%4 
THE BlNUA OF JOHOflE. 
house. The Bermun tribes have mats, but in general no pillows o'? 
curtains. Coarse Chinese curtains are common, but they are often 
wanting, and where this is the case the whole family, with the guests, 
sleep in the same open apartment, and sometimes packed rather 
closely together. There are usually two fire places, and these, in 
the larger huts, are sometimes in a separate room, but they are in 
general on one side of the single apartment, where the floor is de¬ 
pressed about a foot. They are furnished with the ordinary pots 
and pans used by the Malays, and have also small supplies of the 
coarsest Chinese plates and saucers. Water is carried and kept in 
the shell of a peculiar species of large melon which they cultivate, 
and which forms a very neat and serviceable, though not durable, jar. 
The bambu is converted to the same purpose but not often. The 
melon and bambu are also used by the Bermun tribes. The stem of 
the ona with the thorns broken off forms a strong and very effective 
grater. This is also used by the northern tribes. Pieces of hard 
wood cut into neat shapes, and curved slightly, serve, with the half 
of a cocoanut shell, to bruize chilis and other condiments. Malays 
generally have adopted a pestle and shallow mortar of stone for this 
purpose. The Bermun tribes use wood and cocoanut shells like 
the Binuas, and Javanese also prefer these. Most of the seasoning 
is supplied by the Malays, such as onions, kunyit, &c. The culti¬ 
vated roots are prepared in different ways. Between meals, or when 
a person comes in hungry, they are roasted amongst the embers. 
For regular meals they are grated down or simply boiled with the 
addition of hogs grease or vegetable oil. 
The following articles were found in a comparatively well furnish¬ 
ed Mintira hut occupied by two men, two women and two children, 
two timiangs (sumpitans) several parangs and axes, 2 dammer stands, 
2 iron pans, 2 earthenware pots, 2 santongs (a kind of basket 
termed by the Malays garing) 2 plates, 2 cups, 5 small tea cups, 4 
earthernware spoons, 7 sarongs, 3 bajus, 3 siluar, 4 waist bands, 4 
headkerchiefs, 1 pair of subangs, 3 hair pins, and 3 copper rings. 
The Mintiras have three meals, morning, midday and evening. No 
kind of food comes amiss, if it does not intoxicate or poison them. 
The Binua use siri, but not to excess like the Malays. The gam- 
bier, betelnut and lime which are eaten with it, they, like other abori¬ 
gines, obtain from the Malays.* Their favorite luxury is tobacco, 
and both sexes freely indulge in it. The women are often seen seated 
■ Some of the Minlirfi cultivate gambier, 
