226 R. N. Cast — Lmignnges of the Inclo-Clnnese [Nov. 



" The next island, Timour, bears that name as the most Eastern of the 

 . Malayan settlements ; it is occupied by Malayans and Negritos ; the num- 

 ber of important languages is two ; there is no written character, indigenous 

 or adopted ; one of them, the Timouri, is the lingua franca of the island. 

 Latham and Crawfurd supply vocabularies. They are pagans, or, in some 

 cases. Christians, as both the Dutch and Portuguese have settlements on 

 the island. 



" We must now return to the island of Sumatra to notice three re- 

 markable languages, spoken by people of brown colour and Malayan stock, 

 but very distinct from the Malay. 



" First in order is the Batta or Batak, which has been studied and 

 illustrated by the grammatical works of the distinguislied scholar Van der 

 Tuuk. There are three dialects, the Toba, the Mundailung, and the Dairi. 

 The Battas are divided into many independent States, are pagans and canni- 

 bals, but are becoming Muhammadans ; yet they are not civilized, have an 

 indigenous alphabet, and Avrite with a twig and ink made of soot upon bark 

 and bamboo staves, from bottom to top, the lines being arranged from left 

 to right, but this fact, as stated by Leyden, is doubted by Marsden ; they 

 have a literature both in prose and verse . Vocabularies are not wanting, 

 but are superseded by the works of Van der Tuuk, Schreiber, Van Asselt, 

 and Junghuhn. The language is said by the former to be nearest of kin to 

 the old Javanese and Tagal. Schreiber considers it to have closer affinity 

 with Malay. The New Testament is being translated into this language 

 by the British and Foreign Bible Society ; the translation is by the Rev. 

 Mr. Nommensen, and it is. edited by the Rev. Dr. Schreiber, both Protes- 

 tant missionaries. 



" The next is the Rejang, described as one of the most civilized nations 

 of Sumatra. Though pagan, it has a peculiar language and an indigenous 

 W3 itten character of its own. They write on bamboo slij^s, like the Battas. 

 Their territory is chiefly inland, and quite independent. Leyden considered . 

 the language to be an admixture of Malay and Batta. There does not 

 appear to be much literature. The old English settlement of Bencoolen 

 was situated in their territory. Marsden gives a vocabulary. 



" The third is the Lampung. The people who speak this language 

 live on the coast separated from Java by the straits of Sunda. The lan- 

 guage is quite peculiar, and has an indigenous written character ; one-third 

 of the vocables appear to be original. The people are rude, partly pagan, ,, 

 partly Muhammadan. A vocabulary is given by Marsden, but from the . 

 year 1868 — 1874 Van der Tuuk has turned his attention to this language ; 

 and has published several treatises, but nothing amounting to a dictionary! 

 or grammar. . 



"To these three tribes in the island of Sumatra may be added the, 



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