MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 



521 



vious to my landing on Bali, 

 nineteen yoimg women j the wives 

 and concubines of the younger 

 rajah, who was lately put to 

 death, sacrificed themselves in 

 this manner. 



The written language of Bali 

 differs but little from that of 

 Java ; but the character has a 

 more ancient form. The Kawi 

 is the sacred language, and un- 

 derstood or pretended to be un- 

 dei'stood by tlie Bramins. The 

 common language is a mixture 

 of the original language of the 

 country and that of Java, in which 

 the latter predominates. 



Deferring until another occa- 

 sion a more particular review of 

 the religion, institutions and ha- 

 bits of this people, I will, for the 

 present confine myself to such ob- 

 servations as occur on the con- 

 templation of the peculiar and 

 extraoulinary character they ex- 

 hibit : for the Balinese differs 

 widely both in appearance and 

 character from the Javan, and in- 

 deed from every other inhabitant 

 of the Archi])elago. 



The natives of Bali are about 

 themi(hile size of Asiatics ; larger 

 and more athletic than the Javans 

 or Malays, and possessed of an 

 air of independence different al- 

 together from the appeaiance of 

 fheir more polished neighbours 

 on the coast of Java. The wo- 

 men, in particular, are well pro- 

 portioned. They seem to be on 

 a perfect equality with the men. 

 They are not secluded from so- 

 ciety ; and their general inter- 

 course with strangers, even Eu- 

 ropeans, is frank and cheerful. 

 They are fairer than the women 

 in Java; and, wearing no cover- 

 ing above the waist, the natural 



beauty and symmetry of their 

 shape is neither restrained nor 

 concealed. 



Tliere are two kinds of slavery 

 existing in Bali, and sanctioned 

 by the laws of the couritry. The 

 first is termed " panink ;" by 

 which is uniierstood a perfect 

 state of slavery ; the second, 

 " kowang," which leseinbles the 

 condition of the slave-debtor in 

 Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. 

 " Paninc" is synonimous with 

 " liu}iiba" among the Malays, and 

 signifies a slave. The master has 

 complete possession of his pei- 

 son ; and may lawfully transfer 

 and punish with death, according 

 to his will and pleasure, it being 

 contrary to usage for the pi ince 

 to interfere. In the mode of ac- 

 quiring this absolute property 

 there appears to be but little re- 

 striction. Piisoners taken in war, 

 or families carried off from their 

 count: ies, are daily sold and trans- 

 feired ; the deed of transfer, called 

 in I'.ali, " padol,"' being authen- 

 ticated by the Tumung"gimg. In 

 cases where an outrage is com- 

 mit ed in a neighboming state iu 

 alliance, application from the in- 

 jined i»arty, transmitted through 

 the proper chief, will cause the 

 persons to be restored, and the 

 perpetrators of tlie outrage are 

 liable to the punishment of death ; 

 but, in cases where the counti ies 

 are not immediately in alliance, 

 or when the parties carried oif 

 from a friendly state happen to 

 want friends to make ajiplication 

 in their favom', no notice is taken 

 of such occurrences If a fiee 

 man wishes to marry a (emale 

 .slave, lie may obtain her by pur- 

 chase, provided he can agic" witli 

 the proprietor i otherwise, he 



mat 



