ÖÖI 8x 3 ^c- 0 - Acehbooks.org

S U M A T R A . 301
not take upon me to afcertain; but the fame old hiftorians, who ment.
«on it as practifed by the Battas, and whofe accounts were undefervedly
looked upon as fabulous, relate it alfo of many others of the eaftern
people; and of the ifland of Java in particular; who, finee that period,
may have become more humanized.*
They do not eat human flefh, as a means of fatisfying the cravings
of nature, owing to a deficiency of other food; nor is it fought after as
a gluttonous delicacy, as it would feem among the New Zealanders.
The Battas eat it as a fpecies of ceremony ; as a mode of fhewing their
deteftation of crimes, by an ignominious punifhment; and as a horrid
indication of revenge and infult to their unfortunate enemies. The objects
of this barbarous repaft, are the prifoners taken in war ; and oftenfenders
convicted and condemned for capital crimes. Perfons of the
former defcription may be ranfomed or exchanged, for which they often
wait a confiderable time; and the latter fuffer only when their friends
cannot redeem them by the cuftomary fine of twenty beenchangs, or
eighty dollars. Thefe are tried by the people of the tribe where the
fact was committed; but cannot be executed till their own particular
raja, or chief, has been acquainted'with the fentence; who, when he
acknowledges the juftice of the intended punifhment, fends a cloth to
* Mention is made of the Battas and their cuftoms, by the following writers. Nicoli di
Conti 1449. Ramufio. " The Sumatrans are gentiles. The people of Batacb eat human
fiilh, and ufe the fkulls of their enemies inflead of money, and he is accounted the greateft man.
who has the moft of thefe in his houfe.'" Odoardus Barbofa. 1519. Ramufio. " In Am
(which is contiguous to Batta) they eat human flefh."—Mendez Pinto, in 1539, was fent on
an embaffy to the king of the Batas Beaulieu, 1622. " Inland people independent, and
fueak a language different from the Malayan. Idolaters and tat human flefh. Never ranfom
prifoners, but eat them with pepper and fait. Have no religion, but fome polity."
De Barros, 1558. " The gentiles retreated from the Malays to the interior parts of the ifland.
Thofe who live in that part oppofite to Malacca, are called Battas. They eat human flefh, and
are the moft favage and wai like people of the ifland. Thofe which inhabit to the fouth are
called Sotumas and are more civilized" Captain Hamilton. " The inhabitants of Delly
(on a river which runs from the Batta country) are faid to be cannibals." Vartomanus, in J504,
writes that the Ja-vans were man-eaters, before that trafnek was had with them by Chinefe,
which the people faid was no more than an hundred years- The fame cuftom has been attributed
-to the Cucos, inland of Cambodia, and alfo to the inhabitants of ths Carnicobarïüands.
put