The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-11-03
HABITS OF THE JAKoONs.

dhblIS Ot The JAkO0NS.
The Boston Traveller contains a letter
from Shaughae, giving an account Of the
habits of Jakoons, barbarous people
who inhabit the interior of MaIacca Their
language and features are unlike those Of
the MaIays proper, of whom they are also
politically independent. They have no
history, having been found by the early
Portuguese voyagers in the country in which
they still reside. They are called Orang-
Benn"r, or men Of the great country ;
the Orang Ubi, men Of the forests; the
Orang Semang, or black men; the ia
koons and the Kaiats. Orang is tho,
Malay name for man and U,an or Hutan,
for forests, whence the word 8, common
with us, DURAN outang, or wild men, if men
they may he called, when common opinion
has assigned them a rank hardly above
monkeys and baboons. They generally live
in houses built Of bamboo sticks, and sus-
pended to the top Of lofty trees to which
they ascend by rude ladders. These cab
ins, suspended to the tree-tops, are so mar
row that stranger cannot be admitted
without annoyance to the member of the
family or his exclusion; for one must 90
down when new one comes up. 9th.
ers who have no taste for these AERIAL
abodes-nests not for birds, but for men
construct huts, raised two or three feet
above the ground. The first story serves
for lodging, where they eat and sleep by
the side of fire always kept brightly
burning, in order to frighten away the
tigers and other wild beasts which fill the
forests. In the second story they put their
arms for safety, their provisions and kitchen
utensils, all Of which are comprised IN
pixies. in eartlien pots, and one or two
great China bowls. They eat whatever
comes to hand, as wild boars, apes and
birds, which last are taken either in snares
or shot by arrows, and the roots and tubes
which the earth produces in abundance.
II they plant rice it is only enough to meet
their absolute wants. Instead Of regular
labor, they prefer the fatiguing 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 proceeded by a most
singular and ludicrous cetemony. An old
man presents the future husband and wife
to large assemblage of invited guests,
whom it conducts, followed by their re-
spective families, into grand circle, around
which the young lady, the bride; sets out
running upon all :t0urs; and tile young
man, who is the bridegroom, in the same
style after her. If lie succeeds in overtak-
ing her, she becomes his wife, il not he
forIeits all his rights, and loves labor is
lost This often happens when the BRIDE
groom fails of pleasing the young lady,
who endeavors to escape from the en-
braces Of distasteful or odious husband
by beating him in this queer trotting MATCH
Upon the death of one of their number.
they wrap his body in a white winding
sheet, and then deposit it in grave dug
near his hut, sometimes in an erect position,
sometimes sitting and sometimes living
down. They are careful to put lance
! at his eide, 'parang,' and a sumpitan'
their instruments of hunting and of war,
but never use any religious CEREMONY
Still, these weapons placed by the side Of
the corpse indicate sbadowy belief in a
future existence. TEeir religion is con-
fused mass of the grossest superstitions,
propagated by the 7oayans, kind Of
priests, who are half physicians and half
jugglers. Their magical science is in great
esteem with the MaIays. The singular
kind Of life they lead, tile peculiarly Of
their costume and the long intervals of
their appearance among the people, secure
for them certain prestige and respect.
Seen from afar, and through mysterious
veil, they pass for beings endowed with
superhuman power, TO. whom the plants
and roots of the forests have reyaIed their
most secret virtues. In q word, they are
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