ifiMBAU. 245 



is. They likewise bear, among the Malays, the character of being 

 pre-eminently treacherous. The Gadong district (lying between 

 our frontier and Gunong Dato') near which Haji Mastafa lives, 

 is said to be the harbour of robbers and cattle-lifters, ; but Haji 

 Mastafa is too far advanced in years, too imbecile, and too much 

 in the hands of others to do anything to improve matters ; but 

 under the new regime we may in time look for amendment. 



As Eembau used to be the place of installation of the Yam Tuan KSmbau place 

 or Yang-di-pertuan Besar, it will not be oat of place to deal here °J i ^J latton 

 with the subject of the Yam Tiians. The original States in the 

 interior of this part of the Peninsula, according to tradition, before 

 they became " Negri Sembilan " were Kelang, Jelebu, Sungei tTjong 

 and Johol, with seniority in the order given. 



The kl Negri Sembilan "are stated by Newbold, and probably cor- orio-inal Ng- 

 rectly, as being originally as follows, Kelang, Jelebu, Sungei gii Sembilan. 

 Ujong, Johol, Segamat, Naning, Eembau, Hulu Pahang (including 

 Serting and Jempol) and Jelei (in Pahang, adjoining Jelebu)^ 1 ) 

 Kelang soon fell under the domination of Selangor. 



Johol originally included Jempol and the whole watershed of the 

 Moar as far as the Palong on one side and Mount Ophir on the 

 other, having on the N. &W. common boundaries with Jelebu, Sungei 

 Ujong, Eembau and Naning (the latter now included in Malacca). 



Segamat seems to have been absorbed by Johor a generation or 

 two since. Naning and Eembau were children of Sungei Ujong, 

 and 'when the former of them came more directly under Dutch 

 influence, Sri Menanti, or more correctly Hulu Moar, which had 

 asserted independence of Johol, took its place in the confederation. 



About the middle of last century, the Dutch, in conjunction with Origin of 



the sovereign of Johor, Sultan Abdul Jalil Shait, who was suzerain J? m Tuan 

 a ' Besar. 



(1) There is of course another Jelei also known as Inas, which, till a, genera- 

 tion or two ago, formed part of Johol, nor is it clear that it is entirely separ- 

 ate now ; this district could not have been one of the original " Negri Sembi- 

 lan ; " the title of its chief is the same as that of the Johol Dato', while that of 

 the Jelei in 'the text was Maharaja Perba. No doubt with the decadence 

 of the Johor dynasty, and the practical independence of Pahang, Jelei ceased 

 to be regarded as anything but a dependency of the Bendahara. 



