1850.] 



of Continental India, fyc, 



119 



Observing, by the way, that Dr. Leyden always* speaks of the 

 Battas as the name of a people not of a district, and that his men- 

 tion of four books in the language has already been adverted to 

 in ]STo. 12 of the Journal of Literature and Science ; it only re- 

 mains to be noticed that Dr. Leyden considers the Batta language 

 to be more like the Bugis than any other tongue. The Eajja 

 or Ta-rajja tribe, in the central parts of Celebes are said still to eat 

 their prisoners of war. The Batta language mingles w T ith and 

 modifies the Rejang and Lampung dialects. The Karrows use 

 only a slight variation of the Batta language. The Achinese re- 

 semble the Mapillas of Malabar ; they have long been connected 

 with them, and use many of Mapilla terms currently in their lan- 

 guage. Further on he adds, 4 vestiges of cannibalism appear to 

 4 exist among the greater part of the rude tribes in the Eastern 



* Isles, but the Battas of Sumatra who are superior to the Malays, 

 4 in the knowledge of the arts and letters, have likewise preserved 

 ' it, as well as the Tabunha tribe in Celebes. Of many of the most 

 4 absurd, unnatural, and barbarous of their usages, it is obviously 

 4 impossible to form a just opinion in the present state of our 

 4 knowledge ; as we are totally ignorant of the spirit of them, and 

 1 of the system of opinions, with which they are connected, some 

 4 of them may find a parallel in India, and China ; and it may be,' 

 he observes, 4 that both the Indian and Indo-Chinese monuments 



* contain many allusions to a state of society and manners, on the 

 4 continent, similar to that which subsists among the most bar- 

 4 barous of the tribes of the Eastern Isles. Perhaps too we shall 

 6 be disposed to regard with some degree of complacency the most 

 ' absurd and the most illiberal portions of the religious systems 

 4 of Brahma and Buddlia, if we consider the dreadful supersti- 

 4 tions that they probably supplanted ; and the brutal state of sa- 

 4 vage existence, which they exchanged for civil probity, and social 

 4 order. The Vanaras of Hanuman are reckoned a tribe of moun- 

 4 taineers, even by many of the Hindus. The barbarous but brave 

 4 and active Idan of Borneo are termed Marut, which is the Sans- 

 1 €rit name of the forty-nine regents of the winds, and companions 



* Corrects a previous memoriae lapsus, 



