The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-10-12
The Men Monkeys OF MaIacca.

correspondent of the Boston TrGveler =
writes from Shanghai an interesting account ~
OF the habits of the Jskoons, a barbsrous :,
people who inhabit the interior of Malaccs. h,
They have no history, having been found by n
the early Portuguese voyagers in the coun. 4,
try in which they still reside. They are h
called the Orang. Oenner, or "men OF the II
great country" the Orang Ubi, or "men Of !,
the rivers;" the Orang. EIutang, or "meu OF II
the forest;" the Orang. .Semaug, or "bIack
men;" the Jakoons and the Kaists. Oran q
is the Malay word for man, and Utan or HUI ,
tang for Forest whence the word so common I
with US, ouraug-outang, or wild men, II men
they may be called, when common opinion
has assigned them a rank hardly above mon
keys and baboons.
They generally live in houses built of
bamboo stick, and suspended from the tops
Of lofty trees, to which they ascend by rude
lodders. These cabins. suspended from the.
tree tops, are SO narrow that stranger can.
not be admitted without annoyance to a
member Of the family, or his exclusion; for
one must go down when new one comes
up. Others who have no taste for these
aerial abodes-nests, not for birds, but for
t men-construct huts raised two or three
feet abovo the ground. The first story
serves for lodging, where they eat and sleep
: by the side of a fire always kept brightly
burning, in order to frighten away the tigers
n and other wild beasts " hich fi'l the forests.
y In the second story they put their arms for
y safety, their provisions and kitchen utensils,
l. all of which are comprised in pixies, in ear
'' then pots and one or two great China bowls.
They eat whatever comes to hand. as wild
boars, Upes or birds, which last are taken
either in snares or shot by arrows, and the
: roots and tubers which the earth produces
=, in abundance. II they plant rice, il is only
- enough to meet their absolute wants. 10.
~ stead of regular labor, they prefer the fati-
= ', guing adventures of the chase and running
~ among the woods. Their cuisine is of the
~ lowest order, their favorite dish being slices
- OF meat half cooked and still reeking with
blood.
-. Their weddings are preceded by most
- singular aud Iudicrous ceremony. An old
man presents the future usbsnd and wife
.. TO large assemblage of invited guests,
RI whom he conducts, followed by their respec.
ri tive families, into grand circle, around
n which the young lady, the bride, sets oul
q running upon all tours. aud the young man
>, who is the bridegroom, in the same style
b alter her, II he succeeds in overtakiug her
4 she becomes his wife; if not, he for(eits O
>, his rights, end "love's labor is lost" Thi;
ha often happens when the bridegroom fails tc
II please the youog lady, who endeSvors to es
cape from the tmbraces cf a diStasteiul ol
. odious husband by beating bim in this queer
II trottng match.
Upon the death of one of their number
=. they wrap his body in white winding sheet
?. and then deposit it in grave dug nesr his
" hut, sometimes in un erect position, some
~ times sitting, end sometimes lying down.
" They are careful to put lance at his side
MS "pOrane" and "sumpitan," their instru
al ments Of hunting and of war, but'never use
ID any religious ceremony. Sill, these weap
. . ons placed by the side of the corpse indicate
" a shadowy belief in future existence.
er Their religion is confused mass of the
a grossest superstiions, propogated by tht
ne "payans," a kind of priests, who are hal
OF physicians aud half jugglers. Their magi
se cal science ia in great esteem with thu
* Malays. The singular kind Of lie the!
t. lead. the pecuIiarity of their costume, ant
tn the long intervals of their appearance
,r among the people, secure for them certain
ror prestige aud respect. Seen from afar an
hit through myste; ious veil, they pass for be
at iugs endowed with superhuman power, t
on whom the plants and roots Of the forest
have revealed their most secret virtues.
u. a word, they are believed to hold in thei
EST hands the power Of comforting health or in
fictns death. In accordance with this be
i'll lief, the Malays are careful not to provok
we their i'll, will. "a. +,
ou Naturally, the Jakoons are Of an open an
on Ingenious disposition, and withal inclined
or gaity. To the appearance Of timidity the
on the independence of life without con
a troll, spent in the midat OF thick forests an
,ut everlasting verdure. Respectful. withor
ul, being servile, in conversation they use a
abrupt and violent tone Of voice, whic
ar, strongly cont, asts with their hdbitual ger
' ] lleness and modesty. They have strong !
len quors, and get intoxicated whenever the
ow have an opportunity. ,... ...
my 1t is honorable to the zeal Of the Catho
lett priests that they have missionary, witt
san no,withstan ding the low rOnk of these PEI
IRE. pie in the scale OF humanity, the wide teri
, to tory over which they are scattered, and tf
re- thick forests which it is necessary to PEN
lat trate to reach them, and the absence OF q
- roads, while ferocious beasts are thick
de. every step, is laboring among them al
ich makes his home with them.
ing Such ore the people in whom originate
bill the idea and the stories about the Duran
10 outang-"lhe man Of the forests"
ny -----~sSss--