44 RECORDS OF MALAY MAGIC. 
In 1890 Mr. Lister communicated a further paper to the 
Society, enlarging on the subject, shewing how the Sakais were 
merged in the Bidwandas, and how the constitution was estab- 
lished on Menangkabau lines. 
My purpose in the present instance is to try and trace 
through the Folk-lore of the country, the why and wherefore of 
certain customs, which, always stronger than written laws, 
have made the country what it is, a very favurite resting place 
for Malays, because of the conservation of such customs; in 
doing this, I shali endeavour to explain, asfar as I am able, a 
few old fashioned sayings, which are even now less quoted than 
they used to be a few years ago. | 
Tengku Sayid Abdollah bin Sayid Saban, the Assistant 
Magistrate of Tampin, has greatly assisted me in the work, by 
explaining what seemed to me obscure in some of the sayings ; 
the words and diction used being in many instances more or less 
obsolete, and also likely to bear a double meaning. 
I have romanised each saying and made a_ very free trans- 
lation ; in the latter, so far as I know how, giving what the native 
Malay understands to be meant; this seemed preferable to a 
more literal rendering as that would rot so easily convey the 
meaning. 
The sayings are more or less arranged in progressive se- 
quence, as they seemed to suit the case as it occurred in the Negri 
Sembilan; first inhabited by Sakais, then gradually colonized by 
Malays, who, as they increased, amalgamated their own cus- 
toms with those of the Aborigines, and ultimately brought their 
Settlement to the dignity of a State, with a Raja chief, whose 
principal duty was to administer the Mohammadan laws, but with 
due regard to the Ancient Customs, many of which are very 
opposite to what is understood by the Law of the Prophet. 
I have used the collective name Sakai here, as the Malays 
commonly do, to express all the different sections of the Abori- 
ginal tribes, whether true Sakais, Jakuns, Mantras, Semangs or 
any others. . 
The State of Rembow is particularly interesting at the pres- 
ent time, being in a transitory stage as to customary laws. 
The people are of course professed Mohammadans, but they are 
at the same time ashamed to abandon the old fashioned customs 
of the “ Ada Perpatsh.” The incongruity of this was pointed 
