176 CELEBES. [chap. 



one time, not veiy long ago, there were three distmct and powerful 

 tribes living in the neighbourhood of the Tondano lake, without 

 taking into consideration others established on the east coast. 

 They were the Tondano, Tonbulu, and Tonsaya, — the " men of the 

 lake," " men of the bamboo," and " strangers." The Tonsaya lived 

 to the south of the lake, and, as their name implies, were later 

 comers, while the Tonbulu, so called from the legend that their 

 ancestors sprang from a bamboo — inhabited Tomohon, which word 

 has the same meaning. Until the beginning of the present century, 

 or even later, these tribes were always at war with each other, and 

 even now, although they are on perfectly friendly terms, no inter- 

 marriage ever takes place, and each man keeps to the villages of 

 his tribe. This custom tends, of course, to preserve the type as 

 well as the language, and Mr, Van de Ven told us that he could at 

 a glance distinguish between individuals of the different tribes, but 

 I was unable to do so myself. That it takes some little time to 

 learn the alphabet of physiognomy among new peoples I knew 

 from my own experience in other countries, but when once learnt 

 the student probably w^onders how he could have failed to discern 

 what he now perceives to be strongly -marked characteristics. 

 Similarities or dissimilarities, as noticed by a passing traveller, 

 are as a rule of little value. To us the people of all these districts 

 appeared pleasant-looking, and some of the women were decidedly 

 pretty. The faces were broader, but less flat than the usual Malay 

 type. Their contented look struck us greatly. Every one saluted 

 us smilingly, but perfectly naturally and independently, and with- 

 out a trace of cringing. 



On Sunday we visited the church. It was a Ijuilding of the 

 most severely simple style ; a large, square, whitewashed room 

 filled with pews, and with a print of Ecce Homo where the altar 

 would have been in an English church. There was a congregation 

 of about 450 people, who were listening attentively to the preacher 

 — himself a native. The centre of the church was occupied chiefly 

 by women ; the back and sides by the men, but this arrangement 



