4 AN ACCOUNT OF THE WILD TRIBES 



this ; Aro the Biiiuas to be considereii as 

 the aboriginal inhahitants oflhf* land where 

 ihey are round , chielly in the Malayan Pe- 

 ninsuhi 1 Sucli a question will remain a 

 problem lor some time yet, and [>erhaps 

 lor ever : nevertheless 1 must say that many 

 Facts seem to prove much that is in favour 

 of an answer in the alTirmative. 



Among the Biniias whom I Iiave interro- 

 gated on the matter, many answered that 

 the Malays were descendants in great part 

 from tlieni, who were, without any doubt, 

 the liist inhabitants of the land. 



Many Malays are of the same opinion, 

 and upon it is based the appellation of 

 01^^ml BrNU\s, men of the soiL by which the 

 Malays designate the wihl tribes. 



A fact which is related in th^; Mahifmi 

 imditiom and histon/, and quoted by Lieut. 

 Newboid (vol XI, p. 77), proves much in 

 favour of that opinion. 



It is said, rafter Sri Iscander Shah lied 



