Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula - Sabrizain.org

CHAP. VI SAKAI {' BLANDAS') 265
tradition terminates by describing how a great ship
was wrecked upon the island, and how the water sank
and left the ship stranded high and dry upon the rocks.
The captain and crew got to land and were kindly
received by the Benar-benar, or Benua, a branch of
the Orang Laut, or Sea Tribes, who lived upon the
coast, whereas the Sakai dwelt in the forest. The
Orang Laut belonged (according to the Sakai) to
an inferior branch of their own tribe, though others
say they originally formed a separate race which mixed
with the Sakai by intermarriage. All accounts, how-
ever, agree in saying that they stood in some close
sort of relationship to the Sakai. This tribe informed
the Sakai Batin, who allowed the shipwrecked people
to come and hospitably entreated them.
Nevertheless, it is related, some of them went off
in the ship's boat, and were heard of no more.
The captain and the rest, however, remained and
were well cared for, and soon after the old Batin him-
self died, leaving no son.^
The Sakai then assembled to elect a new chief,
and choosing the captain of the shipwrecked vessel,
gave him the title of Batin Berchanggei Besi (lit.
the Chief with the Iron Claws).
This name is said to have been given to the Batin
on account of his great personal strength. He once
(it is said) called twenty people together to cut down
a certain tree, and when they failed to perform it, he
^ V.-St. ii. 83, 84. Other Sakai Artificial finger-nails of great length
("Blandas")traditionsaregiveninV.-St. are still worn by Malay women when
iii. 97-100, but they are of no real value. performing with a theatrical troupe, and
'^ Or " nails " : " changgei " =: a long also occasionally by highly connected
finger-nail, which has been allowed women at weddings, as in the case
to grow to an abnormal length (as by of the late Haji Gayah of Selangor.
Chinese mandarins). They were They are made of various metals— gold,
formerly worn by Malay chiefs. brass, or as here, of iron.