THE NEGRI SEMBILAN. 45 
being inflicted, hence the term “‘sélah di timbang, utang di- 
bayér,’* 1.e., the value of the fault is weighed, and when weigh- 
ed the debt is paid. The property of a woman descends to 
the female children of the marriage. In the event of there 
being more than one female child, the house and kampong t is 
the property of the eldest, and the séwaht is divided equally. 
If the man has acquired landed property before marriage, it 
cannot leave his tribe, it must go to his ‘‘ anak biiah’’ § inthe 
tribe. Hence the term “herta pésika kapdda anak biah.” 
If the husband has personal property, he can leave it to whom 
he likes, unless the property is acquired during his marriage, 
when such property is shared equally between man and wife, 
even kampong and sawah. 
The tribes are divided into one, two, three and sometimes 
as many as six families, and it is from these 
Anak biah families .that the Lémbdga is elected. Hence 
ee ee the term with regard to the Chiefs of tribes 
“pésaka bérgéler.’'|| The order of succession 
by each family to the Lémbdagaship is fixed, and the election, 
thenelione, is made im the family mext m succession. The 
/bu Bapa, or representatives of these families, have to carry 
out the instructions of the Lémdd4ga and assist in all matters 
in the tribe; such as the collection of the “més manah,’4 which 
is a tribute to the Raja, vzz., “dras sa’gantang nior satali,”** 
7.e., one gantang of rice and two coco-nuts. This will be explain- 
ed later. The /bu Lapa is again responsible to the Lémbaga 
for all faults committed or debts incurred in his section ot 
the tribe, ‘“katiérunan-nya,” tt 1.e., the descendants according 
* Fault is weighed and debt is paid. 
+ 7.e., rising ground surrounding the house usually fenced in, as the name 
implies. For a discussion of the origin of this word, see YULE’s HoBSON-JOBSON 
S.V. ‘compound’. I believe it to be a Malay word, cf. allied word ‘képong’. 
+ Padi field (wet.) 
§ Relations, lit. children, fruit. 
| ‘ Gilir’ or ‘géler’ to turn, change, so ‘pésaka bérgéler’ the succession turns 
about, or, as we should say, is taken or enjoyed in turn. 
{| 7. e. gold of respect (Sansk. ‘mana’ to value, appreciate.) 
** Lit. ‘ (of) rice a gallon (of) ‘coco-nuts a string.’ 
++ ‘ Turun’ to descend. DE Agy Ele 
