Year: 1860

away the tigers and other wild beasts which
till the forests. In the second story they
put their arms for safety, their provisions
and kitchen utensils, all of which are com
| prised IN pixies, in earthen pots, and one
or two great China bowls. They eat what
ever comes to hand, such as wild boars. apes
and birds, which last are either taken in
snares or shot by arrows, and the roots and
tubers which the earth produces in abun-
dance. If they plant rice it is only enough
to meet their absolute wants Instead of
regular labor, they prefer the fatiguing ad-
ventures of the chace and running among
the woods. Their cuisine is Of the low
est order, their favorite dish being slices of
meat half cooked, and still reeking with
blood. Their weddings arc preceded by a
most singular and ludicrous ceremony. An
old man presents the future husband and
wife to large assemblage Of invited guests,
whom he conducts, followed by their res
pective families, into grand circle, around
which the young lady, the bride, sets out
running upon all fours, and the young


man, who is the bride groom, in the same
style after her. If he succeeds in over
taking her, she becomes his wife if not
he forfeits all his rights, and loves labor
is lost This often happens when the
bridegroom fails of pleasing the young la
| dy, who endeavors to escape from the en-
braces of a 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 a grave
dug near his hut, sometimes in an erect
position, sometimes sitting and sometimes
lying down. They are careful to put
lance at his side, parang' and 'sumpi-
tan, their instruments of hunting and war,
but never use any religious ceremony
Still, these weapons placed by the side of
the corpse indicate shadowy belief in a
future existence. Their religion is con-
fused mass of the greatest superstitions,
propagated by the pagans,' kind ofpriests
who are half physicians and half jugglers.
Their magical science is in great esteem
with the Malays The singular kind of
life they lead, the peculiarity of their cos
tune and the long intervals Of their ap-
pearance among the people, secure for,them
a 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
forest have revealed their most secret vir-
tues. In word, they are believed to hold
in their hands the power of comforting health
or inficting death In accordance with
this belief, the Malays are very careful
not to provoke their iIl-will Naturally,
the Jakoons are of an open and ingenious
disposition, and withal inclined to gayety.
To the appearance of timidity they join
the independence Of life without control,
spent in the midst of thick forests and
everlasting verdure. Respectful without
being servile, in conversation they use an
abrupt and violent tone of voice, which
strongly contrasts with their habitual gen
tlcness and modesty. They love strong
liquors, and get intoxicated whenever they
have an opportunity. 1t is honorable to
the zeal of the Catholic priests that they
have missionary who, notwithstanding the
low rank of these people in the scale of
humanity, the wide territory over which
they are scattered and the absence of all
roads, while ferocious wild beasts are thick
at every step, is laboring among them, and
makes his home with them. Such are the
people in whom originated the idea and
the stories about the ourang-outang'
man of the forests.