Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula - Sabrizain.org

148 DR£SS PARI II
beard, their chin-hairs as a rule being few, straggling,
and scanty. Yet in one case I saw a Semang with
a real beard, which, though very short, grew in closely
curled spirals, presenting a woolly appearance, exactly
like the owner's hair. On the other hand, most of
the grown men had slight black moustaches.
Pangan.—The wild pure-blood Eastern Semang
(Pangan) "plucks out his scrubby little beard, but
tries to retain the moustache," in order, we are told,
that he may be " distinguished from a woman " (!)
Head-dress— Women s.
Kedah Semang.—The women's hair usually grew
longer than the men's, and was in some cases allowed
to grow (apparently uncared for) in a species of curly
mop.^ This, however, was probably in the case of
women who had some proportion of Sakai blood in
their veins. In several cases the women, as well
as the men, had partially shaved the head, the
women always leaving, however, a circular patch at
the back of the head, and a thin fringe on the fore-
head untouched.
Several of them were wearing the magic combs
which they employ as a safeguard against diseases, and
several of them too, probably with a view to receiving
"company," had bound their heads with the Licuala-
leaf fillets usually reserved for special occasions.
The following were some of the forms of head-
dress employed by the Semang women :
a. An oval shaven patch on top of head.
/'. A rectangular shaven patch on top of head.
—
c. Quill-like plant shoots worn like horns in the hair.
^ Z. f. E. xxix. 179. The ab- the waist, is so obvious as to scarcely
surdity of the explanation given by need pointing out.
Vaughan-Ste%-ens, as purporting to come - Among these was the chief's
from a race who habitually go bare to wife.
^