212 ETHNOLOGICAL EXCURSIONS IN THE MALAY PENINSULA.. 



exchange to the Malays and Chinese who settle down in 

 their neighbourhood. 



These Orang Sakai-jina generally speak Malay and their 

 children for the most part forget their original language. 

 They visit the huts and the Kampongs of the Malays 

 (in small parties with their wives and children) and this 

 is one important reason of the mixture of the two races, 

 the Orang Sakai giving their daughters as wives to the 

 Malays. Sometimes also during these visits, the conju- 

 gal fidelity of the Sakai women is tried by presents, and the 

 consequence is that to pur sang Orang Sakai parents cross- 

 breed children are born, either of half Malayan or of half 

 Chinese descent. These visits are further followed by the 

 gradual feeling of Malay wants and adoption of Malay cus- 

 toms by the Orang Sakai. I had several opportunities in 

 the course of my journey of observing this gradual absorp- 

 tion of the weaker race (the Melanesian) and its gradual 

 assimilation to the Malay population. 



Between the Orang Sakai-jina and the Orang Sakai-liar 

 there are numerous gradations. The former in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Malay Kampongs construct small huts according 

 to the Malay model, which they visit from time to time. 

 Then there is a lower class who at a distance from the Malay 

 Kampongs occupy temporary Pondos (12) in the jungle which 

 serve them as night quarters for one day or more at a time. 

 The real Orang liar, as I have been informed by members of 

 the tribe change their quarters every night, and the refore 

 do not even take the trouble of erecting a Ponclo. 



It is quite natural, that these men of the woods make no ' 

 paths, and do not want any, for roving all over the forest. 

 I have observed several times how they advance through the 

 wood, in a manner entirely unlike that of the Malays. 

 The Malay in the forest makes an extensive use of his 

 Parang (wood knife), cutting down all that stands and hangs 

 in his way ; the Orang Sakai (as also the Orang Titan) on the 

 contrary, never takes this trouble ; partly because he is too 

 careful of his parang (if he has got one at all), partly because 

 this method would retard him too much. Knowing the direc- 

 tion in which he is to go and keeping it in view, he tries to 

 find out the lighter places in the wood. Without breaking 

 them, he bends aside with his hand the younger trees, which 

 he cannot avoid ; he stoops or creeps below the larger ones. 



12 Ponclo. The Malay name for a kind of umbrella-shaped hut mado 

 of palm leaves which is put down in such a way as to form at the same time 

 a roof and a wall, under which one can either sit or lie. 



