128 SHORT NOTES. 



Human Images among the Orang Mantong. 



I have long suspected the existence of Berhala, or human 

 images, among the " wild tribes " of the Rhio archipelago, but 

 never actually met with any until the past summer (1903). 



When at Pulo Sanglar or Lake Durian, Rhio archipelago, 

 in July. I found two wooden images representing women, in a 

 cave near the sea shore, not far from Kampong Telok Lanun. 



Each image is about 3J feet high. One of harder wood 

 was much more carefully carved than the other. It had 3 

 wooden horns about 6 inches long projecting upwards from the 

 head. These horns were serrated on one edge. This figure 

 also had straight rudely carved arms of sof c wood, much de- 

 cayed. 



The teeth were represented by pieces of broken shell. 

 A blackish line extended diagonally across the chest, meeting 

 a horizontal line extending across just above the position of 

 the nipple. A blackish spot was over the position of the 

 heart. 



The other figure was very rudely carved of soft white 

 wood and was without arms. 



The figures were lying face downward on the floor of the 

 cave and had evidently not been disturbed for months, as roots 

 were growing over them and the wood was beginning to decay. 



Pulo Sanglar is inhabited by Orang Mantong, and latterly 

 many Chinese have settled there cultivating gambier. 



The Batin of Telok Lamun called himself a Malay, but he 

 was more than half Orang Laut. 



No true Malays live on Sanglar, but they inhabit the neigh- 

 bouring small islands. Tfiese Malays call all the Sanglar 

 people Tambvs, except of course the Chinamen, and say there 

 is not a Mussulman. All the Sanglar people eat pig. They 

 are certainly not true Tambus. They were very shy, and I had 

 a lot of trouble inducing them to be photographed. 



No information in regard to the use of the images could 

 be obtained. Every one denied the existence of such things, 

 not knowing I had already found them. 



The images cannot be regarded as true berhala or idols. 

 Most probably they are a sort of " Sakkat buang " for use in 



Jour. Straits Branch 



