SUMATRA, 299 
They are much addiiSlcd to gaming, and the praQ:ice is under no Addiacd to 
.kind of rcftraint, until it dcftroys itfelf, by the ruin of one of the par- S**"''^^* 
ties. When a man lofes more money than he is able to pay, he is con* 
fined, and fold as a Have j which is almoft the only mode by which they 
become fuch. A generous winner vn\l fometimes let his unfortunate ad* 
yerfary off, upon condition of his killing a horfe, and making a public 
entertainment. 
. A favorite diveriion with thefe people is horfe- racing. They ufe no Horfe racbg. 
faddle; the bit of the bridle is of Iron, and has feveral joints; the 
headftall and reins, of rattan : in other parts the reins are of ejoo, and 
the bit, of wood. They are faid likewife to hunt the deer on horfcback. 
They have^ as was obferved in another place, a language and written 
character peculiar to tbemfelves ; and the Malay has there made lefs ^^S^^^^' 
progrefs than in any part of the ifland. It is remarkable, that the pro- 
jKirtion of the people who know how to read and write, is much greater 
thanof thofewho do not; an advantage feldom obferved in fuch uncivilized 
parts of the worldj an A nnr ahraj/ft fmtnrl lr\ fho- mn^^* pnliflip.d.* 
Their crimes againft the order of fociety, are not numerous. Theft Crimif. 
is alniofl: unknown among tJiem ; being ftrldlly hone ft in their dealings 
Mirh each other* Pilfering, indeed, from ilrangersi when not reilrained 
by the laws of hofpitalicyj-f- they are tolerably expert in, and think no 
• For fpecimens of their language, and writing chan£tcr, fee page 16S. 
f Mr. Miller give$ the fol [owing ioJIaatci of their liofpicalicy in the reiceptioiL of (Iraiigm, 
<* The raja of 'terimharo^, being informed of our mtenilons to come there, fent hi» Ton and be- 
tween thirty and forty men, anticd with lances and matchlock giins, to meet us; whoefcorted Uft 
to their cam pong, beating gongs, and firing their guns all the way. The raja received ns ia 
^rcat form^ and with ctYtlity ordlered a buffaloe m be killed, and JetBined us a day. When w« 
proceeded on our journey, he fcnt his fon and a number of armed people with us for our guard. 
Having made the acc«flomed prefcnts, we left T^rmSaroo, and proceeded to Samajfam ; thtr raja 
of which placf, attended by fixty or fcrcnty men well armed, foon met us, and efcorted us t& 
.his campong, where he had prepared a houfc for our reception, and treated us with great hofpi* 
tality and jel]>ea. * 
4 G moral 
