Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula - Sabrizain.org

CHAPTER III.
Habitations.
The two first and most obvious forms of shelter would,
to a wild jungle-dwelling race, naturally be the large
umbrella-like palm-leaves growing in the forest, and
natural caves or holes in the ground. In the case of
the latter, however, it appears that certain preferences
exist, for " the caves which have been inhabited (in
Perak) are those which are formed by the overhanging
of the cliffs {i.e. ' rock-shelters '), and not those caverns
that have been hollowed out in the rock. The same
class of cave was inhabited by many of the cavedwellers
of Europe, as well as by the early New
Zealanders." ^ Mr.
Wray further informs me that
he could find no trace of human remains in the caves
themselves, but that in some rock-shelters near the
" dark caves " there were some thick deposits. For
an exception to this rule, however, it ought to be
pointed out that the well-known " limestone caves "
at Batu (six miles from Kuala Lumpor in Selangor)
were certainly at times inhabited by some of these
jungle -folk, as was stated by W. T. Hornaday
in his account of his discovery of the caves, in the
company of the late Captain Syers, and confirmed by
^ L. Wray, Cave-dwellers, p. 37.
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