest of the day ; in the evening, we
stopped at a small hut inhabited by a single
man, where we passed the night.
On the fifteenth, about twelve o'clock,
we reached the state of Sungey Ujong. We
spent the afternoon in the village near the
IN THE MENAiNGKABAW STATES. 171
river, where there are more than one hun-
dred Malay and Chinese houses, and a
market. We were informed that the chief
of the state was living at Pantoy, a place
about eight or nine miles further, and was
then celebrating the rites of a triple mar-
riage. Three persons of the royal blood,
two children of the chief and another of
his relations, were contracting marriage
with three persons of the first families
amongst their nobility. We were informed
too that the wedding was one of the most
solemn which could be found in a Malay
country; fifty buffaloes were to be killed,
and two thousand dollars to be expended
in buying rice, fowls and other victuals,
and also in gunpowder, which is much used
in such solemnities; the feast was to last for
two months, and had already begun some
few days. As it is not possible, in a Malay
country, to go to any place without having
first obtained permission from the chief, we
172 A JOURNEY
look the next day our way to Pantoy in order
to see him. We arrived at Pantoy at one
o'clock in the afternoon, and at once we
found ourselves surrounded by a number of
kings, queens, princes, princesses, minis-
ters of state, and officials of every rank,
more than one hundred hadjis and Moham-
medan priests, several hundred Malays of
every kind, and a similar number of Chinese
workers in the tin mines. The Jakuns them-
selves had not been forgotten upon such
an occasion : doubtless to prevent their re-
sentment which could be followed bv the
most fatal consequences to the fate of the
new spouses, and possibly also in order to
render the feast more solemn, they had
been invited; nearly one hundred Jakuns
were already come, and a greater number
yet expected. We looked about us to find
out in the middle of such a tumult some
place where we could put up and place our
things in security. Many houses had been
IN THE MENANGKABAW STATES. 173
built for the occasion, but were already
filled with people. There was a quarter ap-
propriated for the lodgment of the Malay
priests and hadjis; another for the common
Malays, and a third for the use of Chinese.
We turned towards the last, and were re-
ceived by the Chinese whith the usual urba-
nity and politeness characteristic of that
nation. We entered the house of a Chinese,
which we were immediately invited to do
by the owner, a chief of the miners, who
with kindness ceded to us the half of his
lodging. After having cleaned our clothes
a little (which were the ordinary lay dress
of a gentleman, the sonton being too cum-
bersome in such journeys), we asked that
we might be allowed to see the king; we
were then introduced into the palace, around
which we perceived many tents pitched in
several places; and in the middle of a large
place, a high and rich tent, for the use of
the new spouses, and communicating with
174 A JOURNEY
the royal house by a long covering which
was extended and established a shaded
passage between these two appartments.
The whole was adorned with standards of
every kind and with banderols of every co-
lour, and presented a rural but agreeable
aspect. We were then introduced into a
tent which appeared to be one of those ap-
plied to the service of the king. We had
scarcely sat down, when the king himself
entered, accompanied by his brother; both
took their places in a part of the tent adorn-
ed with draperies, forming a sort of throne.
The king was dressed in a baju of red vel-
vet with gold embroidery, a silk sarong of
a brown colour, and trousers about the
same, with a silk handkerchief surrounding
his head; his brother had a violet velvet
baju, a blue sarong, and the rest of his
dress much about the same as the king's.
After the usual forms of civility, we asked
the necessary permission to visit several
IN THE MENANGKABAW STATES. 175
places, to see the Jakuns. The king received
the request with kindness, and allowed us
to go wherever we chose within the boun-
daries of his state ; and, after a few minutes
of friendly conversation, he got up, saying
to us , ff Come here , I will show you some Ja-
kuns ;ti and took the Rev. M*" Borie by the
hand. I followed them, accompanied by the
king's brother. We went to a place where
near one hundred persons, men, women
and children, were huddled confusedly
together, lying down under some old and
miserable cart-house, separated from any
other building; resembling the lepers of
former times, wlio were bound to reside
outside the gates of the cities. After hav-
ing spent a few minutes in the visit we
paid to these poor creatures, the king ac-
companied us to our lodging, and then re-
turned back to the palace. The afternoon
was spent in receiving the numerous visits
of a good part of the wedding guests, who
16
176 A JOURNEY
were desirous to see us , many of them
having never before seen any European;
for five or six hours, our house was full of
people, and ourselves were exposed to the
curiosity of the public, as extraordinary
beings , and bothered by a multitude of te-
dious questions. The Jakuns came according
to their rank, and should, of course, all en-
ter our house one after the other; several
of them came repeatedly, and we under-
stood that they wished to communicate
some secret to us ; and in this we were not
mistaken, for they came again in the even«
ing, when they had watched that there
were no Malays with us, and that we were
alone. Then they opened themselves to us,
showing us how unhappy they were in that
place, and what bad treatment they expe-
rienced from the Malays , so that only a few-
days before several of them had been killed
or wounded by order of the Malay chief;
they declared that they intended to escape
IN THE MEINANGKABAW STATES. 177
over into the Company's territory, where
they hoped to find more tranquillity and
assistance , and asked us to take them with
us. Two of them besought us to receive them
as servants for ever, or rather as slaves, as
they intended not to receive any pay. I was
much moved by such a mark of confidence;
for I knew well that, by speaking so, they
put their lives into our hands; for the men-
tion of their design would have undoubt-
edly been the cause of some fresh order for
killing the first authors of this resolution,
which would have been called a conspiracy.
