518 TRAVELS IN THE EAST INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



tracks would liave judged tliat half a dozen tigers liad 

 passed tliat way. There are but a few native houses 

 here at a distance from the villages in the ladangs, 

 and those are all j)erched on posts twelve or fifteen 

 feet high, and reached by a ladder or notched stick, 

 in order that those dwelling in them may be safer 

 from the tigers. 



At noon we came down into a fertile valley sui'- 

 rounded with mountains in the distance, and at 2 

 p. M. arrived at Lahat, a pretty native village on the 

 banks of the Limatang. The controleur stationed 

 here received me politely, and engaged a boat to take 

 me down the Limatang to Palembang. The Lima- 

 tang takes its rise u]^ in the Pasuma country, and 

 Lahat, being at the head of navigation on this river, 

 is an important point. A strong fort has been built 

 here, and is constantly garrisoned with one or two 

 companies of soldiers. One night while I was there, 

 there was a general alarm that a strong body of 

 Pasumas had been discovered reconnoitring the vil- 

 lage, and immediately every possible preparation was 

 made to receive them. The cause of the alarm proved 

 to be, that one of the Javanese soldiers stationed out- 

 side the fort stated that he saw two natives skulking 

 in the shrubbery near him, and that he heard them 

 consulting whether it was best to attack him, because, 

 as was true, his gun was not loaded. The mode of 

 attack that the Pasumas adopt is to send forward a 

 few of their braves to set fire to a village, while the 

 main body remains near by to make attack as soon as 

 the confusion caused by the fire begins. This is un- 

 doubtedly the safest and most effectual mode of at- 



