49G Messrs. Burton and IVasd's Journey into the Bat ale Country. 



degree of credit may be due to these vague traditions, on the subject of the 

 original peophng of these islands, we cannot pretend to say. 



Bopulation. 



The district of Toha Silindung contains eighty-two villages, which we 

 supposed to be inhabited by eighty or one hundi'ed thousand souls. Toba 

 Holbang and Toba Linton were represented by the natives as much larger 

 and more pojjulous ; and Humbang as greatly exceeding either of these. 

 Si Nambila contains a hundred and twenty kampiings ; and keeping the pro- 

 portion of Silindung we may suppose its inhabitants to exceed a hundred 

 thousand. 



Of the extensive provinces of Anglcola and Mandeling, as well as of 

 Dairi, Alas, Butur, and the other smaller districts, our information is very 

 limited ; but we cannot suppose, upon a loose and general calculation, that 

 the population of the whole Batak country can fall much short of a million 

 and a half. 



Personal Appearance. 



In their personal appearance the Bataks of Silindung struck us as bearing 

 a considerable resemblance to the Hindus. They are generally of a middle 

 stature, well made and robust, and their features (particularly the nose) are 

 rather prominent. They possess smooth skins, of a lighter colour than the 

 people on the coast. They wear .the hair long, and tied at the top of the 

 head in the manner of the Hindus ; and the women part their hair in front 

 precisely like the women in India. Amongst the crowds by which we were 

 constantly surrounded, we do not recollect a single instance of natural de- 

 formity. The countenances of the children are mostly agreeable, uniting in 

 their expression mildness with great vivacity ; but on attaining the age of 

 ten or twelve years, their front teeth are filed down nearly to the gum, and 

 the stump blackened, which exceedingly injures their appearance. Females 

 arrived at years of maturity have generally lost all traces of beauty; 

 which cannot excite surpiise, when it is considered that most of the labours 

 of the field, as well as the drudgery of the house, and the manufacture of 

 cloth, devolve upon them. 



Dress. 



The men wear two cloths, of various colours in stripes, about two yards 

 and a half in length ; one fastened round the waist with a belt and hanging 



