ÖÖI 8x 3 ^c- 0 - Acehbooks.org

292 S U M A T R A .
The country of Batta—Its productions—The inhabitants—-Account
of their manners, government, and fome extraordinary
•ciiftoms.
J[ HE next considerable distinction of people, as we advance to the
northward, is the nation of the Battas, whofe remarkable diffimilitude,
in the genius of their cufloms and manners, to the other inhabitants of
the ifland, renders it necefiary that a particular degree of attention mould
be paid to their defcription. Although thefe people had frequently
been mentioned by old writers, yet it was not until about the year 1752,
when the Englifh fettled at Natal, and formed connexions in that part
of the country, that they became properly known to any European,
and their ufages, extraordinary in fome inftances, were accurately afcertained.
The country of Batta may be faid, in a fummary way, to be bounded
to the north, by that of Achten, and to the fouth, by Pajfumman and
the independent diftrict of Rou or Am : but more precifely, it is marked
as extending from the great river of Sinkell, to that of Tabooyong,
on the fea coaft, and inland, as far fouth as Ayer Bongey, at the back of
which the Rett people commence. The country is very populous, but
the bulk of the people refide at a diftance from the fea, in the central
parts of the land, in extenfive plains between two ridges of hills, on the
borders of a great lake; where the foil is fertile, and cultivation fo
much more prevalent, than in the fouthern diftricts, which are covered
with woods, that there is fcarce a tree to be feen but what the natives
themlelves have planted for ufe. The ifland being very narrow in this
part, their towns lie, as well on the rivers that difcharge themfelves
into the Straits of Malacca, as thofe which have their courfe towards the
Weft coaft; but their communication is now more open with this latter
fide;