Chapter I: Front Matter

MY FRIENDS
THE SAVAGES

BY
Captain G. B. CERRUTI

TRANSLATED FROM THE ITALIAN
BY I. STONE SANPIETRO

NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS OF A
PERAK SETTLER (MALAY PENINSULA).
RICHLY ILLUSTRATED WITH
ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN BY
THE AUTHOR.

COMO (Italy)
TIPOGRAFIA COOPERATIVA COMENSE
1908

_Every copy of this work not bearing the
author's signature will be retained by him
as an infringement of his rights._

[Signature of author]

These notes, the fruit of much
sacrifice, I dedicate to the memory
of my dear ones.

The fond embrace of parents and
a sister, which for me was a sweet
augury at my departure, greeted me
no more at my return!

_Varazze, June 1906._

[Transcriber's Note: This table of contents was originally at the end of the book but has been moved here for the convenience of users.]

CONTENTS

Chapter I: Malacca and its contrasts--Devourers of
the soul and devourers of the body--The realization
of a poet's dream--Temptations--A call from the
forest--Auri sacra fames--Baggage--Farewell to
civilization _Page_ 5

Chapter II: My escort--By steamer to Telok Anson--The
other bank of the Perak--Towards the forest--First
news--Blood-letting in the swamp--Robbed and
forsaken--Revenge in due time--The Malay's
instigation--My little Sam Sam's fidelity--
Philosophical reflections under a heavy weight " 11

Chapter III: A fearful nocturnal concert--Fire!
Fire!--A clearing in the forest--A general
flight--Masters of the camp!--Mortal
weariness--A morning greeting without any
compliments--A first meeting--In the
village--_Alà_ against the Orang-putei " 22

Chapter IV: New friends--Gold--An English official--
The purchase of my future treasure--Administrative
simplicity--England teaches!--The "sla pui"--Bitter
disappointment--The Sam-Sam--The poison of the
Savage and the venom of the Civilized " 31

Chapter V: Great Mother Earth--A dangerous meeting--
A living statue--Here or there?--An unrelished
supper--A dreaded immigration--A glance into
the past--A rape which was not a rape--A noble
task--Towards the mountain--Tiger-shooting--The
Sakais in town--Alloyed sweets--Musical tastes--
Hurrah for the free forest! " 42

Chapter VI: The great Sorceress--The forest seen from
above--A struggle for life--The crimes of plants--
Everlasting twilight--Births and deaths--Concerts
by forest vocalists--The "durian"--The "ple-lok"--
Vastnesses unexplored by science--Treasures
intact--Para Rubber--The Samaritans of the
jungle--The forest and its history " 59

Chapter VII: The snares of civilized life--Faust's
invocation--The dangers of the forest--Serpents--
A perilous adventure--Carnivorous and herbivorous
animals--The "sladan"--The man of the wood " 75

Chapter VIII: An official appointment--A tour
of inspection--Lost in the forest--I find a
philosopher--Lycurgus and his laws--A contented
mind is a continual feast--A night among the
tigers--On the Berumbum--I sleep with a serpent--
The last of many--Safe from trap and arrow--The
coronation of King Edward VII " 85

Chapter IX: The origin of the Sakais--Hypothesis
and legend--Physical character--Thick tresses,
gay flowers and troublesome guests--Hereditary
antipathy--The five senses reduced to two--
Food and drink--Tranquil life--Intolerance of
authority--Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law--
Logical laziness--A Sakai journalist--The story
of a mattress " 107

Chapter X: The Sakai woman--Conjugal fidelity--A life
of labour--Betrothals and nuptials--Love among
the Sakais--Divorcement--No kissing--Chastity--
Bigamy--Maternity and its excesses--Aged before the
time--Fashion and coquetry " 125

Chapter XI: A Sakai village--The "elder"--The family--
Degrees of relationship--Humorists disoccupied--On
the march--Tender hearts--Kindling the fire--A
hecatomb of giants--The hut--Household goods and
utensils--Work and repose " 141

Chapter XII: Intellectual development--Sakais of the
plain and Sakais of the hills--Laziness and
intelligence--Falsehood and the Evil Spirit--
The Sakai language--When the "Orang Putei" gets
angry--Counting time--Novel calendars--Moral gifts " 152

Chapter XIII: First attempts at industry--The story of
a hat--Multiplicity--Primitive arts--Sakai music--
Songs--Instruments--Dances--Ball dresses--Serpentine
gracefulness--An unpublished Sakai song " 172

Chapter XIV: The beliefs and superstitions of the
Sakais--Metempsychosis--The Evil Spirit--
Superstition among savages and ignorance among
civilized people--The two sources of life--The
wind--The Alà priest and physician--A scientific
vigil--Venerable imposture!-_Tenac_ and _Cintok_--
Therapeutic torture--Contagion--A Sakai's
death--The deserted village--Mourning--Births--
Fire--Intellectual darkness--The Sakais and
Islamism " 183

Chapter XV: Sakai arms--Shooting--Serpent
catchers--The Sakai and his poisons--_Toalang_,
_rengas_ and _sagol_--_Slà dol_, _slà plek_
and _slà clob_--_Akar toka_--Ipok--An antidote--
The _labar_, _lampat_, _masè_ and _loo_--The
_legop_--The Mai Bretaks--The preparation of
_legop_--Curious and superfluous ingredients--The
effects of _legop_--Strange contradictions--
Experiments--Poisons and antidotes--The settler
and science " 202

Chapter XVI: Past and future geography--Mountains
and plateaus--An attempt at a census--Temperature--
Maladies and remedies--_Alà_ a quack. " 221

AMONG THE SAKAIS