igi6.J I. H. N. Evans: Sakai of the Korbu River. 77 



from the top of their clearing. A large hill, called Gunong 

 Takai, was in view across the river, being nearer to us than 

 Gunong Semawak. 1 do not know if this is the same as 

 Gunong Takor (3,850) ot the maps, but we passed the Takor 

 River, which is not shown in them, on the second day out from 

 Tanjong Rambutan. This joins the Kinta close to the mouth 

 of the Terrain, but on the opposite side. 



The settlement at Bukit Daroh proved to be a single house 

 of the communal type, about forty feet in length, by hfteen 

 feet in breadth. The height of the lloor from the earth was, 

 at its maximum (the house was built on sloping ground), 

 twelve feet. The building was supported on three somewhat 

 irregular rows of posts, many of which were of but small dia- 

 meter. The greatest height ot the house from ground level 

 was about twenty feet; there thus being only eight feet bet- 

 ween the floor and the roof in the central line of the building ; 

 and much less at the sid< s owing to the slope of the thatch. 

 The regular inhabitants comprised four families, of, some 

 hiteen to twenty individuals 111 all, but they received frequent 

 visits from other Sakai, who stopped a night or two with them. 

 Sleeping platforms covered with sheet-bamboo were ranged 

 along the walls, the interior not being divided off into rooms, 

 and, between opposite benches, tires were kindled on fire- 

 places of dried mud. Of these there were four, the burning logs 

 being disposed radially on them so that it was only necessary 

 to push the ends of the logs with the foot in order to replenish 

 the tire. The sleeping patforms and the hearths took up so 

 much room that it was necessarj to step over each tire in 

 passing from end to end of the house. During the day-time 

 the fires were allowed to die out, or only kept smouldering ; 

 but, at about six o'clock in the evening, when it began to get 

 cold (the clearing was situated at a height of about two 

 thousand feet above sea-level), the logs were pushed together 

 and the fire made up. At the time of my visit, which extended 

 over ten days, the Sakai did not seem to be very actively 

 engaged in agricultural work, though they were, according to 

 what they told me, preparing a fresh clearing. That from 

 which the crops — chiefly of tapioca — were then being used was 

 situated at the top of the hill, on the side of which the house 

 stood. In the morning some of the women used to go out to 

 dig tapioca roots, and the) returned late in the day bringing 

 these, and occasionally some pumpkins. The latter were cut 

 up and boiled in a large iron cauldron, the resulting broth or 

 soup being first drunk in cocoanut shells and the pieces of the 

 fruit then eaten separately. The tapioca roots were usually 

 roasted in the embers of the fires- One day the Sakai were 

 fortunate enough to kill a young Sambhur stag in a spring- 

 spear trap. The meat was hacked from the body in lumps, 

 and rammed down into joints of green bamboo, which were 

 placed in the fire at an angle of about thirty degrees with their 

 mouths projecting from the fire and supported on a stone. 

 The deer having been killed near the river, which lay far 



