, 1874-06-01

a A.nco of Educated n1nn. n.I3ntcrss
In tho Now York Observer tho 1sov. CharlcB r.
Dush, .. D., gives an Interesting account Of
sonic remarkable Bavayes who have come undor
his notico:
"Tho beautiful Island Of sumatra, two-and-a
half ttmos as largo As NIL Now England, Is I'LL
habited by 4,600,000 Of people. among whom
hardly any missionary stto5t i,ad, rs yot. b9en m
Of tic Dutch, md other parts woro inhabited by
independent Tribes or prlnelpalltics, among
whom tho Datta people, or Dataks. Tero repro.
Hentod Oh tho 1noat Intelligent aud interesting;
4 tribo or nation OF about $50 009 Houlg occupy
Ing tho interior central portion. Of tho 'sanl, I'M
nletliatoly Bouth OF tho Achinese, with whom the
Dutch aro now at war.
s.Iho Batata woro gonornlly mild and inffoon-
eivo, though, tlerco aud rcvcnGfnl IN timo Of oou-
hct. In ono respect thoy wore tho most rou,arlt-
ablo people anywhere to DO forlnd-oducated
camiLaln. They Ind written language and
books, and most Of. the people could real, and
yet thoy wero cennihaln. Ilicy had an Alphabet
Of .l!eir owl, consisting Of twenty-five lettcra
original, yot simple mud moiodlong, much liko
the Itnlnn. written like olr own. from right to
loft, eusy learned, aud muoh used in all that
"Ihcir books aro writton on tho inner bark Of
| species Of palnl.troo, their pon consisting Of
nero twig, or q Abro Of loaf; their ink mado
! Of q certain gum and tho Juice OF tho sugar.
ca.,o. For ordinary purpose they also wrote
Inches III diafnctor md two or three feet loug,
making lottor, 1t might bo, lix enough to knock
4 person down-conyanlont for lovers delivering
tl,cr own epistle, it they Should not bo gracious-
ly received.
".rteir literary worlss wero really numerous
and yet not worry wise, consisting largely OF
| booka OF divination. jugglery md thu most nb-
| hurd fables about the origin and destiny Of tho
| great Batta untion. 1t will bo seo1l, therefore,
| tint they had Hon,e ambition. II thoy Should
! receive tho Gospel, tloy were iii q good position
| was noniually Moiamnaolan, and SO far as tho
Dutch had swny, they had agreed to protect the
Mohanmodan 1oligion from eli assault or inter.
feronco from without; hut the Dattas wore sim
| plo hcathen ami beyond Dutch control. They
| beloved in two Gods ono hboYo and ono beloaY
-ono good and one bnd but their idoas wore
very vaguo and uncertain, aud they, felt bound
to pay far greater homage to tho owl spirit than
to tho good. Ms they had most to fear from him.
T" And vol, strange enough. French tnadelity
and intldol books had found thoir way into that
country. Tho missionaries mot ono of the for
nor, who denounced the Dibio as a1l Il lie,
although ho confessed TINT lle had never read 1t,
but boaatol that he had raaa Voltnire'a iusAno
| TRADE agairHt 1t no lcBa thur. ton ritnes.
| "And, after all, this cannibaliam WAS OF a
modified typo. They did l,qt Hee1n to feed on
human flesh for mere lovo Of 1t nor wRs 1t thei1
sottled habit, ~ With some other people, to havo
rcgular ca,.nibal feasts but portions Of tue
iloRl OF their onsu,ics slain III war. were tasted
| umpA. Tho missionaries were, however, invited
to one feast, for which II boy yoars Of age had
boon seizod and killed, aud ronsted to DO oaton
for the sins OF lis father, committed Fix ycars
before tho little fellow waB born. The miHsi0n-
| arloB respectfully declined tue invitation"