296 
♦THE OftAHC *ABlMBAi 
• * 
©us in their condition compared with the Binua. According td 
their own traditions, however, they have not always been of habits 
so rude. They declare that they are of Malayan race, and give 
the following account of their advent in Battam. Their forefathers 
lived in the land of the Bugis, and were of agricultural and ma-* 
jtime habits like other Malays. In the course of a voyage from 
Celebes to the westward, a vessel containing a party of them and 
a R6j4 Bugis, was lost off the coast of Battam. Some of them 
reached the shore, and, having no means of returning to their 
native country, remained on the island. After a few generations 
their numbers had increased, and they lived in comfort making 
ladangs, and gradually regaining the condition in which their ship¬ 
wrecked ancestors had lived in their native land. At this 
stage they unfortunately attracted the notice of pirates and their 
kampongs were ravaged. New ladangs and houses were made, 
but again they were visited by pirates. They removed to another 
locality, but their merciless and persevering assailants found them, 
and continued to repeat their attacks every few years. At last when 
their kampongs were destroyed for the seventh time, they gave 
themselves up to despair, abandoned their ancient habits, and sought 
safety by wandering in the forest and restricting themselves to 
the materials of food which it spontaneously yields. To prevent 
any longing to return to the comforts of civilization from again 
exposing them to plunder, slavery, or death, the whole tribe made 
a vow that they should never again form ladangs, live a settled 
life, or even eat the domestic fowl, the crowing of the cock having 
sometimes betrayed their dwellings to the pirates. 
Whatever be the foundation of this tradition, it expresses their 
present condition. They plant no vegetables of any kind, but 
use the leaves, roots and fruits which the forest affords, such as 
the akarkaluna, a. sim&po, a. ajas, a. anprio, a. katapa, the umut 
nibong, u. b&yas, u. sirdang, u. langkap, the buah tamidak, b. 
balok, b. tampui, b. maneling, b. pancho, b. kabes, b. ridan, b. 
kadumpa, b. ranjas, b. mangos utan, b. kaladdng, b. passal, b. 
durian, b. lakup, b. pakala, b. tore. They eat the flesh of every 
forest animal which they can kill, and when occasionally brought in 
contact with more civilized people, shew no objection to any kind 
of food save the fowl which they scrupulously avoid. The wild 
