Defcription of the Rejangs in the Ifland of Sumatra, extracted from the Hiftory of that Ifland, by W. Mariden, F. R. S. late Secretary to the Prefident and Council of Fort Marlborough, HEY are placed in what may be called a central fituation, not geographically, but with respect to the encroachments of foreign manners and opinions, introduced by the Malays, from the north, and javans from the fouth; which gives them a claim to originality, fuperior to that of moft others. They are a people whofe form of government and whofe laws extend, with very little variation, over a confiderable part of the island, and principally that portion where the connexions of the English lie. There are traditions of their having formerly fent forth colonies to the fouthward; and in the country of Paffummah, the fite of their villages is ftill pointed out; which would prove that they have formerly been of more confideration than they can boaft at prefent. They have a proper language, and a perfect written character, that is become of general ufe in many remote districts. Thefe advantages point out the Rejang people as an eligible ftandard of defcription;.. and a motive equally ftrong that induces me to adopt them as fuch, is, that my fituation and connexions on the ifland, led me to a more intimate and minute acquaintance with their laws and manners, than with thofe of any ether clafs, I muft premife how ever that the Malay cuftoms having made their way, in a greater or lefs degree, to every part of Sumatra, it will be totally impoffible to difcriminate, with entire accuracy, thofe which are original, from those which are borrowed: and of course, what I fhall fay of the Rejangs, will apply for the most part, not only to the Sumatrans in general, but may fometimes be, in firictnefs, proper to the Malays alone, and by them. taught to the higher rank of country people. The country of the Rejangs is divided, to the north-weit, from the kingdom of Anac Soongey (of which Moco Moco is the capital) by the fmall river of Oori, near that of Cattown; which lat, with the diftrict of Laboon on its banks, bounds it on the north or inland fide. The country of Moofee, where Palembang river takes its rife, forms its limit to the eastward. Bencoolen river, precifely fpeaking, confines it on the foutheaft; though the inhabitants of the diftrict called Lemba, extending from thence to Silebar, are entirely the fame people, in manners and language. The principal rivers, befides thofe already mentioned, are Laye, Pally, and Soongeylamo; on all of which the English have factories, the refident or chief being stationed at Laye. The perfons of the inhabitants. of the island, though differing confiderably in diftricts remote from each other, may in general be comprehended in the following defcription; excepting the Achenefe, whofe commixture with the Moors of the weft of India, has diftinguished them from the other Sumatrans. They are rather below the middle ftature; their bulk is in pro portioni portion; their limbs are for the moft part flight, but well fhaped, and particularly fmall at the wrifts and ankles. Upon the whole they are gracefully formed, and I fcarcely recollect to have ever feen one deformed perfon, of the natives *. The women, however, have the prepofterous custom of flattening the nofes, and compreffing the heads of children newly born, whilft the fkull is yet cartilaginous, which increafes their natural tendency to that fhape. I could never trace the origin of the practice, or learn any other reafon for moulding the features to this uncouth appearance, but that it was an improvement of beauty in their estimation. Captain Cook takes notice of a fimilar operation at the island of Ulietea. They likewife pull out the ears of infants, to make them ftand erect from the head. Their eyes are uniformly dark and clear, and among fome, especially the fouthern women, bear a ftrong refemblance to the Chinese, in the peculiarity of formation fo nerally obferved of that people. Their hair is ftrong, and of a shining black; the improvement of both which qualities it probably owes, in great measure, to the conftant and early ufe of coco-nut oil, with which they keep it moift. The men frequently cut their hair fhort, not appearing to take any pride in it; the women encourage theirs to a confiderable length, and I have known many inftances of its reaching the ground. The men are beardlefs, and have chins fo remarkably fmooth, that were it not for the Malay priests difplaying a little tuft, we fhould be apt to conclude that nature had refufed them this token of manhood. It is the fame in refpect to other parts of the body, with both fexes; and this particular attention to their perfons, they eftcem a point of delicacy, and the contrary an unpardonable neglect. The boys, as they approach to the age of puberty, rub their chins, upper lips, and thofe parts of the body that are fubject to fuperfluous hair, with chunam, (quick lime) efpecially of fhells, which destroys the roots of the incipient beard. The few pile that afterwards appear, are plucked out from time to time with tweezers, which they always carry about them for that purpofe. Were it not for the numerous and very refpectable authorities, from which we are affured that the natives of America are naturally beardlefs, I fhould think that the common opinion on that fubject had been rafhly adopted, and that their appearing thus at a mature age, was only the confequence of an early practice, fimilar to that obferved among the Sumatrans, Even now I must confefs that it would remove fome fmall degree, of doubt from my mind, could it * Ghirardini, an Italian painter, who touched at Sumatra on his way to China in 1698, obferves of the Malays, Son di perfona tanto ben formata Quanto mai finger fan pittori indufiri. He speaks in high terms of the country, as being beautifully picturesque, be be ascertained that no fuch cuftom prevails. Their complexion is properly yellow, wanting the red tinge that conftitutes a tawny or copper colour. They are in general lighter than the Meftees, or half breed, of the rest of India; those of the fuperior clafs, who are not expofed to the rays of the fun, and particularly their women of rank, approaching to a great degree of fairness. Did beauty confift in this one quality, fome of them would furpafs our brunettes in Europe. The major part of the females are ugly, and many of them even to disguft, yet there are those among them, whofe appearance is ftrikingly beautiful; whatever compofition of perfon, features, and complexion, that fentiment may be the refult of. The fairness of the Sumatrans, comparatively with other Indians, fituated as they are, under a perpendicular fun, where no feafon of the year affords an alternative of cold, is, I think, an irrefragable proof, that the difference of colour in the various inhabitants of the earth, is not the immediate effect of climate. The children of