SUMATRA 
191 
Malays by virtue of its very austerity, as Commonwealth 
followed upon Caroline manners, to be again succeeded 
by them; and it was equally predestined to extinction ; 
but it served its turn in bringing Dutch influence and 
civilisation to bear upon a country that had been until 
then but little known. Menangkabo has met with more 
success in colonisation than in preaching the creed of the 
“ PadrisAbout the fourteenth or fifteenth century a 
fleet of twelve ships is said to have left the neighbour¬ 
hood of Padang, and sailing northward, established 
settlements at various places along the coast, both in the 
Battak and Ache lands. Each ship founded a town, and 
hence this part is still sometimes called the Twelve 
Colonies, though to the British sailor it is perhaps better 
known as the Pepper Coast. The descendants of these 
settlers still retain the title of Datu, and have preserved 
both the race and language pure. To such an extent 
does this custom prevail, that any Malay marrying an 
Ache woman, or giving his daughter to one of that race, 
would be obliged to quit the country. 
Still proceeding southwards, after passing the Ko- 
rinchis, who are grouped on the eastern slopes of the 
Indrapura peak, and are a tolerably civilised sub-Malayan 
race, with a written language, the Ptejang country is 
reached. These people are interesting as being the tribe 
with whom the English were brought in contact during 
the occupation of Benkulen. They, too, are of sub- 
Malayan stock, and are probably a mixture of Malays 
with immigrant Javanese. South and east the Passuma 
and Lampong people border on them, and on the east the 
mixed riverine Palembang tribes. They are a numerous 
and civilised people, possessing a written language like 
the Korinchis and other nations already mentioned, but 
inscribed in a peculiar character of rectilinear form, 
