Messrs. Burton and Ward's Journey into the Batah Country. 499 



are a kind and humane people ; instances of their extreme imfeeUngness 

 and cruelty towards the afflicted, and to enemies in their power, are la- 

 mentably numerous. Their seemingly peaceable disposition may perhaps 

 be resolved uito cowardice, and the influence of a dark and enslaving 

 superstition, from the shackles of which they are never for a moment free. 

 Hospitality is practised to a considerable extent, both as a public and 

 private virtue ; but avarice is deeply implanted in their minds, and is but 

 thinly disguised. 



Religion. 

 The Batals believe in the existence of one Supreme Being, the Creator 

 of the World, whom they name Debata hasi Asf. Since completing the 

 work of creation, they suppose him to have remained perfectly quiescent, 

 having wholly committed the government to his three sons, Batara Guru, 

 SoRi Pada, and Mangana Bulan ; who do not, however, govern in person, 

 but by. vaUls or proxies, whom they are supposed to station over different 

 divisions of the earth. To these vakeels they give the distinctive titles of 

 Debata digingang, Debata detora, and Debata dostonga, or the gods above, 

 the gods below, and the gods of the middle, expressive of the departments 

 over which their principals respectively preside. Batara Guru they repre- 

 sent as the god of justice j Sori Pada as the god of mercy ; and Mangana 

 Bulan as the original source of evil, and the constant instigator to its 

 commission. Tlie last is supposed to have the principal share in the 

 management of human affairs, and to be able at any time to thwart the 

 good intentions of his brethren : consequently, in whatever circumstances 

 the Batals may be placed, they are most anxious to secure his favour. 

 Considering good in general to consist in the absence of evil, it matters 

 little to them how they may be regarded by Batara Guru or Sori Pada, 

 so long as they secure the good-will of Mangana Bulan. Batara Guru 

 (as his name denotes) is the chief instructor of men ; and when he is sup- 

 posed by Sori Pada to be dealing too harshly with them, the latter expos- 

 ulates with him on their behalf 



Besides these they number amongst their deities the fabled serpent Naga 

 Padoha, which they represent with horns like a cow supporting the earth. 

 They imagine, also, that every village has its Boruna mora. Bom Saniydng 

 Naga, and Martua Sambaon, or guardian deities, superintending its interests 

 and overruling its affairs, and they attempt to secure tiie fiivour of those 

 deities by propitiatory sacrifices. 



