Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula - Sabrizain.org

CHAP. II SAVAGE MALAYS OF JOHOR i6i
to show that they carried their wardrobes on their
persons, and were seldom able to renew them. With
the exception of one house, where the mistress lay in a
corner and appeared to be, like her husband, totally
destitute of clothes, Logan found the women every-
where wearing a short "sarong," fastened at the
waist or a little below it, and barely reaching to the
knees— it was, in fact, only the half of an ordinary
Malay "sarong." This was the only garment that
they possessed, but in a few families, such as that of
the Bentara of Boko, some of the females wore the
Malay jacket ("baju"). The hair was bound in a knot
behind. From the great desire universally expressed
for pretty " sarongs," jackets (" bajus "), handkerchiefs,
and ornaments, we must do the Benua ladies the justice
to believe that they would willingly deck themselves in
the full Malayan costume if they had the means.'
The only ornaments that they possess are plain
brass rings and bracelets. Their ears were pierced,
but the orifice, which is of the diameter of a quill, was
more often occupied by the native cigarette or "roko',"
or a piece of cloth, than an earring.
The hair was black and in general smooth and
lank, but in some it was frizzled, and in all somewhat
more dry and tangled than in the Malay, arising from
the little oil that they use. It is worn long or
' " Hoth men and women go nearly to appear more decently clad. The
naked svhilst near their own haunts ; women particularly take ijrcat pleasure
they wear nothintj hut a strip of the in silver bracelets, rings, and other ornatlbrous
hark of the 'ttrap' tree, beaten ments. Idonot recollect that I have seen
into a sort of cloth of a reddish-brown any instance of the Benua wearing the
colour, called a 'sabaring,' round their skins uf wild beasts, as has been alleged,
loins ; part of this comes down in They carry about with them little mat
front, is drawn between the legs, and pouches, containing generally a small
fastened behind. The men sometimes portion of tobacco, a tlint and steel, a
encircle their heads with a string of knife, and a rude bamboocall or whistle"
Z/(7/a/a- (' palas") leaves. On visits to (Newlmld, ii. 398); r'. p. 137, ante.
Malay villages they generally contrive -J. /.A. vol. i. pp. 252, 253.
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