CELEBES. 



ri.Vf 



< ly as nun, determine questions of peace or war. 



"""" They an- dividfd into three portions, each of which 

 Ins .1 chief banner or flag. Two chiefs are elected 

 from each of these divisions, one of whom has the 

 administration of civil, and the other of military 

 matters, and over the whole is the fortieth person 

 called tmtttoi/a, or annnatooa, the sovereign of the 

 whole. Thus there are two from each division, and 

 the sovereign or rajah. When the aramntooa dies, 

 the thirty-nine survivors elect one of themselves to 

 the dignity. 



An oatn of fealty, somewhat similar to that which 

 of old was known in countries acknowledging the 

 feudal system, and alao investitures of land, prevail 

 in Celebes. At least we know, that such is the case 

 with regard to foreigners. The person is introduced 

 to the presence of the rajah, when he takes up a shield 

 and dagger, and goes through all the warlike ma- 

 noeuvres of the people with great violence and agita- 

 tion, at the same time vowing vengeance against the 

 various tribes at war with the rajah. This being done, 

 the dagger and shield are laid down, and if the person 

 bea man of consideration he seats himself by the rajah, 

 while the others to be sworn in, perform a similar ce- 

 remony. When one obtains a grant of land he takes 

 possession of it in form, by kindling a fire upon it, 

 and piling up a heap of stones, a ceremony resem- 

 bling the sasine used in this kingdom. 



It is said that some of the laws of the natives of-Ce- 

 lebes are written, and that others are administered ac- 

 cording to the custom of their predecessors, as preser- 

 ved in the remembrance of aged persons. Crimes are 

 not punished arbitrarily at the will of the chief, but 

 according to established laws. The accusation, how- 

 ever, is brought before him, and he orders an investi- 

 gation of the fact. When a report is made, if it be 

 of a crime deserving capital punishment, the chief 

 gives a sign with his eyes, and the culprit is carried 

 forth and poniarded. Should aggravated circum- 

 stances have attended it, the chief ordains a more se- 

 vere punishment : the criminal is bound to a tree, 

 and his skin pricked with daggers in innumerable 

 places, which are rubbed over with sugar and molas- 

 ses. His whole body is soon covered by swarms of 

 ants, and he is literally devoured alive. This hor- 

 rible punishment is never inflicted on persons of high 

 rank, who are simply poniarded to death. Never- 

 theless some of the rajahs rule with arbitrary sway, 

 and little account is made of life by the natives. 



The different tribes are frequently involved in mu- 

 tual wars, originating from very slight occasions, and 

 they even venture attacks on Europeans, which are 

 generally irregular. All are noted pirates, and com- 

 mit many depredations on the vessels of every nation 

 which they meet at sea. There they are held in 

 greater dread than by land ; their vessels being often 

 mistaken for those of more pacific people, and be- 

 oause much stratagem is employed to decoy the un- 

 wary. Long voyages are made by them to Prince of 

 Wales Island, Batavia, and so far as the coast of New 

 Holland. In engagements by land the victors deca- 

 pitate the slain, ana prisoners are sold for slaves at 

 between 5 and 10 each. The arms are spear, dag- 

 ger, and shield ; but many have musketslikewise. In 

 the words of an intelligent voyager, one of these na- 

 tives " altogether very much resembles a Scotish high- 





VOL. V. 1'AUT, If. 



lander when the ends of bis plaid are wwf d together. f>leb. 

 His arms are a sword, lance, dagger, and target j some- s "~i'" "' 

 times a musket and bayonet or blunderbuss instead of 

 the lance ; but then he is attended by a lad, who, him- 

 bclt armed, carries several lances." In particular dis- 

 tricts the natives fight with barbed arrows poisoned, 

 blown out of black ebony blow guns about four or five 

 feet long. In the use of them they are very expert, 

 and can kill at the distance of twenty yards. The 

 effect of these arrows is most destructive, and th* 

 object speedily expires in excruciating agonies. 



The Mahometan religion was established in Celebes ii. 

 the end of the sixteenth or beginning of the seventeenth 

 century, and the inhabitants thence entertain a great 

 abhorrence against Christians. There is a high priest, 

 who in one district was, of late years, a foreigner from 

 a distant island, to whom much deference was shown. 

 A rajah desirous of making war, previously consults 

 the priest on its probable success, who, after a pretended 

 reference to a book, declares his opinion : if unfavour- 

 able, the rajah prefers submitting to an indignity : if 

 the reverse, he prepares for it by providing himself 

 with a charm from the priest, which he believes ren- 

 ders him invulnerable. But the charm, which is on- 

 ly a square piece of paper inscribed with certain cha- 

 racters, remains no more than six months in force. 



The inhabitants of Celebes do not adhere strictly 

 to the Mahometan law in their matrimonial alliances. 

 If a man can afford to maintain four wives, he may 

 marry that number, but not otherwise. The marria- 

 ges of the higher ranks are attended with many cere- 

 monies, and are always preceded by presents. Three 

 swivels and twenty pieces of white cloth were consi- 

 dered a liberal donation when, on a recent occasion, 

 the children of two chiefs were united. Here the 

 man had accidentally visited Celebes in a piratical 

 vessel from another island ; and on the day appoint- 

 ed, his father, the commander, together with his 

 crew, came on shore, armed as if for battle. The 

 high-priest then attired him in a pair of long silk 

 trowsers, and also in five or six silk gowns of different 

 colours, wkh a wrapper over the whole : he put a 

 cap on his head, which was surmounted by a turban. 

 A procession towards the town, which was the resi- 

 dence of the woman's father, ensued : the bridegroom 

 being guarded by twenty of his own men armed with 

 spears and shields, on whose approach a number of 

 men armed in the same manner issued from the town, 

 when a sham fight well supported began. The towns- 

 men, however, gradually retreated until they reach- 

 ed the gate, when a piece of chintz stretched across 

 prevented their entrance. It was withdrawn on the 

 defender's receiving a present of a little betel-nut, 

 but replaced elsewhere, while the sham fight conti- 

 nued with much apparent vehemence, until the dona- 

 tion was repeated. This ceremony was successively 

 renewed, the townsmen always retreating until the man 

 reached the house of the bride's residence. Imme- 

 diately upon his entrance, he seated himself beside 

 her, and the high- priest performed the marriage cere- 

 mony, enjoining mutual regard, and telling the bride 



she must forsake all other men for her husband's sake, 

 be attentive to him ar.d acknowledge his superiority. 



The priest then began to sing a lively tune, at the 



close of which all the guests joined in chorus. 



Youths are circumcised at about the age of fifteen, 

 4o 



