Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula - Sabrizain.org

CHAP. VI SA VAGE MALA YS OF NEGRI SEMBILAN 305
the inferior extremity, in order to enter easily into the
ground ;
for before the Jakun enter a house they strike
the end of the spear into the ground, where it remains
until they go away. It is scarcely possible to meet a
single Jakun without his spear,' which is both a stick
to walk with and an offensive or defensive weapon as
occasion may require. The " parang " is an iron blade
of about I ft. (30 cm.) long, and 2-3 in. (5 cm. to 7.5
cm.) broad, with a shaft like that of a large knife ;
they
use it to cut trees employed in the building of their
houses ; and
to cut branches to open a passage when
journeying through thick jungle ;
as well as for a de-
fensive weapon against wild beasts. On one occasion
Logan heard of a Jakun who, being attacked by a
tiger, defended himself with a " parang " (the only
weapon he had with him at that time). Nearly half
an hour was spent in this singular combat ;
the Jakun
lost an eye and was seriously wounded in the head ;
but the tiger paid the forfeit with his life."
Jakun, N. Sembilan.—Of the weapons of the Negri
Sembilan tribes scarcely any records have been
published. Rowland, however i^loc. cit.), cannot help
expressing his astonishment at the certainty with which
they could hit a target measuring only i ft. (30 cm.)
square at distances ranging up to So m. At the same
time he describes in detail their method of discharging
the blowpipe, which was to take the mouthpiece
partially into the mouth (so that the mouthpiece for
at least 2 cm. was covered by the upper lip, and to a
lesser extent by the under one). And the same writer
has also remarked that instead of the arms being
^ /. I. A.vo\. ii. p. 262. Cp. ,how- parang, the sumpitan with poisoned
ever, Wray, who states that "the Jakun arrows, and a fnv of them the spear."
of the Menangkabau States use the ^ Cp. vol. i. p. 272.
VOL. I X