Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula - Sabrizain.org

540 DEALINGS WITH OTHER RACES part ii
tribes) informed him that he had brought a party of
Mantra to his house in Malacca, and thought he could
induce them to visit him in Singapore, so that he
might be enabled to gain more thorough knowledge of
their character and condition. The party in question
had moved into British territory some time previously,
and had settled at Rumbiah on Mr. Westerhout's land.
Logan requested Mohammed to bring them to Singa-
pore, and they arrived there on the i6th of October
and remained till the 7th of November. The party
consisted of a Mantra named Pawang and his wife, a
second man named Parut and his wife, and a third
man named Tala.
They hesitated much about undertaking the voyage,
as the members of this race, like all the tribes of the
interior, have a hereditary dread of the sea, and no
Mantra had ever ventured upon it from time imme-
morial. When they came on board the " scotchy
they were at once placed below, to prevent their being
frightened by the waves and the motion of the vessel.
They soon became very sea-sick, and it was not till
the boat was opposite Pulau Pisang that one of the
men had so far recovered as to venture to rise and
look round. But no sooner did the rolling waves
meet his sight than he was seized with fear, and
plunged below the deck again.
When they took up their residence in Logan's compound
they were at first a little reserved, although they
had evidently seen Europeans frequently. On the
second and third days their principal employment, while
their poisoned arrows lasted, was to shoot birds, and
they soon discovered more species in the " kampong "
than we had ever observed ourselves. On the second
day they had depopulated all the trees. Amongst the
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