I\ SUM J Til A. 



143 



tlic quickest meiuiR of st^ttling the point ; for their reailiog, like 

 their act of inscribing, was, even as now, a painfully slow and 

 diflieuit affair to tho most learned, Now-a-days these interest- 

 iiig relics are very rare, anil almost impossible to procure. 



Each marga, as a rnle, has in it several villages, each with a 

 chief. Each village community is a collection of families, 

 either related or not to each other by the ties of blood— con- 

 sisting of the original family or nucleus of the village and 

 those descended from it, and of the companies of immigrants 

 who have come from different places, and at different times, 

 with their descendants. Each of these companies, or families, 

 was called a suku^ and each selected one of their number to 

 represent them in all matters affecting their interests. Ho 

 then a village iDmmnuity consisted, and stili more or less 

 completely consists, of several sukus, each uith its head, all 

 subject to the village chief, who woulcl, in the fii'st instance, 

 be the representative of tlio first suJcu or nucleus of the village, 

 and thereafter, if that representative left no heirs, the person 

 on whom the eiioice of the sulcus might fall. A trivial cause 

 of dispute in a sitku would be brought before the chief 

 of the mht, associated with some of its oM men from whom 

 an appeal might lie to the head of the village with one or 

 more of the Kajmla mhm. A case in which more than 

 one miku was concerned would come before the village chief, 

 sitting with the uninterested Kapala »uku3. An appeal from 

 this village court might be made to the chief of the marga, 

 possibly along with the village chiefs of the marga, beyond 

 which, of courije, it could not in past days go. This court 

 also exercisetl jurisdiction in cases of inter- village diaput^JS. A 

 marga was therefore a little indepondeut principality, or I'jitiier 

 clan, whose boundaries were the lihiits cluimefl by tho first 

 immigrants to tho place ; and seems to have been at fii*st ruled 

 by him among the settlers who was most influential or of the 

 closi^st blood relationship with tho chiefs or princes of Menang- 

 kabau giving them the right to the title of Femjimhan^. 



The highest Penytmbang within the boundaries ruled over 

 the nnirga; then in each village tho highest ranked was chief of 

 the village?, and the next after him became chiels of the village 

 sections. The Peuyimliang need not of necessity Ijecome chief 

 of this village or marga; hp conki delegate his authority to 



