Journal of the Federated Malay States museums - Sabrizain.org

2i8 Journal of the F.M.S. Mmeuuis. [Vol. VI,
arrival was acting for Toh Rajah the real headman, his
brother-in-law, who had gone over the main range into
Kelantan.*
It is allowable to have two wives, but I gathered, not very
usual. Children appear to be named from the place (the
Malay word used was tanah) at which they are born. This
would, I suppose, usually be the clearing on which the
community was living in at the time of the event.
The musical entertainment, which I have mentioned
above, was given by a small party of young men and women
on the night I spent at the Hill Sakai's house.
As is usual at such gatherings the performance went on
till day-break, but I only stopped to hear it for a couple of
hours. The songs, which were not unmusical, were accompanied
by the women with bamboo stampers, one of which
they grasped in either hand. The words of the song were
given out line by line by one of the men and followed by the
others. Toh Stia made an attempt to tell me what the performers
were saying and I gathered that the song was almost
without meaning, the Sakai merely mentioning the names of
mountains and rivers, saying that they felt very hungry, and
proclaiming that "there was a boy who rode a horse" and
other equally interesting items of intelligence.
* Tph Rajah returned from his wanderings while I was at the settlement.