Sumatra. 
making a formal addrefs, on any occafion, withoot a prefent in hand, 
be it never fo triiiing; is a pair or more of white horfes ; being emble* 
raatic of the purity of his character and intentions. The relations of 
the royal family ; and many who have no pretenfions to it, affbme that 
diflind:ioii ; are treated, wherever they appear, not only with the moft 
extreme refped:, but in fome parts of the illand, independent in other 
points, with fuch a degree of fuperftittous veneration, that the country 
people fubmit to be infulted, plundered, and even wounded by them> 
without making rcfiftanccj which they would eileera a dangerous pro- 
faoatton, amounting to facrikge-^. 
Like the other people of Sumatra, thofe of Menangcabow arc entirely 
without records or annah : none fuch, at leaft, have ever been fpokem 
of ill the various negociations we have had with them. They are ex- 
Literature, pert at writing, in the Arabic charadler, but their literatiire amounts to 
nothing more, tlian tranfcripts of the koraan^ and cahar or hiftoric 
tales, refembling our old romances, but having lefs ingenuity. Songs^ 
czWtA pantmn^ before mentioned^ they are famous for compoflng, Thefc 
fprcad Ehroughouc ifie Illand, and though they are likewife invented 
in many other parrs, are held in the firll eftecm> as coming from the 
Mufes raoft favored feat* 
Art*. The arts in general are carried, among them, to a greater degree of 
perfection, than in other parts of Sumatra* The Malays are the folc 
* A man of this difcripfion, who called hAtcSeU JiitMdtrpatesm Siri Hasut SBa£, heir to die 
•mpirc of Menangcab>mii in confequence of fome differences with the Dutcht came and 
fettled among the Englifii at Bcticsclon in the year 1687, on his return from a journey as far u 
Lamfmn j and being much refpefted by the country people, he gained the entire confidence of 
Mr. Bloom, then governor. He fubdued fome of the neighbooring chiefs who were di fafFcaed to- 
the EngU&, particularly Raja Moodo of Soang^ iam^t and alfo a yum^ng (licutanant) from 
the king Bantam t he coined money, called peUts i eftabli&ed a market ; and wrote a Jettcr to 
the Company, promifing to put them in poflelTion of the trade of ilie whole ifland. But ihortly 
afterwards, a difcovery was made of his having formed a defign to cut off the fettlement, and 
he was in confequence driven from the place. The records mention, at a fubli:g,uent period, 
thai the fultan of IndrupQvr wa* railing troops to oppofe him, 
fabricators 
