5 U M A T R A. 
The country of Lampoon and its inhaUtants^Langu^e^Govern^ 
ment — Wars — Peculiar cujloms — Religion. 
Having thus far fpoken of the manners and cufloms of the Rejmgs 
more cfpccially, and adverted^ as occafion fcrved, to thofe of the Pdf* 
fummah people* who nearly refeinblc tliem, I (hall now prefeat a cmfory 
view of thofe circumftanc€S in which the inhabitants of the Lampoon 
country differ from them; though this dilKmilitudc is not very coU" 
derable. 
LimttG of the 
Lampooa 
country. 
Xitiiabittmst 
By the Lampmi country is underfiood, a portion of the fouthern ex- 
treme of the iiland, beginning, on the weft coafl^ at the river of Padang^ 
goffchii^ which divides it from Pqfummah^ and extending acrofs as far 
Palmhang^ on the north eaft iide^ at which Jaft place the fettlers are 
moftiy Javans. On the foiith and eaft fjdesj it is waihed by the fea^ hav- 
ing feveral ports in the ftraits nf Sunda, jruirrjcnbrly Keyfi-rs and "Lam^ 
pocn bays ; and the great river, TaUong lomngf runs through the heart 
of it, rifmg from a confiderablc lake (ramu) between the ranges of 
mountains. That divifion of Ldmpoon which is included by Padang-gea- 
chie^ and a place called Nafall^ is diftinguilhed by the name of Briuran^ 
and from thence fouthward to Flat-point, by that of Lmut-cawoor % 
although CawQQTj properly fo called, lies in the northern divifion. 
The country of Lampoon is beft inhabited in the central and moun- 
tainous parts, where the people live independent^ and in fome meafure 
fecure from the inroads of their eaftern neighbours, the JavanSj who, 
from about Palmhang and the ft raits, frequently attempt to moleft 
them. It is probably within but a very few cenniries, that the fouth- 
weft coaft of this country has been the habitation of any confiderable 
number of people ; and it has been ftill lefs vifited by ftrangers, owing 
'^the unihekered nature of the fea thereabouts, and want of foundings, 
in general, which renders the navigation wild and dangerous for country 
