— 77 — 



Indragiri. 



This country , situated on the eastern coast of Sumatra , a little to the north 

 of Djambi, is mentioned for the first time in the 



History of the Ming dynasty (1368—1643). Book 325. 



Indragiri (*) is a country under the control of Java; its circumference 

 is very small and is does not contain more than a thousand families. As 

 Johore was crafty and bad and as Indragiri was situated in its neighbourhood , 

 it had always to suffer from it. Afterwards it sought a matrimonial alliance 



9 



with Johore by large presents of silk and then it had a little more peace. 



In this country they have fortifications of wood and at the side of 

 their chief's residence stand a clock- and a drumtower. When the king 

 goes out, he rides on an elephant. 



The lOth month is the beginning of their year. 



The manners and customs of the people are much like those in Java 

 and the products of the country are the same as of Johore. 



The people set great value on cleanliness; whatever the chief eats is 

 all cut and cooked by himself. 



The precepts against wine are strictly observed and there is a duty 

 on it; people of rank never drink any and only vagabonds of the lower 

 classes take it, and even these are scolded and ridiculed by their equals. 



In marrying the husband goes to the house of the wife and afterwards 

 belongs to her family, therefore they prefer getting girls to boys. 



The bodies of the dead are burned. 



The Chinese who went to trade there, found the people fair in their 

 dealings , but since the country has been conquered by Johore , few merchants 

 visit it any more. 



Tung Hsi Yang K'au (1618). Book IV. 



The natives of Indragiri ( 2 ) only trade with us at our ships , to which 

 they come for the purpose. They are nearly the same as those of Johore, 

 but their customs are better and their goods cheaper. Since this country 



(') [j jffi^ j^ Ting-ki-gi; the transcription is very inaccurate, but this has often hap- 

 pened to Chinese geographers, when they met with an uncommonly long or hard name. 



o Tttifi. 



