212 Journal of the P. M.S. Museums. [Vol. VI, 



thrust through the hole. Both men and women among the 

 Hill Sakai wear their hair short, but the latter grow a small 

 tuft at the back of the head like the women of the Semang 

 tribes. 



It is not necessary to say very much regarding the dress 

 of the tribe. Malay pattern sarongs or T bandages of European 

 cloth were the usual costume of the men, while most of the 

 women wore short sarongs of red twill which reached from the 

 waist to a iittle below the knees. Necklaces of beads were in 

 favour among the women, and, to a less extent, among the 

 men, the women's necklaces being long loops reaching to the 

 waist, while the mens' consisted of a string of beads tied tightly 

 round the neck with the long ends hanging down in front. 

 Head-fillets of twisted vegetable fibre were commonly worn by 

 the men. The bamboo combs used by the women were gener- 

 ally decorated with scratched-in patterns, but in one specimen 

 that I saw the outer skin of the bamboo had been partly 

 removed after the Semang fashion. I secured one very pretty 

 little comb which was 10.2 cms. in length, but had a breadth of 

 only 1.7 cms. both the top and the teeth, of which there were 

 seven, being covered with neatly etched patterns. Other 

 objects of dress, which I obtained, were a couple of necklaces, 

 one of small, white seeds, the other of white and black seeds 

 strung alternately, and a crown-like headdress of green and 

 yellow leaves similar in construction to a specimen which I 

 bought from the Jehehr. 



Before speaking of the agriculture of the tribe I will give 

 a short description of the only type of house seen. On the 

 journey from Temengoh along the Lasah bridle path Sakai 

 were first met with at Kuala Jinaheng (Jermahing) where we 

 camped out for the night. Their house was not visited, since 

 it was some distance away, and was stated to be only a 

 temporary abode, while I was anxious to push on the next 

 morning to another settlement, said to consist of a single 

 communal house. This house, about which I found the in- 

 formation received to be perfectly correct, was situated on a 

 rising ground near a small stream, and was surrounded by a 

 very considerable clearing. We also passed a similar type of 

 dwelling on a hill above the bridle path after leaving Kuala 

 Jinaheng, but it was newly built, and the Sakai had not yet 

 moved into it from their old clearing, which was a long way 

 off. The communal house, near which I camped for the night, 

 (PI. XXXni Fig. i) was raised on posts to a minimum height 

 often feet from the ground ; its length was forty-nine, and its 

 breadth nineteen feet. Entrj^ was obtained by a main ladder 

 at one end of the house and a couple of subsidiary ladders 

 against the side walls at the other end of the building. These 

 ladders were constructed of a number of large bamboos or 

 small tree-trunks placed side by side with steps of bamboo or 

 wood lashed across them. A very large amount of bamboo 

 was used in the construction of the dwelling, the rafters, 



