MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES. L 17 



" In terrible contrast with the dress of the[ well-to-do, is the deep 

 misery of the slaves. AVhen these unfortunates become enslaved 

 by usury and deceit, every measure is, generally speaking 1 , taken 

 to keep them in the lowest stage of poverty and want. In the 

 possession of a great number of slaves consist, properly speak- 

 ing, the wealth and the pride of a prosperous Tobanese. It is 

 no rarity to find notables or headmen each possessing from 

 100 to 200 slaves, there being even families who possess as 

 many as ten villages, all inhabited by slaves, who till the 

 fields, build the villages, and serve as soldiers in the wars of 

 their masters. We have still to name one pitiable class of men. 

 namely the eunuchs who, however, save in Toba, are no long- 

 er found in the Batak country. Luckily they are few ; they 

 are used to accompany and attend upon women. For free 

 people and headmen wives are very dear in Toba. In Silin- 

 dong and Pangaloan, people pay 10 and more buffaloes for a 

 young- woman. In Toba the figure rises to 20 and 80, be- 

 sides horses, gold, slave?, &e. In Toba alone the custom still 

 prevails of keeping the skulls of deceased fathers and grand- 

 fathers. The dead man remains several years in a sojjg, in a 

 coffin closed with rosin, until the skull can at length be taken 

 away without difficulty. On a suitable day the eldest son tales 

 the skull of his father to the market place, shews it to the 

 headmen present, while he gives away a cow for public use 

 sayings " Our father wished once more to visit the market." 

 Alter this there follows a series of festivities in honour ol 

 the deceased, for which the whole family bring together 20 

 to 30 buffaloes to be slaughtered. During the festivities the 

 skull is adorned with a silk turban and gold rings. The 

 skull at length finds a resting place in the grave. On do- 

 mestic occurrences, and in war time, the skull plays an important 

 part, together with the spirit of the deceased. Should a skull be 

 made away with, it is considered as foreboding ill-luck, and as 

 being- the greatest disgrace that can befall a family." 



Siamese Titles. 



The following note is appended to Capt. Burney's map of 

 the Siamese Provinces (referred to at p. 57) and is no doubt in 

 Capt. Burney's handwriting. It was probably written in 1826, 

 when the first Treaty with Siam was framed. 



It is of course as difficult to define the exact meaning of 

 Siamese Titles, as that of many English Titles and degrees of 

 rank. 



" Chow is Lord and Master, and Chow Mooting Lord or Gover- 



