MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES. Ill 



The Semang and Sakei Tribes of the Districts of Kedah 



AND PERAK BORDERING ON PROVINCE WeLLESLEY. 



The following interesting* particulars relating to the Semang 

 and Sakei Tribes of the little known region lying behind Pro- 

 vince Wellesley were recently published in the Field Newspaper 

 (April the '23rd 1878.) It is not difficult to indentify the sig- 

 nature as that of a gentleman lately in charge of the Province 

 Police, who spent some time in the neighbouring jungle. 



" The Semang and Sakei, as they are termed by themselves, 

 " claim by tradition to be the aborigines of the Malay Penin- 

 " sula, and to have settled down in their present locality after 

 " years of travel in an endeavour to reach the end of the land. 

 " The inroads of the Malays have driven them from the borders 

 " near the sea to the centre of the country, where still exist the 

 " primeowal forests in which they can remain unmolested by 

 " their fellow men, whom they fear more than the wild beasts 

 iC with whom they live." 



" The features or the Sakei, or " plains" men, are those of the 

 Negro, and it is a matter for students of the dispersion of races 

 to decide how and from whence come the dark skin, wooly hair, 

 flat noses, and thick lips so prevalent amongst the Sakei of the 

 Malay Peninsula. 



" The true Semang, on the other hand, has a complexion of a 

 light copper colour, brown straight hair, and a clear skin. 



" The two tribes speak different languages, but follow the same 

 mode of life, and are on amicable terms. The Semangs keep 

 almost entirely to their mountain jungle, while the Sakei oc- 

 casionally issue from their plain retreats to hold communication 

 with the Malays. 



Trie first occasion in which I had a view of these interesting* 

 specimens of humanity was in the year 1861 while on a tour 

 of inspection at the head of the Selama river, a branch of the 

 Kriau, which latter was the boundary, prior to the Perak war, 

 between that country and the British possessions near its mouth. 

 On arriving at a Malay kampong close to Gunong Inas, a high 

 peak of the centre mountain range I learnt that there were a 

 number of Sakei in the neighbourhood, and of course at once 

 expressed a wish to see them, and accordingly sent a mutual 

 Malay friend to ask the Chief if he would come to see the 

 orang puteli or white man. 



