252 UDA PRANG 



In the three days I stayed at the settlement out- 

 fitting, I found little to differentiate these from 

 other natives of the Malayan islands. They look 

 more or less alike; affect about the same kind of 

 costume, sarongs chiefly, though trousers of local 

 cut and jackets are also worn largely, except on 

 the Peninsula, where they are used only by gov- 

 ernment servants, or by hunting natives in the jun- 

 gle, to protect their bodies from the thorns. So 

 far as Sumatra is concerned, individual tastes are 

 revealed in the headgear, which may be simply the 

 rimless cap, a turban covering the head com- 

 pletely, or binding the head to leave the top ex- 

 posed, or fashioned into projecting horns at front 

 or side of head ; or they may have no head cover- 

 ing whatever. When they have been to Mecca, 

 the rimless cap is white, and ever after invariably 

 worn; for the pilgrim to that holy shrine is the 

 envy of all beholders less travelled, and he misses 

 no opportunity to advertise his fortunes, as the 

 little white caps are very conspicuous. Uda 

 Prang owned such a cap; but, professing Chris- 

 tianity, I never saw him* wear it except deep in 

 the jungle— and there it never left his head, day 

 or night. Those who have not been to Mecca wear 

 caps of a somewhat similar shape, but of dark col- 

 ored stuffs; but the strongest desire to earn the 

 right to wear the white cap rules in every Malay, 



