Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula - Sabrizain.org

496
THE SOCIAL ORDER
They live as nomads in a densely forested region, in
which, as a rule, they make small clearings or planta-
tions, remaining in one place for this purpose during
varying periods from about three months to a year,
but never more. When they migrate and form fresh
clearings they seldom move to any distance, but remain
in the neighbourhood in order to gather the crops
which come to maturity after their departure.^ Hence
their hunting is also confined within definite areas.
They thus possess the characteristics at once of
nomadic and agricultural races, shunning their more
civilised neighbours, and only engaging in trade to an
altogether negligible extent.
The most rudimentary of the social systems that
obtain among these tribes is that of the Semang, who
live under the simplest form of patriarchal government.
The Semang and Jakun chiefs have a kind of regalia,
I.
—
-
Semang.
Kedah Semang.—The chief of each Semang tribe
is now called " Pelima " ( = Mai. " Penglima," the " Sna-
hut" of Vaughan-Stevens), Proof is still required of the
statement that there were till recently yet greater chiefs,
who possessed a more extended influence and were
called " Puttos." These, if they ever existed, seem to
have now died out, at least in name, if not in function.
I was told that the last Big Chief (" Pelima Besar ")
of the Kedah tribes was called " To' Pelima Chiak "
(or " Old Chieftain Finch "). He was reputed to be
invulnerable (" beketok," i.e. " pachydermatous through
magic"), and hence had great influence. Plis tribe told
me he once kept a Malay who had murdered a Semang
' De Morgan, vii. 419. Semang); 510, 511 (of the Eesisi); and
- Ibid. p. 420. vol. ii. pp. 291 and 313, note (of the
^ See vol. i. pp. 450, 455
(of the Jakun of Jelebu).
'