We gave a little advice to this poor people ,
who by their confidence showed that they
already considered us as their fathers; and
we postponed the consideration of this a flair
to another day; as we intended shortly to
return again.
As I have been, with a view to give notice
of this occurrence, led to speak of a Malay
feast, I will continue to relate the circum-
178 A JOURNEY
stances which accompanied it for the short
time we remained in that place. We slept
there two nights, and were kindly treated
by the king, who, wishing to make us par-
taking of the feast, sent us every morning
and evening, with his compliments, large
pieces of buffaloes. Such was the daily
order of the feast. At five o'clock a. m. the
beginning of the day was announced by six
canons, which were powerfully repeated
by the echo of the mountains on either side
of the valley ; a few instants after gun fire ,
began Malayan music, which scarcely
ceased for a few moments during the whole
of the day. About six or seven o'clock , a
great quantity of rice and meat was distri-
buted to all the guests. Then every one
cooked and prepared his breakfast. The
repast of the three bridegrooms and their
brides was announced by a discharge of ar-
tillery. Twelve o'clock was the time when
they took their drive; which was performed
IN THE MENANGKABAW STATES. 179
in the foHowing way. A large place in the
forest had been cut and cleared for the pur-
pose; the spouses entered into a large cha-
riot of the form of craft, brought on four
massy wheels; this huge lump, instead of
thills, had two long ropes formed of twisted
tree roots, to which more than a hundred
persons yoked themselves, and pulled it
about crying out with all the strength of
their lungs; the procession was accompanied
by seA^eral artillery men who fired inces-
santly. To such a noise and tumult you can
add two choirs of music, one executed by
Malays, consisting of about a dozen gongs
and as many flutes; the other by Chinese,
consisting of five or six gongs, a great
number of cymbals, and many tamtams,
all striking their instruments without tone
or measure; and you will have an idea of
the attractiveness of the party.
About three o'clock in the afternoon, a
fresh distribution of victuals again took
16.
180 A JOURNEY
place. At five o'clock, the new spouses took
their bath, and during that time the Malay
and Chinese musicians performed in the
same way as during the drive. At six o'clock ,
more firing of canon , and then commenced
gambling, which was kept up nearly the
whole night. In the behalf of the Chinese a
place had been fited up for playing card
and other games; whilst in the behalf of
the Malays an other was appointed for re-
citing Pantuns^ Several choirs of vocal
music, accompanied by soft gongs, alterna-
tely relieved each other, both day and night.
On the morning following the second night
after our arrival , we went to take leave of
the king, and thank him for his kindness;
and, leaving the place behind us, we heard
yet for a long time from afar the continued
noise of the feast, which had so power-
fully stunned my ears, that the next day it
was yet ringing in them.
' See the nole. p. 187.
IN THE MENANGKABAW STATES. 181
From Sungey Ujong we went to Jeilabu ;
this is the most considerable of the Men-
angkabaw states with respect to the extent
of the land, but one of the least important
as for the population, which amounts only
to the number of three thousand souls
inhabiting a valley which runs from West
to East. Great part of the Jeilabu territory
is mountainous and entirely covered with
jungle, except the valley above mentioned,
and 1 was told a few other small places
where rice is cultivated. The river of Jei-
labu , which falls into that of Pahang , begins
to be navigable for small boats near the
house of the lang Dipertuan of Jeilabu. As
this place is distant but two short days walk
from the other place where the river of
Sungey Ujong is also navigable, it follows
that the easiest way to go from Malacca to
Pahang across the Peninsula would be to
go from Malacca to Sungey Ujong by the
Lingy river, and from Jeilabu to Pahang by
»6..
182 A JOURNEY
the Jellabu river; but the journey could
not be effected in a shorter time than twelve
days, viz. from Malacca to Sungey Ujong
six days walk , from Sungey Ujong to Jellabu
two days , and from Jellabu to Pahang four
or five days; but it is to be remarked that
the mountains which separate Jellabu from
Sungey Ujong render the communication
between these two states very difficult, and
I dare say dangerous, on account both of
the steepness of the mountains and meet-
ing with numerous precipices.
