74 Vl^ ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES 



thieving, not in words as the M^^la^, but 

 really and in practice. They are never known 

 to steal any thing, not even the most in- 

 significant ti'iilc. Sucii remarkahle qnalities 

 induced several persons to make attem|>l.s 

 to domesticate them , but sucli essays liave 

 generally ended in the Jakuns disappear- 

 arjce on the sUghtest coercion. Mr, Lewis, 

 Assistant Resident at Penang, related to me 

 that he Jiad Tor some time a Jatun famify 

 in his house; they appeared at first to be 

 very glad of their position, and indeed the 

 remarkable kindness which that gentle- 

 man sliows to all inferiors could not fail to 

 please them; hut, having l)(?eii une day em- 

 ployed in some servde work, they fled away 

 and appeared no more. The reason is that 

 the Jakuns are extremely prond, and will 

 not^^nhm^t far atjy length ol time to servile 

 offices or to much control This, if it is a 

 defect, is (lie niily one 1 have yoi I'e mark- 

 ed in them. 



