142 OCCASIONAL NOTES, 



"Hitherto, as far as I am aware, no worked stone of this 

 class has ever been found in Singapore, though stone imple- 

 ments have been obtained in some numbers in Perak and Pa- 

 hang, where they are known as Batu Lint a. These latter are 

 generally made of a black igneous rock, and of a narrower 

 form than the present one. The form, however, of a stone 

 axe must always depend on the texture and hardness of the 

 stone and its cleavage. And the exceedingly hard texture 

 of this granite is, no doubt, the reason for its broad shape. 

 The edge has evidently been ground very carefully, but not 

 equally, one side being flatter than the other. From this I 

 gather that the weapon was used as an adze or biltong. 



Of what race were the makers of these weapons we are 

 entirely ignorant, none of the wild tribes use stone weapons, 

 nor do they know anything about those that are found in the 

 Peninsula. Nor is the stone of which the Pahang specimens 

 are made, known at all from this region. It is probable that 

 these were brought from farther East, but the Singapore speci- 

 men is made of granite, and of such granite as is found at no 

 great distance from Tanjong Karang, namely, at Pulau Ubin, 

 and I also found an outcrop of granite in one of the hills 

 between Tanjong Karang and Toas. It is probable, there- 

 fore, that it was made on or near the spot where it was 

 found, possibly from a sea-shore pebble of granite from the 

 neighbourhood of Pulau Ubin. 



H. N. R. 



PANTANG LARANG OF NEGRI SEMBILAN. 



The Yam Tuan Besar of Negri Sembilan has recent- 

 ly caused to be published certain rules for the conduct of the 

 Malays of that State. These rules — Pantang Larang — are not 

 new, but are some of the old rules of the State. They are now 

 published to show the masses that the Malay customs are in 

 full force as hitherto. The following is a translation :— 

 It is forbidden — 



