42 MEMOIR OP 



" The people, though professedly Mahomedans, 

 seem more attached to their ancient worship and su- 

 perstitions than I expected. I clearly traced an an- 

 cient mythology, and obtained the names of at least 

 twenty gods, several of whom are Hindus. In each 

 of the villages we found a Lang'gar, similar to that 

 noticed at Merambung, but generally better con- 

 structed. 



" The utmost good-humour and affection seemed 

 to exist among the people of the village ; they were 

 as one family, the men walking about holding each 

 other by the hand, and playing tricks with each other 

 like children. They were as fine a race as I ever 

 beheld ; in general about six feet high, and propor- 

 tionally stout, clear and clean skins, and an open in- 

 genuous countenance. They seemed to have abun- 

 dance of every thing ; rice, the staple food of the 

 country, being five times as cheap as at Bencoolen, 

 and every other article of produce in proportion. 

 The women and children were decorated with a pro- 

 fusion of silver ornaments, and particularly with 

 strings of dollars and other coins, hanging two or 

 three deep round the neck. It was not uncommon 

 to see a child with a hundred dollars round her neck. 

 Every one seemed anxious for medicine, and they 

 cheerfully agreed to be vaccinated. The small-pox 

 had latterly committed great ravages, and the popu- 

 lation of whole villages had fled into the woods to 

 avoid the contagion. 



'* We now thought of returning to the coast, and 



