266 
SUMATRA. 
complimented on their fkiU, liberal Ity, and other qualities, by feme of 
the beft bred amongft the guefts. Though the manner of condudbbg, 
and the appendages of the Lampmn feafts, are fuperior in ftyle, to the 
ruftic hofpitality of fome of the northern countries ; yet they are ef^ 
teemed to be much behind thefc, in the goodnefs and mode of drefEng 
their food. The Lan?pecns catalmoft all kinds offlefh, indifcriminatelyj 
and their gooUes (curries or made difhes) are faid, by connoifleurSj to have 
no flavor. They ferve up the rice, divided into portions for each per- 
fon ; contrary to the prafticc in the other countries ; t\\^tallaM being 
covered with a handfome, cnmhn napkin, manufactured for that ufe. 
They are wont to entertain Grangers with much more proftiiion, than is 
met with in the reft of the ifland. If the gueft is of any confequence, 
they do not hefitate to kill ; befide goats and fowls; a buffaloe, oirfeve- 
ral, according to the period of his ftay, and the number of his arren* 
dants. One man has been known to entertain a perfon of rank and his 
fuite, for fixtecn days, during which time there were not lefs than an 
hundred diflies of rice fpread each day, containing, fome one, ibmc 
two bamboos. They have dilhes here, of a fpecies of china or earthen 
ware, called *' banoobtmuai^J^ brmighr from the eaflwardj remarkably 
heavy» and v^ry dear ; fome of them being valued at forty dollars apiece. 
1'he breaking one of them, is a family lofs of no fmaU importance* 
Abundantly more ceremony is ufed among thefe people, at interviews 
with Grangers, than takes place in the countries adjacent to them. Not 
only the chief perfon of a party travelling, but every one of his atten- 
dants, is obliged, upon arriving at a town, to give a formal account of 
their bufinefs, or occafion of coming that way. When the head man 
of the doofoon is acquainted by the ftranger with the motives of his 
journey, he repeats the Ipcech at full length, before be gives an anfwer j 
and if it is a perfon of great confequence, the words muft pafs through 
two or three mouths, before they are fuppofed to come with fuiHcienc 
ceremony to his ears. This in fad: has more the air of adding to his 
own importance and dignity, than to that of thcguefl:; but it is not 
in Sumatra alone, that refpe^t is manifellcd by this feeming contra- 
dldion. 
The 
