Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula - Sabrizain.org

CHAP. XI MALAYAN SEA-GYPSIES 567
groves and slowly approaching. These proved to be
two families of the Sletar tribe. After careful ex-
amination it appeared that they were known to the
Malays as " Orang Utan Sletar." On their first
approach it was difficult to avoid being struck with
the extreme squalidness of their appearance, united
as it was to a dull insensibility to what was going
forward, a marked contrast to the pertness of their
Malay conductors, who assumed over them an air of
superiority and command which is never witnessed in
Malays when in the presence of Europeans alone, and
which at once afforded a convenient standard for
judging of the place which the Orang Sletar should
hold in the ranks of civilisation. The families con-
sisted of two men, three women, and several children
of both sexes. They were at first exceedingly shy,
and could with great difficulty be prevailed on to
speak, but by kindness of treatment, and some trifling
presents, the men were induced to throw off a con-
siderable deal of their reserve, so much so that they
daily visited the gunboat, bringing fish and a few
birds for barter, and since a system of fair dealing
with them was strictly maintained by the commander
and his crew, they promised always in future to visit
the gunboat to supply such necessaries, should she
ever enter their neighbourhood again, and to tell the
people of their tribe to do the same. As the result
of the visit of the gunboat they were well supplied
with many necessaries (luxuries to them), such as rice,
tobacco, and cloth, in consequence of which they took
great trouble in procuring what the gunboat's company
were most in want of, viz. fresh fish, and her departure,
it evidently appeared, was attended with considerable
regret on their side. On better acquaintance, when