r>56 
ACCOUNT OF SULU. 
smooth; but probably it is not very copious 3 as may well be 
supposed from the rudeness of the people, who are even ignorant 
of high numbers, and therefore when they go to war, being very 
numerous, they do not count their numbers by thousands, but by 
trees. They choose a large tree, and each man, as he passes, gives 
it a stroke with his weapon 3 when the tree falls they count one 3 
they who follow pick out another, in like manner. 
They /entertain many very singular, whimsical, and absurd 
opinions 3 amongst these may be reckoned the destructive one, that 
all whom they kill, in this world, shall attend them as slaves after 
death. This notion, of future interest in the destruction of the 
human species, is a great impediment to an intercourse with them, 
as murder goes farther than present advantage or resentment. 
Prom the same principle, they will purchase a slave, guilty of any 
capital crime, at live fold his value, that they may be his executioners; 
the same superstitious opinions amongst them occasion frequent 
wars, and more frequent assassinations; this behaviour seems, 
however, rather to arise from simple prejudices of education, than 
inordinaey of disposition 3 for those who become Mahometans are 
remarkable examples of piety and virtue. 
The same wise hand of providence, which maintains order in the 
natural world, extends its care to the moral 3 men, under the 
influence of such prejudices, must soon be extirpated, was no antidote 
to be found to this principle of destruction; the Idaan are very 
strict keepers of their oath, which they take, by pronouncing, in 
their language, some execrations against perfidy, and then cut a 
rattan 3 ‘you do the like in yours 3 the friendship is then cemented 
with all the district, with whose oranky this oath was exchanged 3 
they then consider you as a brother, and also evdry body related to 
you 3 if any one knows of such an engagement, and pretends to be 
a relation of the person, they will take his word for it, and behave 
to him in the same manner, as if they were under an oath to 
himself. 
If the Idaan are ill-used at any place, they communicate the 
report very quickly, and will everywhere remove, as you approach 3 
on the contrary, if well treated, they will flock to you from every 
quarter 3 they are extremely superstitious in signs, and though, if 
they engage to come to you by a certain day, they will not fail, 
unless these intervene, yet if they hear a bird, which they reckon 
unlucky, or or any thing of the like nature, they will return home j 
this makes their travelling always tedious and uncertain. 
They are generally well acquainted with poisons and their anti¬ 
dotes 3 the famous Borneo poison, with which they poison their 
darts, is collected by them* only, though the trunk, or hollow tube, 
through which they shoot these dirts, is a weapon common also to 
the inhabitants on the adjacent coasts. This poison is the juice of 
a tree, named Ippu; its effects seem to be very similar to those of 
the Liana and Ticunna of South America. 
