14 CAVE DWELLERS OF PERAK. 



were carried on, and the whole of the Jaknus except a mau 

 and a woman perished in the flames. These two Jakuns 

 fled to Rawang, a marsh near the sea shore, and from them 

 sprang the Rayet Laut, sometimes termed Orang Rawang or 

 Akkye, who, not daring to return into the interior, have ever 

 since confined themselves to the coasts and islets.' " 



This is naturally a more or less fanciful account, but it 

 is not at all improbable that it has a foundation of fact, and 

 that it was raids by Malays on some of the wild tribes that 

 drove some of them inland and others into the protection of 

 the mangrove swamps of the coast to escape from their per- 

 secutions. Had they been in the habit of visiting the coast 

 before this and were consequently acquainted with the arts 

 of sea fishing and collecting shell fish, this would have been 

 a most probable course for them to adopt. 



Returning now to the I])oh cave. There wei'e found in it, 

 mixed with the deposits of shells and bones, numerous lumps of 

 red hematite. The same mineral was also found in two other 

 caves in Perak. This ore has been discoverd in the old cave 

 dwellings in Europe, and it is conjectured that it was used as 

 a pigment for painting the faces and bodies of the inhabitants 

 of the caves. The occurrence of this siibstance, associated with 

 similar remains in so widely separated localities, is very interest- 

 ing. When first noticed the idea was formed that possibly the 

 mineral had been collected and brought into the caves on 

 account of its weight and bright metallic appearance, much as 

 children will collect any similar stones, or as the Chinese miners 

 at the present time gather up all pretty or curious shaped stones 

 they may find in the Avorkings and place them on the small 

 altars they form in the mines, or that medicinal or magical pro- 

 perties were attributed to it. The hypothisis of Eiu-opean 

 archaeologists may, however, be the true explanation of its pre- 

 sence, for it is only necessary to grind up some of the hematite 

 between two stones to form, with a little water or some oil 

 expressed from a seed like the " prah " or the " kapayong," a 

 very excellent red ])aint for personal adornment. 



The three colours used by the modern Sakais for painting 

 their persons are charcoal, a vegetable red, and white china clay. 

 These are mixed with oil, and the faces and sometimes the 

 breasts of the women, and occasionally the men, are painted with 

 patterns in lines and dots. It is only done on occasions when 

 they wish to add to their personal charms. 



No implements but the pounding and grinding stones 

 already mentioned have been so far discovered in any of the 



