The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-12-15
QUEER STORIES OF THE
DUTCH AND THE MA
TlNES IN THE THIRD
LAGEST ISLAND IN
THE WORLD.

per is made by washing and rubbing the
black berries and drying them In the sun
Among the 6attaks.
Some Of the best pepper plantations IN
Sumatra are in the land Of tho Battaks,
vast tribe Of semi-sayages who live In the
hills south OF Achln. These people are Ma.
lays intermlXed with Dyaks Of Borueo ana
with Ilindoos. They are taller than our
Filiplnos, darker IN complexion and more
heavily haired. Many Of them have boards.
In the wilder portions OF the country tne{
are very savage, and cnnnlbais are round.
The penalties for certain crimes are tnat
the guilty shall be cut IN pieces ana be
eaten alive. These practices, however, pre-
vail only In the black districts. Those BAT
taks who have come In contact with the
Dutch are seml-ciylllzed, ana many OF
them can read ana write ihey nave ah
alphabet Of their own and write upon PAIN
leaves Instead Of paper
The Battaks are pagGns. but doutt
whether missionaries would be allowed ny
the Dutch to go among them. Us they thins
missionary work disturbs the natives;
Some OF the people nre Mohnmmedans and
others believe In three deitics-n creator,
urescrver and DESTROYER. They have
also touch of Hlndoolsm. They are, on
the whole mild and peaceabe, hospitable
and very courteous
The Women Of Suratra.
hive several pictures OF Bartnk girls
brought 10 Batavia by q recent traveller in
thGt country. I am surprised at their
looks. They have better forms and fea-
beiter Young girls wear great deal
Of iewclry- maiden carries her whole
dowry on her person. Her arms are Gov
cred with bracelets from her wrists 10
her shoulders aud in her cars are buttons
and hooks az silver md GOLD,
Some girls have high back combs plated
with gold. AND some have surcugs Of silk
interviewer with gold threads ana decorated
with small coins II is NOT uncommon for
o woman 10 cover the whole upper part
Of hcr nrrsou with silver dollars. hegln-
la ConrCutric rows down 60 the depths OF
very decolcttc dress, am told TINT
some Of tine women wear silver nail pro-
trators. 7uch as are used by the Chinese.
ana that many have gold belts nud gold
and silver buckles 70 fasten their sarangs.
Queer Marriage Customs
Marriage IS largely a case OF courtshlp
and love in many parts Of sumatra. sim
the daughters have to he bought by thoir
husbands from the parents This purchase
/ is secret, but IL Is necessary, nevertheless,
and is always insisted upon unless the girl
band has little. Then he may be taken
into the family Of his bride with no pay
ment whatever. In the latter case. now
ever the ceremony Is different from the
regular marriage ceremony. aud the hns
bands rights are also different He be
comes. In short, the slave Of his legal boss
keeps the property ana the children,
Where the Women Rule,
] Indeed. there is part Of Sumatra where
! the women are said 10 be the real rulers.
/ This is in the middle Of the island, In a
! part OF the country seldom penetrated by
| travellers. There the women have more
| property rights than the meu. IL man
dies his possessions 90 TO his father aud
| mother. but II the woman dies her prop
| erty goes 10 the children, For this reason
the men give their property to their Wis g
ANA tho result is that most OF the wealth
| Of the tribe Is owned by the women. me
| husband can divorce his wife whenever
he chooses, but he must allow her 10 koci
the property tn her possession. For tRl'
reason there are few divorces. and the
people are said TO he uncommonly moral
! They are generally munogamlstS, notwlth
staining their Mohnmmedaulsm. Scyern
families will often live In one house II
daughter gets married new addition u
built az the back 9nd I'm this she HNg
ara brings up her children. Ihe Nnriou
additions Cnu he recognized by the prong
which extend up from the room. ana yol
see sometimes half dozen houses Sc
, In some villages there are houses some
: what HE the club houses ~ New Guinea
In the LnmronEs even small places haN'
their town halls. where the men, womcl
and children meet togcthcr and whore al
public business is done About these th
nod Hers and m1rkcimen collect! story
here d0ucng is sometimes held, lasting TO
several duFs 0ud n'rnfs
The Towns Of Sumatra.
have talked with Dutch officials abou
the towns Of Sumatra The natives nenrt
everywhere live IN villages and there ar
only few cities Of any size. have a
ready spoken Of Padang. This is tn
capital Of the west coast. 1t has abou
$4,000 people, and Of those about 100 ar
Europeans, The province Is ruled by ~, th
Dutch and the town has many bcnutlt,
Dutch villas, somewhat Ike those OF Jaw
, Many also live In bungalows consiructe
of wood and bamboo, with the doors Sc'
eral feet above tho ground, Some Of th
Villas are rooted with thatch of tap
The natives lives In matched huts wit
! curiously pointed roofs. Their houses AZ
shaded by coCoauut trees, and Padnn
! makes yon think Of an Immense park wit
/ these curious houses scattered through i
Is said TO be very healthy II Is not "a
from coul aeldS, which are connected wit
T. Not FAR from Padang Is Benkulen. whic
Z was once the English capital Of the couI
, try, II has 12o0o people, but Is mot pro
porous, plll Is tho Dutch capital Of N
j. l"st coast II Is at the mouth " a hit
y river on Manccn strait, just n little belo
Penang Here the Dutch civil and militar
Do ! oh.,H.s I've as wen as many SWopen
, merchants, making a very pleasant foreig
y streets being lighted by electricity. Il IA;
p two hanks, two good hotels, two clubs
- racing association aud many Chinese, Jap
a. neSe, Indians, Malay and klhE buslne
" houses II Is the center Of the tobacco @
~ porting trade, and II imports great dc
u OF rice from the Strait settlements.
u In eastern Sumatra is the largest city
" the Island. II 10 known as palsnhang on
= is the capital of the rcsidency ~ "a
y name. II has n population of about Coon
20 ana has considerable export and lmpo
= trade wtA Singapore. siam, Batavia az
y China II has n European quarter wi
5 the usual assortment Of clubs, Ouslne
- houses, etc. The people are largely NJ
y hammcdans. and II has one mosque. floor,
o with marble, which has minaret 100 fe
T. high.
p How the Dutch Govern Sunatra.
: The Dutch have applied the same Cover
ment TO Sumara as 10 Java, but their su
cess in controlling the people has been Il
greater In the latter island. The Maloys