1920.] R.O. Winsteptr: Election of a Tribal Chief. 107 
antiquated petard. If from the first there is no friction, if 
the out-going chief and the electorate are perfectly unanimous, 
bulat nan sa-golek, then the chosen candidate merely does 
homage to the territorial chief and /&@mbagas, paying $14 to 
the former and $7, in bygone days the price of a buffalo, to 
the latter. It is lamentable that many offices are bought, 
the prospective allowance from government even being 
mortgaged in advance, and the adat fees in ay 
representing the money that passes hands at an stectioh 
Minangkabau custom has made the path of the ambitious and 
unscrupulous hard but has not prevented them altogether. 
The resignation of the out-going chief, the consultation of the 
tribal elders, the reference to the f&nghulu in council, are all 
occasions for junketting. The final homage and confirmation 
is the greatest day. 
Taboh akan di-héntak, 
Kayu akan di-képing, 
Jémor akan di-tumbok. 
‘* The drum will be beaten and firewood split into billets 
and the dried rice-grain pounded in the mortar.’ Publicity 
is the final sanction of an elected chief. 
IIl.—The Death of a Tribal Chief. 
In Negri Sembilan as in Minangkabau this is known as 
patah tumboh, hilang bérganti, “the broken grows afresh and 
the lost is replaced. ” It is also known as pPatah tumboh 
di-tanah térbalik, ‘‘ the -broken grows afresh at the upturned 
clods ”’ of the dead chief’s grave, in allusion to the custom 
after he has slaughtered a buffalo for the funeral. 
The death and vacancy is announced to the tribe :— 
Mati rimau tinggal di-hutan ; 
Mati gajah tinggal gading-nya ; 
ati rimau tinggal bélang-nya ; 
Mati manusia tinggal pusaka-nya. 
*« Broken a tree sprouts again, and what is lost has to be 
replaced ; so too the holder of hereditary office.” 
‘‘The following are the traditional lines,” wrote New- 
bold, ‘‘ in which this custom has been handed down in Sungai 
Ujong :— 
Umor-nya pendek, donehas mye Panjang ; 
Sudah sampai kthéndak Allah, 
Héndak bérkubor di-tanah sae : 
m 
tanam - 
Sa-hari bértumboh, sa-hari pelihara.”’ 
