The Opelousas courier., 1891-11-28
THE ISLAND OF SUMATRA.
IT'S INTERIOR BEFORE TRODDEN
By A EUROPEAN FOOT.

Bataks-A Strange tsace
NJ. Jules elaine, a native of Cham
payne, France, thirty.tve years, returned
from Sumatra some two months ago,
having visited that island purely in quest
of scientific knowledge. He is the only
European who has ever penetrated 1t;
almost unknown interior to the land OF
independent Batak-K tribes. He
brought home a collection, not only OF
photographs taken by himself, but also
many specimens of Batak- Karo weapons,
utensils, ornaments, articles of dress aud
manuscript books, and be was awarded
the medal of honor and di&oma of merit
for scientific discovery by Ne congress
of orientalists recently held IN London.
For the London illustrated Negs he has
written a narrative of his adventures IN
that strange land.
My attention, he sars, had often been
directed to the Bataks, the most interest,
ing, apparently the most ancient, of the
different races OF people In the island OF
Sumatra. | resolved to penetrate theil
country as far as possible, to learn then
manners and customs. Leaving Paris in
May, 1890, l arrived at Singapore after a
months voyage aud proceeded to PdEo-
Penang and thence to Deli. on the north
west coast of Sumatra, my starting point
to explore the Batak country. My first
care at Deli was to communicate with
the Dutch authorities. These gave me
a very sympathetic reception and aided
me to the utmost of their power. | went
forward to the village of Djinkem, at
the foot Of the pass 50 named, which
| gives access to the table land inhabited
by the Batak-Karo Independent tribes,
| had to wait there several days for the
return of the messengers sent by the
Dutch controleur to the chiefs Of those
tribes asking permission and protection
for me to enter their country.
Meantime we had some alarming news
from the uplands-that a bandof brig
ands, Acheenese and Gayiouy, were
attempting to force the pass on the op.
posite side of the Batak country, toward
Lake Tobah, for plumber or conquest
The Acheen people, being inveterate
enemies of the Dutch, would take ven.
geanee on the Bataks for their friendly
feelings with the Dutch, from whom they
buy ONE firearms and ammunition. On
the third day, however, a messenger
brought US the saber of the Batak chief
of Bouloe-Hauwer with a letter written
on bamboo giving me permission to en-.
ter, under the guidance of young chief
sent down for this service with some
baggage porters. Early next morning,
with this escort and interpreter, l started
up the mountain pass.
The ascent is very toilsome and diff
fcult; the steep path is encountered with
huge rocks in some places, with dense
forests ana trees of immense size, whose
intertwined roots, as we'll as the tangled
climbing plants, were a troublesome i'm
pediment; and with pools of pestile1tiaI
water. We were all much fatiguel be.
fore gaining, in six hours, the sum nit Of
the pass; but the descent beyond was a
dangerous labyrirth of narrow passages,
the huge trees often Standing So close
together that a corpu!ent man could
hardly squeeze his body througa between
them. The chief who was my guide
showed NE the place where the Bltaks
would form an ambush to stop an encny,
and where, he said, more than one hun
dred and fifty men had been kiilel at
once. l felt that I should have little
of escaping it alive. The de-
occupied two hours; thea the
jungle was succeeded by a more opsa
and soon I was on the wide plateau
| so much desired to reaca.
l saw before me II great plain sur
rounded by high mountains, its best forth
.ications, to the right hand, to the left,
and in front, with towering SUBMITS,
including those os the volcanoes Pisoch-
singyelang and others, guarding
4 land never before trodden by the foot
Of any European traveller. 1t was stud
led with numerous groves of trees,
among which the Batak villages lay hid
len in their foliage. We halted in a
sheltered spot, where our cader, the Chief
the "kampong" of Djawa, went for.
ward to ask leave for US to advance. the
spproach to on OF these villages IS even
more difficult than traversing the mount
lin pass. Eas ii village is built on a
mali island formed by the different
channels on a deep river, now partially
Try, leaving preeipitous banks which de-
end the place like a moat. 1t Gun
,e entered only By winding artificial
often by dark tunnels, and By a
of stockaded passages, with
,ates, and with che. vaux 1e-friss Of
happened bamboo points. But at last
got inside the "hampong,' and was
urrounded by the whole population,
ager to see the stranger. Mats were
pread on the ground, and a sort Of rude
rm chair was placed for my seat, while
he natives squatted on the mats. The
hief babe me- welcome. and | felt quite
t ease with my Batak hosts.
The people of this race are of good
tattre and shape, with clear brown
kris, long black hair, dark eyes, prom
nent cheek bones, and the nose often
quiline-oh the whole, agreeable in
Usage. The mans dress is a s'kain,n or
hirts, of dark blue, fastened by a belt,
small waistcoat with tight sleeves, a
lue shawl and a turban, a saber and o
nile are stuck in his belt. Unmarried
Fomen are distinguished by wearing a
oliar of gold and silver, which they give
p when married. The women's silver
a~r-ornaments are of amazing size,
ormed like a double Ionic voiute, with
oiral shafts, quite six inches long, and
wo or three inches wide at the top,
nearly two nn1nds Thu