with the three chiefs, Dato' Si Maharâja, Dato' Sinda Maharâja, and Dato' Andîka, and they became five sûkus, and were called "běrampat berlîma sûku" being confined within the boundaries above-mentioned.
Further down stream came Dato' Mĕngiâng of the Mungkar sûku from Mâchap,[1] and a Mĕnangkâbau man, i.e., Dato' Maharâja Inda, making three with Dato' Pûtih Kěpâla, i.e., Dato' Mandělîka, and these were called three elders and one Lĕmbâga.
The origin of the appellation "bĕrsĕmbilan" is that they descended from nine mothers in these three sûkus, four in the Sri Mělĕnggang, three in the Mungkar, in the Tânah Datar[2] two; these worked together, together bore disgrace and shame.
The eight Lĕmbâga of sûkus, four in the low country and four inland, hold the next position in the State to the Pĕnghûlu, and in all affairs of consequence he is obliged to consult them and to follow the opinion of the majority, and no treaties or agreements affecting the country generally are valid without their signature. The four Orang Bĕsar, though not heads of sûkus, still, from their position as "waris" and consequent eligibility for the Pĕnghûluship, are able to exercise considerable influence. But subordinate chiefs of intriguing character are, of course, often found to have au influence greatly disproportioned to their official position. The Dato' Pĕrba, the foremost of the "duablas sûku," also occupies an influential position, from his being the head of the joint sûku of Bĕduanda Jakun and Bĕduanda Jâwa, from which he, like the Pĕnghûlu, is alternately elected. He is also eligible for the Pĕnghûluship. It will also be noticed that his sûku is by far the most numerous, being double any of the others.
Nature of country.The soil of Rĕmbau resembles that of Nâning generally. The same may be said of its physical configuration; the country is of.an undulating character, the depressions being mostly "sâwah," and the rising ground kampongs or secondary jungle. The hills, except near the Malacca frontier, seem to be of less elevation than in Nâning. Bukit Bĕsar is the only mountain in the country, exclu-