The dull sight of the road which pre-
sents itself to the traveller when journeying
upon these mountains, seems to announce
before hand the melancholy prospect of
the country which lies behind. The soil of
Jellabu is one of the poorest I have met with
in the Malayan Peninsula ; the valley I have
before mentioned is itself barren in many
places, and by no means presents an
agreeable look. The difficulty of commu-
IN THE MENANGKABAW STATES. 183
nication between that state and the neigh-
bouring ones renders it entirely solitary ;
and its great distance both from the sea
of Siam and from the Straits of Malacca
makes its commerce of very little import-
ance; it appears however that some tin
mines are worked there, the produce of
which finds its way to the Pahang marked
by the river.
On our arrival at Jellabu, we called
upon the lang Dipertuan, commonly nam-
ed the Sultan.
We could not see him at that moment;
several superstitious practices which were
then performed, on the occasion of the
Sultans son being sick, prevented our
being allowed to enter the premises till the
evening. We remarked that all the doors
by which the kampong was entered bore
at their upper part a range of lanceolated
leaves of a yellowish colour; the object of
which, according to the explanation given
184 A JOURNEY
to US by the Malays, was to prevent the
sickness from entering the Sultan's pre-
mises; the fact proved that these barriers
were an insufTicient guard against sickness,
since it has not only entered in spite of
these fruitless precautions, but had even
attacked so severely the Sultan's son; but
in return it was obliged to pay dear for
the guilt of its unlawful entrance : several
persons from time to time took brooms and
struck the air, intending to chastise and
trying to cast out this obstinate and trou-
blesome guest; long formularies were also
delivered, but I could not understand the
meaning of them, nor remark exactly the
other superstitions which were perform-
ed on this occasion. We stood outside pre-
paring and taking our dinner. About six
o'clock being called by the Sultan, we were
admitted to an audience in the verandah;
the Mohammedan priest of the place and
many other persons were present. The Sul-
IN THE MENANGKABAW STATES. J85
tan was dressed in red sUk pantaloons Jaced
with gold, and in a baju of a brown co-
lour. After having stated the purpose of our
journey, we entered into a friendly conver-
sation, which, changing from one topic to
another, fell finally upon the Mohammedan
religion. Though the Sultan is a disciple of
Mohammed, he appears to have very little
confidence in the supposed prophet ; the way
in which he ridiculed several Mohammedan
laws and customs shows that he pays very
little attention to the practices which are
so religiously kept by other Malays. The
Malay priest appeared to be much dissatis-
fied with the behaviour of the Sultan on
this subject, though he did not reply by any
objection ; his silence possibly was the effect
of his incapacity, for I remarked, in conver-
sation I had with him, that he was a very
stupid man. However, 1 am very far from
approving the conduct of the Sultan on
that occasion. In my humble opinion , when
186 A JOURNEY IN THE MENANGKABAW STATES.
we see our neighbour in error, or in what
we think error, it is by reasoning, and not
by laughing, we must undertake to shew
him the truth, and try to draw him away
from his error, since experience proves that
the contrary way has ordinarily no other
effect,. but to excite anger and to increase
prejudices, by which his state will become
more pitiful.
We passed the night in the place where
we had received audience. The next day,
we inquired about the Jakuns and we saw
a few of them. After which, having consi-
dered that our provisions both of money
and of victuals were nearly ended, we pro-
posed to return back to Malacca , where we
arrived in five days, on the 2 4th of July,
being the eighteenth day after our depar-
ture from that place.
>..'
NOTE
The jOi Pantun, which is also named SJ^
seloka, is a species of Malay poetry consisting
of four short lines alternately rhyming; it is
always sententious and epigrammatic. The first
two lines of the quatrain contain sometimes
one, hut oftener two unconnected images,
whilst the latter two are moral or sentimental.
Often the Malays recite Pantuns in alternate
contest for several hours; the preceding Pantun
always furnishing the catchword to that which
follows, until one of the parties he silenced or
vanquished.
188 NOTE.
SPECIMEN OF THE PANTUN.
(From Mabsden,)
Qt>jw\j ^j^" ^j^ ^^^ t3)- ^^1^^^^ cj>^<^3 ^y
Butterflies sport on the wing around,
They fly to the sea by the reef of rocks.
My heart has felt uneasy in my breast,
From former days to the present hour.
They fly to the sea by the reef of rocks.
The vulture wings its flight to Bandan.
From former days to the present hour,
Many youths have I admired.
i
NOTE. 189
The vulture wings its flight to Bandan,
Dropping its feathers at Patani.
Many youths have I admired,
But none to compare with my present choice.
His feathers he let fall at Patani.
A score of young pigeons.
No youth can compare with my present choice.
Skilled as he is to touch the heart.
THE END.
4//o
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