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Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula - Sabrizain.org

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CHAP. IX GENERAL REMARKS 401<br />

work that has been hi<strong>the</strong>rto accompHshed, not only by<br />

Vaughan-Stevens himself in <strong>the</strong> collecting <strong>of</strong> specimens<br />

and information, but also by his German editors<br />

under <strong>the</strong> most difficult circumstances imaginable, is<br />

worthy <strong>of</strong> nothing but <strong>the</strong> highest and most generous<br />

praise. In <strong>the</strong> light <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> fuller knowledge that we<br />

now possess, I find nothing—even where I am<br />

obliged to differ or to correct—but what proves that<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir work has been done in <strong>the</strong> best scientific spirit<br />

in o<strong>the</strong>r words, with a single regard to truth.<br />

Hence <strong>the</strong> plan <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> present chapter has been<br />

formulated with <strong>the</strong> object <strong>of</strong> giving in as complete a<br />

form as possible <strong>the</strong> result <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> inquiries <strong>of</strong> Vaughan-<br />

Stevens, rescued as far as possible from his faulty<br />

classification and his blunders, and also from <strong>the</strong> vitiat-<br />

ing influence <strong>of</strong> his " flower-<strong>the</strong>ory," Any readers<br />

who wish to see more <strong>of</strong> this <strong>the</strong>ory for <strong>the</strong>mselves<br />

can do so by consulting <strong>the</strong> original articles in <strong>the</strong><br />

German journals from which <strong>the</strong> extracts in this<br />

chapter are taken. The remainder <strong>of</strong> this chapter<br />

will include— (i) <strong>the</strong> detailed explanations <strong>of</strong> a few<br />

typical Semang patterns which <strong>the</strong> writer himself<br />

has personally investigated, and (2) <strong>the</strong> substance <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> German articles based upon V^aughan- Stevens'<br />

material, from which, as I have said, <strong>the</strong> fallacious<br />

" flower-<strong>the</strong>ory," toge<strong>the</strong>r with o<strong>the</strong>r obvious mistakes<br />

due to bona-Jidc ignorance, have been as far as pos-<br />

sible eliminated.<br />

Symbolism.<br />

One <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> most important features <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> artwork<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se tribes consists in <strong>the</strong>ir practice <strong>of</strong><br />

representing an object by means ei<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong> one <strong>of</strong> its<br />

chief parts or <strong>of</strong> some closely associated idea. A<br />

VOL, I 2 D<br />

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