THE BATTAS OF MANDHELING AND PERTIBI. 370 
The Batang Panel), which falls into the sea near Bila, is 
navigable in the rainy season for two koyan boats from the 
mouth to Oristah being a distance of ten days journey; and 
for praus of one koyan burden to Pertibi which is a days 
journey further up. In the dry season the river remains 
always navigable to Oristah for praus of koyans. The 
Rurmnun, which flows into the Paneh serves also for the 
transport of rafts, but is too shallow for loaded praus. Tambusei 
possesses the fine rivers ofBatang Sassa and Batang Lobo 
which fall together into the Rokan, the mouth of which is at 
Tanah Puli on the Straits of Malacca. In these long and 
secure water roads this land should enjoy the inestimable 
advantage of being able to exchange its products in an easy 
and inexpensive manner for those of maritime trade; but it 
possesses, alas! neither products nor trade. 
With respect to roads, the province at the time of our 
occupation, was miserably provided, and they are now so 
thickly overgrown that a path of one foot in breadth has been 
kept open with difficulty. Our need for bridges and roads is 
altogether strange to the Batta’. Of his own motion he will 
never form the smallest path. The paths must be made in a 
natural manner by buffaloes and passengers who walk con¬ 
stantly to and fro in the same direction. Such paths are 
often sufficient on dry soil, where the vegetation only readies 
a height of a few inches, although they are nearly inaccessable 
for the stranger as soon as the lalang grows up. The 
Batta’ concerns himself very little about this, he creeps 
where he cannot walk, and if the sudden rising of a river cuts 
off his path, he remains patiently waiting till it has subsided. 
The maintenance of roads and bridges appears to him an 
unnecessary trouble. Neither carriages nor beasts of burden 
are used in these ports. The only means of transport consists 
in the service of coolies. 
Chapter TI. 
View of the Province of Mandheling fyc. 
The appearance of Mandheling is as luxuriant and varied 
as that of Pertibi is dead. True, the southern Ulu consists 
of high and naked mountains, over which the lalang again 
spreads its monotonous mantle, where hamlets and cultivated 
tracts appear to be stu k on frightful steeps, where unfruit¬ 
fulness and poverty have established their hungry seat- True 
also, the northern Ankola shews some dry and desert places 
like those of Padang Lawas and Dollok. But for the rest, 
the division consists of one chain of beautiful vallies which 
hem the banks of Batang Gadis between the central moun„ 
B b b 
