ABOUT KIKTA, 29 



They possess a language of their own, and, I imagine, are not 

 all of the same race ; although closely allied to the Malays, physical 

 differences certainly exist between the tribes inhabiting different 

 valleys, and the common idea that they wander at large all over the 

 hills is certainly a mistake ; each particular tribe keeps exclusively 

 to its own valley and is frequently at feud with its neighbours on 

 either side ; their habits are migratory in their own districts, but 

 unless when compelled by the oppression of the Malays, or other; 

 causes, they seldom leave their own valley. One curious custom they 

 have. When one of them dies the corpse is buried in the house he 

 died in, and the whole party forsake the spot, going off to some other 

 place not very far off. I have been told that in this way they will 

 occasionally abandon their standing crop, but I will not vouch for the 

 truth of this. They live in groups of from eight or ten to as many* 

 as twenty or even thirty, but seldom more. Like all savage races they 

 will undergo great privations, and can subsist on very little ; when 

 food is abundant they are most improvident of it, but they can never 

 starve, as the jungle abounds in fruits and roots on which they will 

 subsist. As regards animal food, all is grist that comes to their 

 mill — rats, snakes, pigs, or anything they can get. Almost their 

 only weapon consists of a blow-pipe about seven or eight feet long, 

 from which they shoot poisoned darts with great accuracy as much as 

 thirty or even forty paces ; a single dart is sufficient to bring a bird or 

 . *key down in a couple of minutes ; they say that if they can hit- 

 elephant or a pig in the eye a couple of darts will do the job, 

 but they generally get pigs and deer by an ingenious spring made 

 of the branch of a tree with a bamboo spike fixed to the end of it ; 

 the spring is held in a bent position by a bit of jungle cord, which> 

 when touched, releases it and the spike, eight or ten inches long, is 

 buried in the animal. The existence of these spring traps makes it 

 advisable always to be accompanied by a Safcei guide when moving 

 about in their country. Their marriage customs are very simple ; the 

 intending bridegroom presents the father of the bride with a few pre- 

 sents, such as a brass pot, a knife, a piece of red or white cotton cloth, 

 some fruit or rice ; and if deemed satisfactory, the bride and bride- 

 groom separate from the remainder of their friends and spend the 

 honeymoon by themselves away in the jungle. The ordinary attire 

 of both sexes consists of a piece of bark cloth, in the case of the 

 males seldom sufficient for decency; the females are a little better; 

 some of the younger women have good figures, and in many case mag- 

 nificent busts, but through frequently becoming mothers long before 



