THE BATTAS OF MANDHERFNG AND PERTIBr. 374 
timated at 3000 feet, and wherein hitherto no other means of 
transport has been made use of except coolie labour. In the 
commencement of 1845 the road from Natal to Penyabungan, 
by a judicious alteration, was reduced from 8 to 6 stages, one 
of which is by water on the Natal river ; on this side of the 
mountain a carriage road of one stage has also been made : so 
that in this distance there now only remains four stages for 
cooly labour. Notwithstanding these important improvements, 
which will probably be further extended, it appears to be cer¬ 
tain tiiat for the development of the industry of Mandheling, a 
produce high in value and small and light in bulk, will always 
be preferable. 
Chapter III. 
Thy steal. Intellectual and Moral Character of the People . 
The inhabitants of these countries are muscular, square 
built and strong, but averse to all severe labour. In general 
they are smaller than their progenitors of Tobah ; the men 
are generally better built than the women, and so far as can 
be judged, cold in their temperament. Seldom indeed is a real 
beauty to be found amongst the women. Very early, and al¬ 
most without an exception, the form, the face, the skin and 
the hair undergo deterioration from labours not adapted to their 
weakness, and which have to be carried on for the most partin 
the open air. It is difficult to accuse the women here ofcoquetry. 
Their gait, gestures or voice seldom attract a favourable 
regard, and if a significant glance sometimes produces an im¬ 
pression, it betrays either immodesty, or a secret grief which 
asks for pity,-—never the agreeable and habitual desire to please 
which elsewhere p’aces the sceptre in fire hands of the fair sex. 
In the elevated districts, as in other mountainous countries, 
we find many goitres. It has already been mentioned that fe¬ 
vers often prevail here. Syphilis is only known in our capi¬ 
tals. Cutaneous diseases occur in manifold varieties, from the 
simple scabies to leprosy under which whole portions of the 
body drop off. The simplicity of the mode of life and of the 
food, have moreover this consequence that very few other 
kinds of sickness prevail, and that most cure of themselves or 
by the exhibition of the simplest medicines. 
Women as well as men are inconceivably steeled against 
fatigue and privations. Heavily laden, they day after day per¬ 
form long journies on foot; and during the war it frequently 
happened that whole communities remained for months in the 
wilderness without houses, salt, or other food than leaves, roots 
and wild fruits. Under such misery the weakest are over¬ 
come, or fall later on the first attack, 
