116 MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES. 



large and thickly peopled island. The prahu's of the natives are 

 made of long hollowed- out tree stems, provided on both sides 

 with outriggers to keep the equilibrium. With there very heavy 

 and unwieldy prahus manned by 200 to 300 men naval battles 

 are sometimes fought. On the shores of the lake, which are as 

 it were covered with villages, there are splendid terraces laid out 

 into rice fields lying' one above another. The villages are mostly 

 well fortified and impregnable to a Batak enemy, but in con- 

 structing them, cartouche, shot and shells have naturally not 

 been thought of several are surrounded by walls 10 to 20 feet 

 high which are often protected by ditches 20, 30, and even 40 

 feet deep. These ditches are flushed by the help of conduits, 

 and, when the village is besieged, can again be filled with water. 

 One village, so fortified, once held out against an enemy 10,000 

 strong. For greater security bastions are also built, surrounded 

 by concealed pitfalls, ranju's, and such like. Notwithstanding 

 the great scarcity of wood, the houses and latm's ( assembly 

 houses ) are very strongly and elegantly built, the honour and 

 riches of the natives consisting in them. We have already often 

 mentioned that Toba is thickly peopled. Almost all the Batak- 

 tribes hold that Toba is the cradle of their race. In the charac- 

 ter of the people there is, however, something savage, something 

 unbridled ; yes, something of the animal. To those however, 

 who can deal with them they are accessible, and suffer themselves 

 to be led by them. Yet, in consequence of other circumstances, 

 missionary work will be somewhat difficult there. In no case 

 however will it be hopeless labour. Besides great riches' and 

 deep poverty, the most intense cunning, and credible narrow 

 mindedness, we find there also the most disgusting deformities 

 by the side of many slim muscular and well built forms. These 

 contrasts are caused by the complete freedom of the one and the 

 complete dependence and slavery of the other. 



" Let us look upon a genuine Tobanese. There he stands be- 

 fore you with reg-ular, large and well built figure, usually with 

 significant and defiant looks. His clothing gives one at once a 

 high opinion of his prosperity and princely descent. A durable 

 garment, either black and white, or black and red, of the value 

 of 4 to 6 Spanish dollars, is bound round the trips by a white 

 girdle, and hangs down to his feet. Another garment as costly 

 hangs over the shoulder. Both his ears are adorned with gold 

 rings, and on his head he wears a white or red turban. At feasts 

 the latter is of silk, or he wears an ornamental string' of" pearls 

 through his hair, which he allows to hang down in long plaits 

 in war time ; besides a copper pipe, worth 30 Spanish dollars. 

 In Toba a tael of gold is worth 8 Spanish dollars. 



