Y 
MALAY LAW IN NEGRI SEMBILAN. 393 
collected jungle produce. The amount of the fee was in- 
significant, being $1 per man once in three years. He told 
me with some pride that this was the “ peti duit orang utan” 
or “the penny box of the man of the woods.” The simplicity of 
this form of taxation was most curious and shows the freedom 
from guile of the aboriginal mind. He was attempting at 
the time I first met him to collect this fee for the past three 
years, not in advance. I tried to assist him, but my attempt 
was vain. He was somewhat indignant at the falseness of 
the Malay, but for my own part I was not astonished at it. In 
talking of his position with reference to the Datoh of Johol he 
said that as between him and the Datoh “ adat tiada berubah, 
perjanjian tiada beraleh, setia tiada bertukar,” t.e., “ custom 
cannot be altered, agreements cannot be changed, alliances 
cannot be revoked.” This is a very beautiful expression of 
Malay fealty and loyalty. Sometimes a Baten or Jerukrah 
who is minister to the Baten is very indignant. He will say 
“the Penghulu get thousands of dollars now in selling our 
forests.’ Then I explain to them that it is necessary that this 
earth should be developed. I point out to them that they are 
not able to govern or regulate such things and that they can- 
not truly claim the forests as being theirs, but that what they 
can claim is to have all that they require for their maintenance 
from forests. ‘They will then reply that this is quite right and 
that they are really perfectly happy as long as they have 
forests reserved to them and that they do not know what to do 
with money. They are delighted with presents of tobacco, 
stuffs and other trifles. If you give them money they general- 
ly go home to the forest and bury it, never telling any one 
where, so that on their death it is lost. I know one man who 
likes getting money and he always comes alone to see me 
and asks for it. He comes alone so as to be able to bury 
the money without difficulty. He has evidently a craving 
for silver and experiences the satisfaction of a miser in 
knowing that he has money, though he does not make use 
of it. 
The Rai‘at talk in the most proverbial manner and con- 
stantly quote sayings which have certainly become Malay, but 
