Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula - Sabrizain.org

134 FOOD PART II
Orang Laut ok Sea-Jakun.
Orang" Laut, Sletar.—The food of the Orang Laut
or sea tribes appears to have differed very little from
that of the land tribes (Orang Bukit), though doubtless
it included much more fish than that of the latter. We
are told of the O. Sletar that the satisfying of hunger
was their only pursuit, of water they had abundance
without having to search for it; with the "serkap" or fish-
spear, and the " parang " or chopper as their only imple-
ments, they eked out their existence from the stores of
the river and forest. To them the staple of life in the
East, rice, was a luxury ;
tobacco
they procured by the
barter of fish and a few marketable products collected
from the forests and coral reefs. Of esculent roots
they had the " prioh " and " kalana," ^ both bulbous and
not unlike coarse yams ; of fruits they ate the "tampoi,"^
"kledang,"^ and " buroh," when they came in season ;
and of animals they hunted the wild hog, but refrained
from snakes, dogs, "iguanas," and monkeys. This
formed their principal food, for many minor products
of the forests and creeks must be left unmentioned."^
0. Laut, Sabimba.^—The Sabimba, when visited by
Logan, planted no vegetables of any kind, but used such
leaves, roots, and fruits as the forest afforded.'' They
ate the flesh of every forest animal which they could
• Dioscorea dejlexa. Hook. The palm [Oncosperma Tigillaria\ and the
" akar kakap " (Dioscorea orbiculata) fruit of the " tampoi," " nianeling,"
is also eaten.— Ridley. " pancho," "kabes," " ridan " \Ne-
^ Bcucaiirea Malayaiia. pheliuni glabruni, Noronh.], " ka-
^ Artocarpiis lancecefoliits. dumpa "
[? " kadampang " = 6V