VII.] THE OCEANIC MONGOLS. 247 



In the strangest contrast to these survivals of a foreign culture 

 which had probably never struck very deep roots, stand the 

 savage survivals from still more ancient times. Conspicuous 

 amongst these are the cannibal practices, which if not now 

 universal still take some peculiarly revolting forms. Thus captives 

 and criminals are, under certain circumstances, condemned to be 

 eaten alive, and the same fate is or was reserved for 



. . . , . _ . . Cannibalism. 



those incapacitated for work by age or infirmities. 

 When the time came, we are told by the early European observers 

 and by the reports of the Arabs, the "grandfathers" voluntarily 

 suspended themselves by their arms from an overhanging branch, 

 while friends and neighbours danced round and round, shouting, 

 " when the fruit is ripe it falls." And when it did fall, that is, as 

 soon as it could hold on no longer, the company fell upon it with 

 their krisses, hacking it to pieces, and devouring the remains 

 seasoned with lime-juice, for such feasts were generally held when 

 the limes were ripe 1 . 



Grouped chiefly round about Lake Toba, the Battas occupy 

 a very wide domain, stretching south to about the 



TV* _ 



parallel of Mount Ophir, and bordering northwards Achinese. 



on the territory of the Achin people. These valiant 



natives, who have hitherto so stoutly maintained their political 



independence against the Dutch, were also at one time Hinduized, 



as is evident from many of their traditions, their Malayan language 



largely charged with Sanskrit terms, and even their physical 



appearance, suggesting a considerable admixture of Hindu as well 



as of Arab blood. With the Arab traders and 



settlers came the Koran, and the Achinese people R^ords 



have been not over-zealous followers of the Prophet 



since the close of the i2th century. The Muhammadan State, 



founded in 1205, acquired a dominant position in the Archipelago 



early in the i6th century, when it ruled over about half of 



Sumatra, exacted tribute from many vassal princes, maintained 



powerful armaments by land and sea, and entered into political 



and commercial relations with Egypt, Japan, and several European 



States. 



There are two somewhat distinct ethnical groups, the Orang- 

 1 Memoir of the Life &~Y. of Sir T. S. Raffles, by his widow, 1830. 



