OF THE INDO-CHINESE NATIONS. 21? 



tlie flesli of their enemies. With their language I am 

 totally unacquainted, but it is reckoned }>eculiar. It 

 is very probable, however, tliat they are only a tribe 

 of Idan, whom, again, I imagine to be only a race of 

 Haraforas or J If hers, as they are termed by the 

 Dutch, who seem to be the most original race of all 

 the eastern islands, excepting perhaps, the Papiias. 

 The Idim are sometimes termed Mariit ; they are 

 certainly the original inhabitants of Borneo, and 

 resemble the Haraforas equally in stature, agility, 

 colour, and manners. The Haraforas are indigenous 

 in .almost all the eastern isles, and are sometimes 

 found on the same island with the Papuas or oriental 

 negroes. Tliey are often lighter in colour than the 

 Muhammedan races, and generally excel them in 

 strength and activity. The}'' are universally rude and 

 unlettered, and where they have not been reduced 

 to the state of slaves of the soil, their manners have 

 a general resemblance. In their manners, the most 

 singular feature is, the necessity imposed on every 

 person, ol soine time in his life, embruing his hands 

 in human blood ; and in general among all their 

 tribes, as well as the Idan, no person is permitted to 

 marry till he can shew the skull of a man whom he 

 has slaughtered. They eat the flesh of their enemies, 

 like the Battas, and drink out of their skulls ; and 

 the ornaments of their houses are human skulls and 

 teeth, which are, consequently, in great request 

 among them, as formerly in ISiimah^a, the ancient 

 inhabitants of which are said to have originally had 

 no other money tlian the skulls of their enemirs. 

 The Haraforas are found in all the Moluccas, in Ce- 

 lebes, the Philippines, and Alagindano, where they are 

 termed Subano or Manubo ; and the ferocious race 

 mentioned by Marsden, who live inland from Sa- 

 manka in Sumatra, and are accustomed to atone their 



