te contrary to the truth because he is convinced that
every stranger brings with him an evil spirit to let loose upon the
person or place he seeks, and that by not saying the truth he tricks
both the man and the spirit that cannot injure him as he is not the
person declared.

As can be seen, this their way of reasoning does not lack a certain
ingenuity which leads one to think that the poor things' brains might be
educated to more agility in thinking and understanding.

Unfortunately the means are very scarce for making new impressions upon
the grey matter enclosed in the bony case of their thoughtless pates.
The first difficulty to be met with is the incredible poverty of their
language which impedes the communication and development of an idea.

I endeavour to remedy this deficiency by employing English words and
phrases because this is the official language in the Protected Malay
States, and the British Government wishes to make it popular.

The Sakais catch the meaning and make use of the terms the same as they
often learn a word in Italian or Genoese that I sometimes utter when
speaking to myself.

I remember well, one day, that in a moment of irritation about something
that did not go right, I exclaimed "_Sacramento_" (I apologize to those
who know what a naughty word it is).

My little servant boy who was present looked at me frightened, then
began to cry and darted away as if mad, although he had nothing to do
with my bad temper.

Well, what do you think? Now it has passed amongst the Sakai boys that
when the _Orang Putei_ gets angry he says "_Sacramento_!". And they
repeat the oath with all the emphasis and air of a trooper, yet I had
not taught them it nor should I have wished them to learn the
exclamation.

* * * * *

The Sakai language is, as I have said, very poor indeed, so much so that
it is impossible to form a long phrase or keep up the most simple
conversation because there are no means of connecting the various words
one with the other.

An idea is expressed by a single word or perhaps by three or four
together so that it requires a great deal of practice, attention and
also a special study of the mimicry which accompanies and explains these
terse vocal sounds, to enable one to follow out the thought.

[Illustration: A group of Bretak boys.

_p._ 156.]

Their vocabulary is soon exhausted for it is composed only of those
words which are strictly necessary