MEMOIR OF THE LATE MR. WILLIAM JACK. 
likewise send a copy to the Court of Di- 
rectors. We have also been employed in 
drawing up a paper for Lord Hastings, on 
the future government of the Eastern Is- 
lands, proposing great reforms and altera- 
tions, and have suggested the propriety of 
establishing a native college at Singapore. 
I consider it a most fortunate day which 
brought me acquainted with such aman as 
Sir S. Raffles. He possesses a singular 
energy of character which communicates 
some portion of its influence to all around 
him, and I hope to improve myself not a 
little in such society. The opportunities 
which I now enjoy will not, I trust, be 
thrown away. I told you of his promise 
of making me his Secretary; he has em- 
ployed me as such; but difficulties have 
been thrown in the way of rendering it a 
regular appointment. If I do obtain this 
situation on the new footing, I shall then 
extend my views; and am sadly deceived 
if I do not bring them to some consistency 
and bearing, as I shall then enjoy the full- 
est opportunities of making myself tho- 
roughly and deeply acquainted with every 
thing relating to the Eastern Islands, their 
policy, state, &c. It is a new field, and 
one on which there is a general deficiency 
of local information." 
On board the Indiana, off Nattal, Feb. 
29th, 1820.—- I sit down to fulfil my pro- 
mise of sending you some account of Tap- 
panoolly and the Battas, who inhabit the 
interior of that part of Sumatra. They had 
been stated to be cannibals, and we were 
curious to ascertain that fact, and learn 
something of so peculiar a state of society. 
We therefore assembled some of the most 
intelligent chiefs, whom we examined at 
ength respecting all their usages and cus- 
toms, and obtained the amplest and most 
indisputable information on every point. 
The history of these people is so extraor- 
and peculiar, that I should not have 
credited it on any evidence less convincing 
than that which we received, and should 
almost fear to communicate it, were I less 
Certain of its absolute correctness. That 
they are cannibals is placed beyond a 
~ doubt, but the circumstances and manner 
133 
in which this revolting custom is practised 
stand, I believe, unparalleled in the history 
of the human race. The eating of men is 
not merely practised by them in war, as in 
some other savage countries, but is the 
punishment solemnly and deliberately de- 
creed by their laws fi tain capital crim 
Five cases are enumerated, in which eating 
the offenders is ordained, of which the first, 
and in their ideas, the greatest, is adultery. 
The sentence is passed in full council by 
the assembled chiefs, and publicly carried 
into effect three days after, when the whole 
neighbourhood is collected. The victim 
is tied up, with his hands extended, and 
the injured party is asked what part he 
prefers. He perhaps chooses the ears— 
these are instantly cut off, and he delibe- 
rately eats them, either raw with limes and 
pepper, or drest as he pleases. All pre- 
sent then help themselves to and devour 
what portion they like ; and after all are 
satisfied, the chief enemy cuts off the head 
and carries it home, to suspend in triumph 
on the top of his house. Thus the culprit 
is literally eaten alive, and with a coolness 
and deliberation that I believe to be abso- 
lutely unparalleled. You will have diffi- 
culty, I know, in crediting this, but I tell 
it you plainly, as I received it from the 
people themselves, who seemed to think 
very little of it. 
check to its frequency is, that the injured 
party may, if he please, commute the sen- 
tence into a pecuniary compensation, which 
avarice often tempts them to do. In short, 
it seems to be like Shylock's pound of flesh, 
an atonement the aggrieved individual has 
a right to claim, and which he may dis- 
pense with if he pleases. The Battas are 
evidently of Hindoo origin, and these cus- 
toms afford another example of the mild 
spirit of that religion which denounces 
damnation on the slayer of a cow or an ant, 
yet makes sport of human life, and of every 
affection of our nature. Formerly it was 
the custom of the Battas to eat their pa- 
rents when they became too old to be use- _ 
ful, but they say that latterly it has been 
