444 TRAVELS m THE EAST OfBlAX ARCmPELAGO. 



This missionary tells me that he knew of a Batta 

 who had been guilty of stealing an article of only 

 very little value according to their ideas of wealth, 

 yet he was seized, his aiTns extended at full lengtli 

 and fastened to a bamboo, a sharpened prop placed 

 nnder his chin, so that he could not move his head, 

 and in this condition be was bound fast to a tree. 

 The knife was then handed to the native who bad 

 lost tbe article, and be was ordered to step forwai'd 

 and cut out of the living man wbat piece be pre- 

 ferred. This he did promptly ; the rajab took tbe 

 second choice, and then the people finished the cold* 

 blooded butcbeiy, and thus tbeir ^dctim died. This 

 revolting feast, be assures me, took plac6 but a sboi*t 

 distance from tbe village where be resides. How 

 any lady can think of going to live among sucb dan- 

 gei^ I cannot conceive ;^but Madame Pfeiffer, accord- 

 ing to ber account, went considerably farther than 

 the place where tbese missionaiiea reside, and even 

 reached the northern end of the Silindong valley ; 

 but I am assured here, and she states neai'ly tbe 

 same thing in ber book, tliat tbe Battas only per- 

 mitted her to return because tbey regarded ber as a 

 witcb. Tbree years after she performed tbat jour- 

 ney, three P^reneb priests were butchered and de- 

 voured, before tbey bad come near to the fartliest 

 place she bad reached alone* No Malay would have 

 ever escaped who had gone so far into their country. 



The parts that are esteemed tbe greatest deli- 

 cacies ai'e the palms of the hands, and, after them, 

 tbe eyes. As soon as a piece is cut out it is dipped, 

 still wann and steaming, in sambal, a common con- 



