Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula - Sabrizain.org

130 FOOD PART II
ferred to the perforation in the ear. When they were
met paddling their canoes, the " roko' " was seldom
wanting.^
Articles of Diet.
Berembun Tribes.—Snakes (as well as the iingka,
kra, and some other species of monkeys)" were used as
food by the Berembun tribes, who employed dogs to
discover them. Those principally sought were pythons
{e.g. the ular sawa and u. sawa rcndam, cobra (u.
tedong), and others which are unidentified, e.g. u. ipong,
u, naga, u. gasing, u. ripung, u. ulabat, u. ringkup, u.
siu, u. manan, and u. kamong. The pythons (sawa) and
ripung were the best flavoured. They all possessed
"a fishy taste," Several kinds of snakes, even if the
teeth are carefully removed, like those of the preceding
species, cannot be used, the aborigines asserting that
their flesh is poisonous,^
The Berembun tribes use wooden platters and
coconut-shells (for grinding their condiments) like the
Benua (and the Javanese), They also employ either
large bamboos or the shell of a particular species of
large melon for carrying water,^
Food and its Preparation.
Jakun of Johor.—The food of the Jakun differs in
no way froni that of the other semi -civilised tribes
already referred to. I may mention, however, that
they have grown so used to rice that they cannot do
without it, and probably first began to cultivate it
more than forty years ago.^
Tapioca-root appears, however, to be the staple
'
J.
* Cp. p. 127 (of the Benua-Jakun). * See Hervey in/. K. A. S., S. B.,
I. A. vol. i. pp. 254, 255.
* Fb. p. 254.
3 /. /, A. vol. i. p. 257. No. 8, p. 122.