A GENERAL SKETCH OF SUMATRA. 
356 
rumun, a region which, under the name of Balia, constituted 
one of the three great divisions of the island in ancient times. 
At present, with the exceptions mentioned above, the hilly 
country along the west coast, and the low lands along the 
east coast, are, as we have seen, possessed by Malays chiefly, 
who therefore occupy here the same position with respect to 
the aborigines which they do on both sides of the Malay 
Peninsula, with this difference that the inland race of 
Sumatra is far more numerous, civilized and independent 
than the Binua. The relative positions of the original and 
intruded races find a closer parallel in many parts of Borneo. 
As the plain around lake Sinkara was the nursery of Malayan 
civilization, so the country in which the great lake of Ay8k. 
Tawar lies was probably that where the Batta* civilization 
developed itself* It was from the borders of this lake that 
the Battas extended southward towards the country of the 
Rawa. We are not yet in possession of sufficiently accurate 
information to define the limits of the various countries and 
districts into which the Batta region is divided. The following 
list must serve for the present: 
IsA Battas on the 
rulers . 
Kolang** 
Si Boga 
Bediri 
Sing-kuang 
Tabuyung 
West Coast formerly subject to Malay 
~ 200 
„ 300 
« 300 
« 1,500 
~ 2,000 
4,300 
2 nd. Battas on the low land and hilly region on the 
east side of the mountains , 
About 160 miles long, 20 miles broad and 3,200 miles in 
superficies, having a probable average population of about 20 
to the square mile. 
Langkat-J' - 13,560 
Balu China - 20,000 
f * The raw material on which Bata like Malay civilisation (both derivedfrom 
southern India) operated, was apparently the rude aboriginal people mentioned 
above p. 347. , 
*(- The numbers which follow are rough estimates made by Mr Anderson 
from native information. They are either greatly exaggerated or include a 
considerable portion of the independent Batta' countries, The former is 
probably the case, as the Malay chiefs of the east coast would be prone to 
magnify the number of Battas subject to them. If we allow 20 to the 
square mile the estimate cannot be far out, as this tract is probably not so 
populous as the central Batta* country. Even of the reduced number we 
allow, we suspect a small portion only is subject to the Malays. 
