R. A. Soc, No. 78. 



JELEBU CUSTOM AEY SONGS AND SAYINGS. 35 



The Sakai path with its tree-trunk bridges 



Belongs to the tribe that owns the soil. 



The path over the knolls in the swamps 



Belongs to the tribal headmen. 



We take the dew-drop and mix it with our sea; 



We take the clod of earth and mix it in the mountain: 



That is the arrangement of the custom. 



Eice-crops unfenced become waste grass; 

 Buffaloes unpen t become wild cattle. 



Idle fallow, land with stubble, 

 Land with tree-stumps left by the feller, 

 Land that has been levelled — 



These can be inherited. ( — for they bear evidence of 

 occupation ) . 



The woman's nearest of kin can approve or prevent; 



The full members of the woman's tribe elect to find the 

 money ; 



If there are full members of her tribe, they can sub- 

 scribe to save the tail; 



If there are next of kin, they can bar the sale; 



If the property in question has an owner already, the 

 sale cannot proceed. 



The tribal headman can quash the sale. 



Our heritage comes from our women ; 



Men wear the insignia of hereditary office; 



The inheritance belongs to the woman, 



The man cherishes it. 



What is broken, grows : what is lost replaced. 



If a chief retires, he can suggest his successor. 



If a chief dies, election by the common voice is re- 

 quired. 



A family by common consent can elect or dismiss its 

 elder ; 



Elders by their common consent and with the support 

 of enfranchised members of the tribe can elect or 

 dismiss a tribal headman, 



there, too, can refer to the preliminaries of adoption and of 

 substitution in the case of murder. 



3 In adat sayings, sal'a - "female line of descent,-' baka 

 "the male bne. ' ' 



^ Cf. Newbold's "Malacca," II p. 107. 



5 Other sayings are current in Johol and Jelebu: — 



Ganti hidup, berJcegelaran, 



Gcuiti maii, berJcegiliran, 

 which means that- a pemanglcu may be of the same perut and 

 in fact the nominee of the retiring chief — provided the tribe 

 does not object; while on the death of a chief, the rotation 

 among the perut must be observed: 



Pechat hidup, berTceredlaan, 



Pechat mati, berJcerapatan, 

 which has the same import. 



