SUMATRA. 
in full expectation of feeing k perform the fame fanciful motions, he 
had admired it for, in its oativebed.*' 
The 
* The manners of tire natives of the Philippine or Luzon iHands corrcrpoad in Co many ^ifeiug 
particulars with thofc of the inland Suniatratis, and efpccially where ihey differ nK)ft from the 
Malays, that I think no doubt can be entertained, sf not of a famencfs of origin, at Icaft of an 
intercoMrre and tontiEsioji in fornjer times* which bow no longer exifls. The following mftancts 
art taken from an cflay preferved by Hje'U«n9thm, entitled Reintmn 4gf Fbilipinit pnr m rtUgitvxi 
tTAdult d*un manufirii BJpaga6t du eadmit dt Moitf, Bsm. Carlo del FiX%o\ (withtnit date) and 
from a manufcript conimunicaied to me by Ahx<. Dalrympltt Efq. "The chief Deity of the 
TagaUis is called Batbaht mii Capal, and alfo Druata \ amd their princspal idoliit7 confift* in ado- 
ring thofc of their anceliors, who iignalizcd tbemfelves for courage or abilities ; calling them 
Mumahgarf u e> mants. They make Haves of people who do not keep Alencc at the tombs of 
their auccftors. They have great veneration fur the crocadile, which they call figmfying 
grandfather, and make oflerings to it. Every old tree they look upon as a fypertor being, and 
think it a crime to cut it down* They worfliip alfo ftooes^ rockn and points of land, ftooting 
arrows at tljefe laft as they pafs tliem. They have priefts, who, at their facrifice*, mate matiy 
contorfions and grimaces, ai if pofTeffcd with a devii. The firft man and woman, tliey fay, were 
produced from a Aflmi(?o, which burft in the ifland of Sumatra ; and they quarreled about their 
mamagt. The people mark their bodies in various figures, and render them of the color of 
aQics t ho.ire large hol«s j» tViM . ixUHri^n and file frheir tceth» and make an opening which 
they fill up with gold ; they ufed to write from top to bottom, till tlic Spaniards taught them to 
write from left to right : bamboos and palm leaves fence them for paper* They covcj- their houfes 
with ftraw, leaves of trees, or bamboos fpllt in two, w!uch fcrve for tiles. They hire people to 
fing and weep at their funerals j burn benjamin j bury their dead on the third day iu Urong cof- 
fin* i and fometimes kill flaves to accompany their dcceafed maflen.'* 
Hie latter account is more particular^ and appears of modem date, 
Thefe Indians have no cuilom of perpetuating the names of famiTies i but on tlie birth of 
a child, the mothers named it from fome accidental drcumftance, as Malivagt or difficult, be- 
caufe the birth was fuch j Malatras or ftrong, becaufc it appeared to be a ftrong child : and at 
other times they gave them die &r& name cb^t occurred, as DaaJif a road* Thefe names con* 
tmucd until the children were grown up and married, and tben the Ton or daughter gave a furname 
10 their parents. Others, who had no children, invited thetr relations and acquaintance to an 
entertainment, when they received another name or appellation, called pamagatf founded, by 
fome metaphor^ on their fir ft name i as when thi* %vas Bacalf or iron, the pamagat would be 
Dimatamjfan, or he that cannot be dcftroyed by time i Bajaittt or valiant, they furnamed Dime- 
lapitattt he whom no one dares attack. It was a cuiiom alfo amongft them to call one another 
by correlative names, founded on fome particular tranfa^rion * as if one had givea Another a 
fwMti^//, tlicffi called each other Cafgl^t, which it the name of the tiling given. 
