Litchfield enquirer., 1835-03-19
rnE nArrAs oP sua1ATRA.

vas e;yen fifteen years ago, by Sir Thomas
 Stanford Rallies, who was Gov. of bata-
 v;a. and travelled considerably among them.
 The Battas are an extensive and poplIons
 nat;on If Sumatra, occupying the whole
 oftaat part Of the island lying between A
 cllsen and Menangkabo reaching io snoth
 che shores. The coast is but thlnIy innaD-
 ited--bus in the interior the people are
 .aid to be as thick IT the leaves ofthe for-
 esf. Perhaps the whole nation may a-
 mount to betwesn ono and two millions of souIs. They have regular government,
 deIiheratiSe assemblies, and are great ora- tors. Nearly the whole of them write, and
 shey hcsssss language and written char acfers peculiar to themselves. In the'l lanpuaea and terms, as well as in some oi their lays and usages, the influence of H!n- dooisln nay be traced. but they have also arsIieion peculiar U themselves. They acknowledge the 0lb and the only great God. under tho title, DibdtG, Assss Asss. and they have | trinity of great Gods. sup posed to have been created by hins. They are waflike, extremely fair and honorable ii tlasir dealings, most deliberate in ali iheir proceedings -their country b highly cuItl- vated and sriEses are few.
 have said the Baths ara not bad po0- nls. and \ lhink so, notwithstanding they cat one another, and relish Mesll ot men, better than that of an Ux or pig. You asusf merely cQnsides tI.as asa gly.ng you an accoun, of q novel siass bt soeial
 The Baths are not SAyags for tIlsy write. and read, md think, fnll as muchs and more than those who are brought up ID our Lancasterian and National schools. They have also codes of laws of great ar- tiquity- and it is from regard sc those laws. and a yencration for tho institutions oftheir ancestors, that they eat each ether. Tho law declafes that for certain crimes, fonr irl number tho csiulipals shall be eat- el, alive. Tisa sasI,e law declares also. tlsat ip great wagss that e 70 say one district against anothar, 1t shalE be lawful to eatthe prisoners, whetheg taken aliyss dsads or in their graves.
 m the four great cases of crimes. inc criminal is also d0ly tried and condemned by . competent tribunal. When the evi- dence is heard, sentence is pronounced, when the chiefs drink q dram eacbs which last ceremony $ equiyaEens to singing and sealing with us. Two or three days then eIapsed iogive time for assensbiing thG poo pie, and in case of adultery is is not allow ed to carry tho sentencs into effect. unless the relations of the wifo appear and par take of the feast. The prisoner is then brought forward on the day appointed, and fixed to stake with his hands extended. The husband or party injured comes up and takes she first choice, generally the ears; tho rest, then, according to his h- king. After all have partakens the chief person goes upand cuts of the heads which he carries home as a trophy. The head Y hung up in front of tho house, and the brains ars carefully preserved in bottle for purposes of witchcrafi. dEc. In devour- ing the flesh, it is sometimes eafen Faw and sometimes gfilI1a bpt nlpat U sassn upon the spof E'|n<&, seIt and pepper araaIWays j4 te zGss, aud they sonaetimesi eatsics, wifh tho flesh, but never drink tod | dy or spirits. Many carry bamboos with them, and 6lIing them with blood. drink it on. The assembly consists of men alone, as the flesIf of man is prohibited to females. It is said. however, that they get a bit by ! "a AS St3 a
 Ian. assured and really do believe, that many of the people prefer human flesh to any other. but notwithstanding this pon- chant they never indulge tho appetite sx- cept on lawful occasions. Tho pains of the hands, and the soles of the feet, are the delicacies of epicures!
 On expressing my surprise ut the con- tinnance of such practiees. was informed that formerly t was moral for the people to eatstheir parents whom too old to work. The old people selected the horizontal branch of q, tree and quieily suspended themsels6s by their hands, while their chit- drep snR neighborss forming circle. dan- ceGs round them, crying out swhen the ffuis is ripe. then 1t will fall, and as soon as lhe victims became fatigued, and could hold on no longer. they fell down. whom aII hands cut them up, and made q hearty meal ofshsm. This practice, however. of eating tie ald people has been abandoned, and tbna < siep n tisilizatiop has been at- fainsd. and therefore. thsse are hopes of future impF0vehsens.
 This elaf4 Of saciety yon will admit 10 be very nectili1s. Il is calculated that cOr-s tainly not Isss thNn from sixty to one lisn- afad Balsss sre thus easen in ! year in 'inles Of peace