SUMATRA, 
wfiicfj, before his departure, he fearches for his ball. There is buc 
one houfe at the place where the markets are held, and that is for gam- 
ing : regular rows of fruit trees, moftly doorean^ are planted, which 
ferve for booths; one avenue of which is referved for the women* Peo- 
ple from the extremes of the north and fouth meet at thefe fairs, where 
ail their trade is carried on,* 
Their religion, like that of all the other original inhabitants of the ifland, R 
is fo difficult to be traced, as fcarce to afford room to lay that any ex- 
ifts among them. Yet they have rather more of ceremon\', than the 
people of Rejiing or Pajummah ; and there is here an order of perfons 
who may be denominated priefts, as they perform the office of burying 
the dcad^ and of foretelling lucky and unlucky days, which they are 
extremely fuperftitious in the obfervance of : one of thcfe is employed 
in each campong. They have fome idea of a powerful Being, difpofed 
to benevolence, and of another^ the worker of ill to mankind ; but they 
pay no worlhip to cither ; nor do they appear to entertain any hopes or 
apprehenfion of a future ftate. It is faid that they have a name for the 
former, which they fear to pronounce, but I have fome reafofi to think 
it the word Baihatt ah ^'^^hioh I learned from a different authority; 
that name correfponding, as before obferved, with the general name 
for the Deity throughout the eaft. The evil fpirit they call Murgifon 
Their only ceremonies that wear the appearance of religion, are thofe 
ufed on taking an oath ; in their prognoftications ; and at their funeral 
rites* A perfon accufed of a crime, and who affcrts his innocence, is in 
fome cafes acquitted by folcmrdy fwearing to it,, but is fometimes obli- 
ged to go through a kind of ordeal. They have different modes of ad- 
miniftering an oath. A cock's throat is ufnally cutupon the occafion ; the 
accufed then puts a little rice into his mouth, and wifhes that it may 
become a ftone, if he is guilty of the crime with which he flands charged ; 
or holding up a mufquet bullet, wilhes it may be his fate to be ihot, in 
that cafe* In more imponant Inftances, they put a fmall leaden or tin 
• Thtft fairSj, called 63>ta7i by the Malays, arc not confined to the Battn country ; ihcre are 
fiich at Batemg-capait imd ai ij^, but irot attended wiib the fame formal it ies. 
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