9 



account of them ie to be met with m a work 

 whicli, from the paucity of copies printed, has 

 had but a limited circulation, and which will 

 therefore be interesting to the general reader. 

 The groundwork, consequently, of the following 

 description of this singular race is drawn from 

 Mr. Anderson's work, upon which 1 have grafted 

 a few observations of my own, being, of course, 

 responsible for the language and sentiments of 

 those passages which are not guarded by invert- 

 ed commas. 



The physiologist would find his labour amply 

 rewarded ifhis investigations led hiro to any satis- 

 factory result as to the origin of this race, whose 

 crisped and woolly locks, depre&sed noses, prom- 

 inent and thick lips, and sooty colour, bear a strik- 

 ing resemblance to the African features, but their 

 dwarfish stature and ill proportioned figure des- 

 troy the similitude. At Perak, the principal tin 

 country, and also in the interior of Malacca and 

 Rumbow, there is another race of aborigines, 

 who are better formed and have long lank black 

 hair and fairer complexion than the Semangs of 

 Kedah. They are also somewhat more civilized, 

 and speak a different dialect. Those of Malacca 

 are known by the name of Jokong. or Jacoon, 

 whilst the others are termed, Orang Bukit. or 

 Semang, people of the hills; Oraag Laut, peo- 

 ple of the sea, or Orang Benua, people of the 

 plains, according to the place of their residence* 

 Mr. Anderson says that the word Bema is not ap- 

 plied to any particular class but is of general use, 

 signifying, country, or region. He then states as 

 follows; "Mr. Marsden asserts that beniia is a 



