Messrs. Burton and Ward's Journey into the Batak Country. 501 



tion. The master immediately sent for his book, that he might learn 



whether that were a lucky day for their admission, otherwise they must 



have remained without shelter at the mercy of the tigers till such a day had 



occurred ! The Datu, or priest, discovers the character of each day 



chiefly by a table called perhala-an, consisting of twelve horizontal lines, 



answering to the months of the year, which are again crossed by thirty 



perpendicular lines dividing each month into so many days, and producing 



in all three hundred and sixty small squares, answering to the days in their 



year. In this square table are also drawn four diagonal Hues, on which are 



painted hieroglyphical marks, being representations of two constellations, 



the scorpion and pleiades, of which the former, named by the Bataks 



" Bentang Hala," is considered the most ominous. Wliere this occurs on 



the table, it is made to cover four days ; the head one, the body two, and the 



tail one : those covered by its body being considered fortunate ; the others so 



unlucky, that no new engagements can be entered into upon them with any 



hope of success. Besides this table this learned Datu is furnished with two 



staffs,, named tondung hiijur and tondung rangas, four feet long, of a very 



black hard wood, the heads of which are cut to represent an animal's face, 



and every part of them engraved with significant marks, by decyphering 



which he discovers lost or stolen property. To these instruments of his 



dark art we may add a book, called ati siporlias, and a cord, named rombu 



siporhas ; by the former of which he determines the best time to attack an 



enemy, and by the latter measures the comparative strength of the two parties. 



Nor is it sufficient that he be well versed in the interpretation of these : in 



an egg, a dog, or a pig, he must see much that is important ; he must be 



acquainted with one hundred and seventy-seven different omens exhibited 



by the inside of fowls, with seventy exhibited in portions of calcined hme, 



and with seventy-three in lemons cut transversely ; and he must repeat 



readily from memory the various forms of prayer and invocation that are 



most esteemed in his district. 



Sacrifices. 



The Bataks present no offerings of gratitude to their gods. In the full 

 enjoyment of health, prosperity, and peace, having nothing to ask from 

 them, they are wholly neglected. It is only when entering on some hazar- 

 dous enterprize, or on being threatened with war ; when followed by a 

 long train of misfortunes, or when suffering from severe and protracted 



