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SEMANG

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Originally appearing in Volume V24, Page 615 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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SEMANG , an aboriginal See also:

people of the See also:Malay See also:peninsula, found in See also:northern See also:Perak, Kedah, See also:Kelantan, See also:Trengganu and the northern districts of Pahang. They are a fairly pure See also:branch of the woolly-haired Negrito See also:race, which includes the natives of the Andaman islands, the Aetas of the Philippines and the dwarfs of Central See also:Africa. The men See also:average about 4 ft. 9 or 10 in., while the See also:women are 32 in. shorter. Their See also:colour is a very dark See also:brown or See also:black. The shape of the See also:head is See also:round, or intermediate between round and See also:long. The forehead is See also:low and rounded, and projects over the See also:root of the See also:nose, which is See also:short, depressed and See also:pyramid-shaped. The eyes are wide open and round, showing no obliquity, the See also:iris being of a very See also:rich, deep brown. Lips vary from moderate to full, the mouth is rather large, the See also:chin feebly See also:developed, and the jaws are often slightly projecting. The See also:hair is very dark-brown black, never See also:blue-black as among See also:Chinese and See also:Malays. It grows in short, See also:spiral tufts, See also:curling closely all over the head. The See also:arm-stretch is almost always greater than their height.

The feet are usually short and splayed, with a remarkable inward See also:

curve of the See also:great toe, and are very prehensile. The Semangs live in caves or See also:leaf-shelters formed between branches. A waistcloth for the men, made of See also:tree bark hammered out with a wooden See also:mallet from the bark of the terap, a See also:species of See also:wild See also:bread-See also:fruit tree, and a short See also:petticoat of the same for the women, is the only See also:dress worn; many go naked. See also:Tattooing, or rather scarring, is practised, by See also:drawing the finely serrated edge of a See also:sugar-See also:cane leaf across the skin and rubbing in See also:charcoal See also:powder. They have See also:bamboo musical See also:instruments, a See also:kind of See also:Jews' See also:harp and a nose See also:flute. On festive occasions there is See also:song and See also:dance, both sexes decorating themselves with leaves. The Semangs See also:bury their dead simply, See also:food and drink being placed in the See also:grave.

End of Article: SEMANG

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