REMBATJ. 255 



with the three chiefs, Dato' Si Maharaja, Date' Sinda Maharaja, 

 and Dato' Andika, and they became five sukus, and were called 

 " berampat berlima suku " being confined within the boundaries 

 above-mentioned. 



Further down stream came Dato' Mengiang of the Mungkar 

 suku from Machap,( x ) and a Menangkabau man, i. e., Dato' Maharaja 

 Inda, making three with Dato' Putih Kepala, *. <?., Dato' Mandclika, 

 and these were called three elders and one Lembaga. 



The origin of the appellation li bersembilan " is that they des- 

 cended from nine mothers in these three sukus, four in the Sri 

 Melenggang, three in the Mungkar, in the Tanah Datar ( 2 ) two ; these 

 worked together, together bore disgrace and shame. 



The eight Lembaga of sukus, four in the low country and four 

 inland, hold the next position in the State to the Penghulu, and in 

 all affairs of consequence he is obliged to consult them and to 

 follow the opinion of the majority, and no treaties or agreements 

 affecting the country generally are valid without their signature. 

 The four Orang Besar, though not heads of sukus, still, from their 

 position as " waris " and consequent eligibility for the Penghulu- 

 ship, are able to exercise considerable influence. But subordi- 

 nate chiefs of intriguing character are, of course, of ten found to 

 have an influence greatly disproportioned to their official position. 

 The Dato' Perba, the foremost of the " duablas suku," also occupies 

 an influential position, from his being the head of the joint suku of 

 Beduanda Jakun and Beduanda Jawa, from which he, like the 

 Penghulu, is alternately elected. He is also eligible for the Peng- 

 huluship. It will also be noticed that his suku is by far the most 

 numerous, being double any of the others. 



The soil of Rembau resembles that of Naning generally. The Nature of 

 same may be said of its physical configuration ; the country is of country, 

 an undulating character, the depressions being mostly "sawab," 

 and the rising ground kampongs or secondary jungle. The hills, 

 except near the Malacca frontier, seem to be of less elevation than 

 in Naning. Bukit Besar is the only mountain in the country, exclu- 



(1) In Naniug. 



(2) Datar, i. e. flat. 



