492 Messrs. Burton and Ward^s Journey into the BataJc Country. 



abruptly, leaving the country on the south-eastern side low and open. The 

 southern extremity seemed involved in utter obscurity, and none of our in- 

 quiries relative to an outlet in that part elicited a direct or satisfactory answer. 

 After much inquiry and explanation, we were therefore obliged to content 

 ourselves with a supposition founded on the situation of the lake and the 

 general appearance of the surrounding country : — with scarcely any recollec- 

 tion of the eastern coast, except that it is to a great extent low, covered 

 with jungle, and subject to inundations of the tide, we concluded that the lake 

 must have an outlet, lost perhaps in the jungle, or otherwise destitute of a 

 freecommunication with the sea. 



We had concluded our inquiries relative to the lake the first time we 

 ascended the hills, and had reverted to the surrounding scenerj', when the 

 guide voluntarily added, that the waters rose and fell twice a day, perpen- 

 dicularly from a cubit to two feet. As he liad never been in the vicinity 

 of the sea, he was wholly unacquainted with the ebbing and flowing of the 

 tide, and attributed the motion of the lake to the power either of the spirits 

 inhabiting it or of their principal chief, whose dominion seemed to rest 

 chiefly on the basis of superstition. Extraordinary as this circumstance ap- 

 peared, our inquiries respecting it were suffered to rest until we ascended a 

 higher hill with other guides : it was then, together with the preceding par- 

 ticulars, fully corroborated, and all our questions on the subject were after- 

 wards answered to the same effect, with un nimity and distinctness. It was 

 farther added, that at the full and change of the moon tlie rise and fall of the 

 water were greater, it sometimes rising even to a level with the surrounding 

 bank. The only alteration this important fact made in our first conclusion was, 

 that instead of so obscure an outlet as we had supposed, it must have a more 

 considerable one, but of what nature we were still at a loss to determine. 

 On our return to the coast, we perceived the mouth of the river Rakkan to 

 be laid down in Mr. Marsden's map at so small a distance from the southern 

 extremity of the lake, as to suggest the probability of a communication 

 between them. A chief at Tappmiooly afterwards informed us of a tradi- 

 tion of the Bataks, sufficient to account for their ignorance respecting the 

 outlet : he said there was a certain point towards the south-east which they 

 regarded as the abode of evil spirits, and beyond which should they presume 

 to pass, their temerity would be punished with immediate destruction. 

 This belief would be powerful enough, we feel convinced, to deter the 

 superstitious Bataks from venturing to pass that limit. 



