778 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1805. 



they call a scgoun, Avhich is a w^rap- 

 per, and a pair of short trowsers ; 

 and they ivcar a handkerchief round 

 their heads. Their priests wear a 

 turban. 



Wars are not frequent with these 

 people. When one rajah is going 

 to war Mith another, he consults 

 ■with the priest, to know if be shall 

 be successful. The priest demands 

 of him when he liad (Jie first notion 

 or idea of it, and upon turning to a 

 little bdok which he keeps for the 

 purpose, he tells him he will or will 

 not be successful. If (he priest says 

 in the affirmative, the rajah proceeds; 

 if not, the rajah puts up Avith the 

 aft'ront which the other rajah had 

 given hiin. When a rajah goes to 

 war, he applies to the priest for a 

 bill of safety, which he gives him. 

 It is M'rittcn, I believe, in Arabic 

 letters. Some bind it on the arm, 

 some on the forehead, with the faith, 

 that vhilc they carry it about them, 

 they shall not be killed. 



The men arc courageous, cunning, 

 and enterprizing. They despise cow- 

 ards. Prisoners taken in war are 

 made slaves, and sold. They are 

 valued at from twenty to thirty dol- 

 lars each. 



Their arms consist of a cress, 

 which is a long iron dagger with a 

 short handle ; the tips of which are 

 sometimes presented by rajahs as 

 great presents, M'liere men have liecn 

 courageous. These tips are made 

 from the ends of the horns of cattle ; 

 and whenever bestowed in reward of 

 valour, are much valued. Their 

 spears, the growth of the betel-tree, 

 are about eight feet long, and shod 

 with iron. They never suflcr their 

 Spears to go out of their hands, but 

 strike their objects with great nicety. 



A caliavo is ashidd made of wood, 

 which the wqirior uses in bartJ«. 



When the rajah of Dungallymadg 

 war with the rajah of Parlow, he 

 gave a feast ; and being present at 

 it, I was witness to his calling in all 

 the people who were there, and who 

 were not of his tribe, to swear alle- 

 giance, which was done in the fol- 

 lowing manner: — They cleared a 

 piece of ground, sis or eight yards 

 square, and at one end of it made up 

 a fence of sago limbs, three feet high, 

 behind which, the rajah Arvo sat on 

 a mat. 



Tuan Hadjee, being a foreigtier, 

 and a head man, first swore allegi- 

 ance. This he did by taking a 

 cress and shield, and going through 

 the manreuvres of war with great 

 violence and agitation, naming the 

 dilferent tribes that were or ever had 

 been at war with the rajah, vowing 

 vengeance on them, and allegiance 

 to him. He then dropped the cress 

 and shield, and, proceeding to the 

 rajah, seated himself by his side. 



Another took up the cress and 

 shield, and tearing his handkerchief 

 from his head, and pulling his hair 

 over his face, went through the same 

 ceremony, but appeared to be in the 

 greatest rage, and sometimes stick- 

 ing the cress into the fence near 

 where the rajah was. Having gone 

 through the ceremony, he laid down 

 the cress and shield ; when they 

 were taken up by others in succes- 

 sion, until all had taken allegiance. 



If a man has committed a trifling 

 oflence, which does not deserve- 

 death, he is sold for a slave, to pay 

 the trespass : part of the purchase- 

 money goes to the rajah. If the sale 

 of this man does not pay the 

 amount, his wife and children are 

 also sold. 



The highest price for a young 

 man is about thirty dollars, or 

 ^.5 16^ sterling. The cost of 



others 



