HABITATIONS, 
Consequently sent armed Malays with orders to kill these poor peo¬ 
ple ; as such a crime could only be atoned for by the death of the 
guilty parties; seven persons were killed and wounded and many 
others fled to different places, and some came over to the territory 
of Malacca where they find more security and protection; and es¬ 
tablished themselves at Rombia, Malacca Pinda, Bukit Berdarn. The 
places more commonly frequented by the Jakuns are the neighbour¬ 
hood of mountains and the borders of rivers. I had been told that 
many lived around the base of mount Ophir; and possibly this was 
so a few years ago ; but in the month of June of the present year 
(1847), I visited the place, and made a circuit of mount Ophir, and 
of the neighbouring mountains, without observing any of them; I 
found indeed several places where formerly had been villages, and 
also many ruined habitations. I likewise observed several places 
which had been formerly cultivated by the Malays and possibly also 
frequented by the Jakuns; but they were then entirely deserted, and. 
already covered with Jungle, A few Chinese who employ themselves 
in extracting the gold from the mines, are the sole remains of a large 
population of Malay cultivators and of Chinese miners both of whom 
a few years ago were located at the gold mines, which notwithstand¬ 
ing do not yet appear to be exhausted. This is the effect of the 
misrule of Malay countries. The melancholy sight of such places, 
rich both in mines and vegetation, excites a regret that they are not 
under a wiser government. 
HABITATIONS. 
Before I had myself visited the Jakuns, report induced me to con¬ 
sider them to be as savage as wild beasts ; and sleeping like birds on 
the branches of trees. Even now when ! question the Malays on the 
subject, some of them answer the same ; but this is far from the truth, 
there is no J akun without some dwelling, more or less well ordered. 
Some of them indeed have habitations which can scarcely be called 
houses ; but these are very few ; and for the most part they have 
houses. The Jakuns of Johore build houses in the Malay way, 
some of which are fine buildings. I found several which were much 
