believed to be the descendants of the aboriginal population.
These reside in the interior of the country, some
of the tribes even construct their rude dwellings in the
trees, and wherever land culture is by them adopted it is
of the most rude and primitive description. As a rule,
their life is nomadic. Dr. Maclay visited these people in
1875, and the following are some of his observations
respecting them:—*
“ These people are thoroughly disinclined to improvement
of any kind in their mode of life, intellectually or
otherwise, although it is not occasioned by want of
opportunity nor from want of brain.
“ 3. That these tribes are gradually becoming extinct
not only the Malays, but also they themselves are fully
aware.
“ This process of extinction is due mainly to the
following causes :—
“ a. The constant advance into the jungle of the
Malay and Chinese population displaces the
original occupiers of the soil, Who retire into
greater solitude.
“ b. Owing to frequent intermarriages between the
Malays and the ‘ utan’ women, the latter
race is becoming intermixed into the former,
and this mixed race is fast increasing.
“ In spite of the almost foregone conclusion with
which I set out upon my journey, and after severely
criticising upon my return the observations I made, I
cannot doubt the fact of the existence of an aboriginal
non-Malayan population. Furthermore, previous experience
and intimate knowledge of the Papuan race lead me
to the conviction that this aboriginal population is not
* “ Journal of Eastern Asia.” July, 1875. Trubner & Co.
ORANG UTAN OR WILD H EX OF JAHORE.
(Male and F em a le )
To face page 44.