Journal of the Federated Malay States museums - Sabrizain.org
Journal of the Federated Malay States museums - Sabrizain.org
Journal of the Federated Malay States museums - Sabrizain.org
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24 <strong>Journal</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> F.M.S. Museums. [Vol. VII,<br />
extent in contact witli <strong>Malay</strong>s and Chinese, <strong>the</strong>y were much<br />
less civilized than <strong>the</strong> Sakai living closer to Gopeng. Si Busu<br />
<strong>the</strong> headman <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> settlement, which consisted only <strong>of</strong> one<br />
small house, gave me a good deal <strong>of</strong> interesting information<br />
about customs and beliefs, and I also had with me a<br />
Sumatran <strong>Malay</strong> named Dana; he had a Sakai wife who told<br />
me a good deal about aboriginal affairs, though I did not<br />
accept his statements before verifying <strong>the</strong>m by questioning<br />
<strong>the</strong> Sakai <strong>the</strong>mselves.<br />
Si Busu's settlement consisted <strong>of</strong> a ra<strong>the</strong>r small house,<br />
ro<strong>of</strong>ed and walled with palm leaves, which stood in a considerable<br />
clearing planted with tapioca. Access to <strong>the</strong> dwelling was<br />
gained by a bamboo ladder. The doorway could be closed<br />
with a sliding door <strong>of</strong> sheet bamboo, and on <strong>the</strong> left <strong>of</strong> this<br />
<strong>the</strong>re was built ^out a small room, occupied by an old man;<br />
this had a window to <strong>the</strong> outside and ano<strong>the</strong>r and a door<br />
opening into <strong>the</strong> house. A single large room occupied <strong>the</strong><br />
rest <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> space below, but above this, built out towards <strong>the</strong><br />
back <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> house and supported on high poles, was an upper<br />
room which was entered from below by means <strong>of</strong> a bamboo<br />
ladder. The co >king place, with its ear<strong>the</strong>n floor, was built<br />
ra<strong>the</strong>r to one side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> large room and over it was a<br />
framework with shelves for storing firewood, cooking utensils,<br />
etc. The dart quivers belonging to <strong>the</strong> men <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> house were<br />
hung against <strong>the</strong> uprights supporting <strong>the</strong> shelves. One or<br />
two store-bins for padi, made <strong>of</strong> tree-bark, were placed<br />
near <strong>the</strong> walls, while a space in one corner <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> room, walled<br />
in to a height <strong>of</strong> about two and a half feet with tree-bark, but<br />
empty at <strong>the</strong> time <strong>of</strong> my visit, had also been used for holding<br />
padi grain. I spent a good deal <strong>of</strong> time in <strong>the</strong> house and was<br />
interested to notice that, unless asleep, <strong>the</strong> Sakai were never<br />
without occupation <strong>of</strong> some sort. Their appetites were<br />
insatiable, and shortly after a hearty meal <strong>of</strong> rice, gourd, and<br />
frogs or some o<strong>the</strong>r such delicacy, <strong>the</strong>y would start roasting<br />
Indian corn or tapioca in <strong>the</strong> ashes <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> fire. The consumption<br />
<strong>of</strong> Indian corn and tapioca, if <strong>the</strong> Sakai were at home,<br />
went on -<br />
intermittently all day long. Apart from eating, <strong>the</strong><br />
men occupied <strong>the</strong>mselves in making stocks <strong>of</strong> blow-pipe darts<br />
and snares for small game, or in repairing <strong>the</strong>ir casting nets;<br />
<strong>the</strong> women devoted <strong>the</strong>mselves to <strong>the</strong> manufacture <strong>of</strong> mats<br />
and carrying baskets or <strong>the</strong> cutting and drying <strong>of</strong> tobacco,<br />
previously rolled leaves <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> plant being shredded with a<br />
sharp sliver <strong>of</strong> bamboo on a billet <strong>of</strong> wood. This was placed<br />
on <strong>the</strong> slant, one end resting on <strong>the</strong> floor, <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r against a<br />
wall <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> house.<br />
The clearing in which <strong>the</strong> house was situated had been<br />
planted in <strong>the</strong> previous year, <strong>the</strong> Sakai's custom being first to<br />
sow a new clearing with rice and <strong>the</strong>n to plant tapioca, a<br />
much slower growing crop, among <strong>the</strong> rice. Thus, after <strong>the</strong><br />
rice harvest is over, and most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> crop consumed, <strong>the</strong>y are<br />
able to fall back on <strong>the</strong>ir tapioca, which by that time is<br />
sufficiently far advanced to be dug up.