Ci tie REMBAU HISTORY, ETC. 
aboriginal chiefs, were the theoretical landlords and sold out 
their interest to the immigrants. The method of that ficti- 
tious conveyance is described in Saying XXIII. But in Rem- 
bau the proprietory right of the aborigines in the soil vested 
in the waris by virtue of the alliance contracted between To’ 
Lela Balang and the daughter of Batin Sakudai.’ The 
Batin were relegated to the depths of the forest” and 
the immigrant tribes redeemed the land they occupied from 
warts. 
The precedence of the “suwkw warts’? over the eleven 
purely immigrant Tribes rests on their claim to proprietorship 
of the soil.” “From the trickle at the stream’s source to 
the breaking waves at the mouth belongs to the warzs, but the 
plots of the riceswamp and the rows of the betel palms are 
the lembagas’.”’ * 
The recognised settlements of the Tribes are technically 
known as tanah Tébusan—redeemed lands. The waris pro- 
prietary right therein has been bought out by the cultivator 
during his occupancy. This category includes the mass of 
alienated land in Rembau. The products of these redeemed 
lands—represented the tribal wealth, and in 1892 A.D., the 
assessment levied thereon, was taken as the basis for caleula- 
tion of the lembagas’ dues; but under Malay rule redeemed 
land was subject to no tax or title. 
Land other than redeemed land is known as tanah ta’-bér- 
tébus or tanah warts. Such land was not necessarily un- 
occupied, but occupants, even of the wars tribe, held no 
alienable or transmissible interest therein. On these lands 
certain dues were payable, not to the lémhaga of the Béduanda 
warts tribe, for then the land would rank as a tribal holding 
— ut to the wndang and warts as a whole. Even as late as 
9 
(1) v. chap. I p. 
(2) vide Saying aapeaa by A. Hale J.R.A.S., vol. 31, July 1898. 
Ayer sagantang salobok, sadangkang yang berbunyi Siamang ber- 
jawat-jawat, tempat nngka berdaia-daiu, Batin yang ampunia. 
(3) vide Saying XVI. app I. 
(4) vide Saying XVII1. app. I. 
Jour. Straits Branch 
