1832.] 
ISLAND OF SUMATRA. 
157 
CHAPTER X. 
The Malays of Sumatra—Difficulty of delineating their Character— Their Language, 
Poetry, &c.— Five different Languages spoken in Sumatra — Malay Duplicity — • 
Effects of their intercourse with Foreigners— Conscious Inferiority — Erroneous 
Policy formerly exercised towards them — Favourable Traits in their Character — 
The Rejangs— Their Laws, Customs, and Political Regulations— Their judicial 
Proceedings — Manner of taking an Oath — Rights of Inheritance, &c. — Their 
secret Hoards— Security for Debts— Punishment for Theft and Murder— Court- 
.ship. Marriage, and Divorces — Cock-fighting— Use of the Betele-nut — Tobacco — ■ 
Early Maturity of Females — Funeral Obsequies — Religious and superstitious 
Notions — The Lampoons — Their Hospitahty. 
Agkeeably to our promise made in the conclusion of the last 
chapter, we now proceed to a closer analysis of the character of 
the inhabitants of Sumatra. This is not a very easy task to 
perform, as we find in many places but little indigenous among 
them. There is also some difficulty in adopting a standard with 
which to compare them, divided, as they are, into numerous tribes, 
and presenting, as they do, at each step, in the same tribe, so 
many lights and shades, vices mingled with some virtues, forming 
an endless chain of perplexing contradictions. 
Perhaps the standard adopted by Le Poivre, Robinson, Rich- 
ardson, and other writers of reputed learning, is the best that can 
be given. They agree in, assigning to nations various grades;, 
giving to Greece and Rome, in the days of their ancient splendour^ 
the first rank, with which rmay now be classed England, France, 
some of the other nations of Europe, and the United States.- 
The second will include the Asiatic empires and Turks, in the 
days of their dominion, magnificence, and grandeur ; while in the 
third, fourth, and fifth classes, as they are distinguished by the 
degree of perfection of their agriculture, progress in the arts, 
science of numbers, and use of abstract terms, may be classed 
the Suraatrans, in common with the Holoans, and other states of 
the eastern Archipelago ; the nations on the northern coast of 
Africa ; Mexicans and Peruvians before the conquest ; together 
with the Garribs, New-Hollanders, Laplanders, and Hottentots. 
Possessing shades of character in common with all these will be 
