42 
MEM OIK OF 
The people, though professedly Mabnmednns, 
seem more attached to their ancient worship and su- 
perstitions than I expected. J clearly traced an an- 
cient mythology, and obtained the names of at least 
twenty gods, several of whom are Hindus, in each 
of the villages we found a Lang' gar, similar to that 
noticed at Merambung, hut generally better con- 
structed. 
“ The utmost good-humour and affection seemed 
to exist among the people of me village ; they were 
as one family, the men walking about holding each 
other by the hand, and playing tricks with each other 
like children. They were as Sue a race as l ever 
beheld ; in general about six feet high, and propor- 
tionally stout, dear and dean skins, and an open in- 
genuous countenance. They seemed to have abun- 
dance of every thing ; rice, the staple food of the 
country, being five times s*s cheap as at Bencoolen, 
and every other article of produce in proportion. 
The women and children were decorated with a pro- 
fusion of silver ornaments, and particularly with 
strings of dollars and other coins, hanging two or 
three deep round the neck. It was not uncommon 
to see a child with a hundred dollars round Iter neck. 
Every one seemed anxious for medicine, anti they 
cheerfully agreed to he vaccinated. The small-pox 
hud latterly committed gieat ravages, and the popu- 
lation of whole villages had fled into the woods to 
avoid the contagion. 
u We now thought of returning to the coast, and 
