Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula - Sabrizain.org

CHAP. VI NEGRITOS OF KEDAH 269
cousins, formerly employed both chips and flakes of
stone for various cutting purposes, as well as the
simple two- stone apparatus which with the Andamanese
takes the place of hammer and anvil.
Slivers of bamboo, again, were and still are un-
doubtedly used by the Semang as knife-blades^ and
spear-heads, whilst long needles and other boring
instruments are made of bone or wood.
For filing the teeth (Malay fashion) the Pangan
employ a piece of sandstone.
The iron knives (" pisau "), choppers ("parang"
or "golok"), and hatchets (" b'liong "), ordinarily
employed by the Semang, are undoubtedly all of
Malay origin, and are usually made by Malays, or by
Chinamen following the ordinary Malay patterns,
and have nothing particularly distinctive about them,
which probably accounts for their being omitted from
the accounts given by the usual authorities. I have
ventured to draw attention to them, however, because
even in cases where the blade may be actually of
Malay manufacture, yet both the helve (or shaft) and
its rattan lashings may be, and no doubt often are,
distinctive of the race, and as such would repay any
attention that might be given them. Indeed, I have
often been informed by Malays that the axe-fastenings
of the aborigines could be easily distinguished from
those employed by the Malays in
hood.
the same neighbour-
The Malay dagger, or " kris," and the " Tower
musket " have both found their way to some extent
into the hands of the Semang, by whom they
especially the latter—are greatly prized.
' Mr. G. C. Bellaniy has sent me a of Ulu Klci, Pahang; cp. p. 249.
bone-hafted knife, from the " I'angan " ante, ti. 2.