Martinsburg weekly independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1873-1875, 1874-07-11
A RACE OF EDUCATED MAN.
EATERS.

The beautiful Island of Sumata,
two and half times as large as all
New England, is inhabited by A.
100000 of people, among whom
hardly any missionary effort had,
as yet, been made. Parts of the
island were in possession of the
Dutch, and other.parts were inhab-
tied by independent tribes or prin-
CAPABILITIES, among whom the Batta
people, or Bataks were represented
as the most intelligent aud inter-
esting; tribe or nation of about
350,0 souls occupying the interior
central portion OF the island, i'm
mediately South of the Achenese
with whom the Dutch are now at
war.
The Bataks were generally mild
and inotfensive, Though fierce md
revengeful in time of conflict. In
one respect they were the most re-
markable people anywhere TO be
found-educated cannibals. They
had a written language of their
own, and books, and most of the
people could read, and yet they
were cannibals. They had an al :
phabet of their own. consisting of
twenty-five letters and five vowel
points. Their language we quit,so
Originally yet simple and maseiodius
much like the italian, written like
our own, from left 10 right, and
easily learned, and much used in
all that region
Their books are written on the
inner bark of a species Of palm
tree, their pen consisting of a mere
twig, or fibre of leaf; their ink
made Of a certain gum and the
juice ofthe sugar cane. For ordi-
nary purposes they also wrote up
on smooth bamboo sticks. some
times two inches diameter and
two or three feet long, making a
letter, it might be big enough to
knock a person down convenient
for lovers delivering their owr
epistle ii they should not be grac
iously received.
Their literary works were real
ly numerous and yet not very wise
consisting largely Of books of di
vination, jugglery and the most
absurd fables about the origin and
destiny of the great Batta nation.
1t will be seen, therefore, that
they had some ambition. Ifthey
should receive the Gospel they
were in a good position to give it
to others. Besides, much of the
island was nominally Mohammed-
an, and so far as the Dutch had
sway they had agreed to protect
Mohammedan, religion from all
assault or interference from with
out but the Battas were simple
heathen, and beyond Dutch con-
troll. They believed in two Gods,
one above and one beIow-one
good and one bad but their ideas
were very vague and uncertain,
and they felt bound to pay great
er homage to the evil spirit than
to the good, as they had most to
fear from him.
And yet, strange enough,
French infidelity and infideI books
Lad found their way into that
country. TIE missionaries met
one of the former, who denounced
the Bible as ''all a lie" although
he confessed that he had never read !
it, but boasted that he had read
Voltaire's insane TRADE against |
it no less than ten times.
And, after all, this cannibalism
was of a modified type. They did |
not seem TO feed on human flesh |
for mere love oft; nor was it
their settled habit, as with some |
other people, to have regular
feasts; but portions Of the flesh
of their enemies, slain in war,
were tasted, as ifin revenge, or as
denoting complete triumph The
missionaries were, however, invi-
ted 10 one feast, for which boy |
seven years ofage had been seized !
aud Killed and roasted, to he eat
en- for the sins of his father, com
mitted six years before the little I
fellow was born. fhe missionar- (
les respectfully declined the invita-
ti0n