SUMATRA 101 



Malays by virtue of its very austerity, as Commonwealth 

 followed upon Caroline manners, to be again succeeded 

 by them ; and it was equally predestined to extinction ; 

 but it served its turn in bringing Dutch influence and 

 civilisation to bear upon a country that had been until 

 then but little known. Menangkabo has met with more 

 success in colonisation than in preaching the creed of the 

 " Padris." About the fourteenth or fifteenth century a 

 fleet of twelve ships is said to have left the neighbour- 

 hood of Padang, and sailing northward, established 

 settlements at various places along the coast, both in the 

 Battak and Ache lands. Each ship founded a town, and 

 hence this part is still sometimes called the Twelve 

 Colonies, though to the British sailor it is perhaps better 

 known as the Pepper Coast. The descendants of these 

 settlers still retain the title of Datu, and have preserved 

 both the race and language pure. To such an extent 

 does this custom prevail, that any Malay marrying an 

 Ache woman, or giving his daughter to one of that race, 

 would be obliged to quit the country. 



Still proceeding southwards, after passing the Ko- 

 rinchis, who are grouped on the eastern slopes of the 

 Indrapura peak, and are a tolerably civilised sub-Malayan 

 race, with a written language, the Eejang country is 

 reached. These people are interesting as being the tribe 

 with whom the English were brought in contact during 

 the occupation of Benkulen. They, too, are of sub- 

 Malayan stock, and are probably a niLxture of Malays 

 with immigrant Javanese. South and east the Passuma 

 and Lampong people border on them, and on the east the 

 mixed riverine Palembang tribes. They are a numerous 

 and civilised people, possessing a written language like 

 the Korinchis and other nations already mentioned, but 

 inscribed in a peculiar character of rectilinear form, 



