Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula - Sabrizain.org

544
DEALINGS WITH OTHER RACES
live or die together, and then they all plunged into
the waves. They sank at once, for it was deeper
than they had believed, and the bottom being a stiff
mud, they never rose again. Next morning the
Malays, who had succeeded in reaching the shore,
saw the boat still holding together, and, on going to
it, they found Tala and Pawang's wife alive in it.
The survivors procured a boat and arrived at Malacca
on the evening of the following day.^
Jakun of N. Sembilan.— In contrast to the bad treatment
of these tribes is the position of the aboriginal
element in Rembau, of which the late Mr. M, Lister
has informed us that the " Batins " or chiefs were,
according to ancient usage, closely connected with
the Malay tribe from which the Penghulus of States
were in nearly all cases elected. The four principal
Batins were those of Ulu Klang, Sungei Ujong,
Jelebu, and Johol. They had a strong voice in
the election of the Mohammedan Penghulu. The
cause is apparent. The Menangkabau colonists
married the daughters of Batins. Their children
were Mohammedans and their female children (in
accordance with Menangkabau law) inherited and
became the origin of the " Waris " or tribe of
" Beduanda," which was declared to be the inheriting
civilised tribe, whilst at they same time they still had
to recognise the Batin or Jakun's powers in the
mountains and forests, and preserve their position
and identity in connection with the "Beduanda"
tribe." Hence came the custom of female inheri-
1 /. /. A. vol. i. pp. 334*, 335* and other Malay pirates occupying a
- The reason for this striking dif- coast -line, as in the case of Selangor
ference in the treatment of tlie Rembau and Perak, driving back and taking as
aborigines are stated by Mr. Lister as slaves the non-Mohammedan aborigines
follows :— '• First and foremost it must of the Peninsula termed ' Semang,
be understood that instead of Bugis 'Sakai,' 'Jakun,' and 'Waris Laut,'
'