Europeans born in this ifland are as fair, and perhaps in general fairer, than those born in the country of their parents. I have obferved the fame of the second generation, where a mixture with the people of the country has been avoided. On the other hand, the offspring and all the defcendants of the Guinea and other African flaves imported there, continue in the laft inftance as perfectly black as in the original ftock. I do not mean to enter into the merits of the queftion which naturally connects with these obfervations; but fhall only remark, that the fallow and aduft countenances, fo commonly acquired by Europeans who have long refided in hot climates, are more afcribable to the effect of bilious diftempers, which almost all are fubject to in a greater or lefs degree, than of their expofure to the influence of the weather, which few but feafaring people are liable to, and of which the impreffion is feldom permanent. From this circumftance I have been led to conjecture that the general difparity of complexions in different nations, might poffibly be owing to the more or lefs copious fecretion, or redundance of that juice, rendering the skin more or lefs dark according to the qualities of the bile prevailing in the conftitutions of each. But I fear fuch an hypothefis would not stand the test of experiment, as it muft follow, that upon diffection, the contents of a negro's gall bladder, or at least the extravafated bile, fhould uniformly be found black. Perfons fkilled in anatomy will determine whether it is poffible that the qualities of any animal fecretion can fo far affect the It is allowed by travellers that the Patagonians have tufts of hair on the upper lip and chin. Caprain Carver fays, that among the tribes he vifited, the people made a regular practice of eradicating their beards with pincers. At Bruffels is preferved, along with a variety of ancient and curious fuits of armour, that of Montezuma king of Mexico, of which the vizor, or mafk for the face, has remarkably large whiskers; an ornament which thofe Americans could not have imitated, unless nature had presented them with the model. frame, frame, as to render their confequences liable to be tranfmitted to pofterity in their full force. The fmall fize of the inhabitants, and especially of the women, may be in fome measure owing to the early communication between the fexes; though, as the inclinations which lead to this intercourfe are prompted here by nature fooner than in cold climates, it is not unfair to fuppofe that being. proportioned to the period of maturity, this is alfo fooner attained, and confequently that the earlier ceffation of growth of these people, is agreeable to the laws of their conftitution, and not occafioned by a premature and irregular appetite. Perfons of fuperior rank encou. rage the growth of their handnails, particularly thofe of the fore and little fingers, to an extraordinary length; frequently tinging them red, with the expreffed juice of a fhrub called eeni; as they do the nails of their feet also, to which, being always uncovered, they pay as much attention as to their hands. The hands of the natives, and even of the half breed, are always cold to the touch; which I cannot account for other wife than by a fuppofition, that from the lefs degree of elasticity in the folids, occafioned by the heat of the climate, the internal action of the body, by which the fluids are put in motion, is lefs vigorous, the circulation is proportionably languid, and of courfe the diminished effect is moft perceptible in the extremities, and a coldness there is the natural confequence. The natives of the hills, through the whole extent of the island, are fubject to those monftrous wens from the throat, which have been obferved of the Vallai fans, and the inhabitants of other mountainous diftricts in Europe. It has been ufual to attribute this affection to the badness, thawed ftate, mineral quality, or other peculiarity of the waters; many skilful men having applied themfelves to the investigation of the fubject. My experience enables me to pronounce without hesitation, that the diforder, for fuch it is, though it appears here to mark a diftin&t race of people (orang goonong), is immediately connected with the hillinefs of the country, and of course, if the circumftances of the water they use contribute thereto, it must be only fo far as the nature of the water is affected by the inequality or height of the land. But on Sumatra neither fnow nor other congelation is ever produced, which militates against the moft plaufible conjecture that has been adopted concerning the Alpine goitres. From every research that I have been enabled to make, I think I have reason to conclude, that the complaint is owing, among the Sumatrans, to the fogginefs of the air in the vallies between the high mountains, where, and not on the fummits, the natives of these parts refide. I before remarked, that between the ranges of hills, the caboot or denfe mift was visible for feveral hours every morning; rifing in a thick, opaque and well defined body, with the fun, and feldom quite difperfed till after noon. This phænomenon, as well as that of the wens, being peculiar to the regions of the hills, affords a prefumption that they may be be ascertained that no fuch cuftom prevails. Their complexion is properly yellow, wanting the red tinge that conftitutes a tawny or copper colour. They are in general lighter than the Meftees, or half breed, of the rest of India; those of the fuperior clafs, who are not expofed to the rays of the fun, and particularly their women of rank, approaching to a great degree of fairness. Did beauty confift in this one quality, fome of them would furpafs our brunettes in Europe. The major part of the females are ugly, and many of them even to difguft, yet there are those among them, whofe appearance is ftrikingly beautiful; whatever compofition of perfon, features, and complexion, that fentiment may be the refult of. The fairness of the Sumatrans, comparatively with other Indians, fituated as they are, under a perpendicular fun, where no feafon of the year affords an alternative of cold, is, I think, an irrefragable proof, that the difference of colour in the various inhabitants of the earth, is not the immediate effect of climate. The children of Europeans born in this ifland are as fair, and perhaps in general fairer, than those born in the country of their parents. I have obferved the fame of the fecond generation, where a mixture with the people of the country has been avoided. On the other hand, the offspring and all the defcendants of the Guinea and other African flaves imported there, continue in the laft inftance as perfectly black as in the original ftock. I do not mean to enter into the merits of the question which naturally connects with thefe obfervations; but fhall only remark, that the fallow and aduft countenances, fo commonly acquired by Europeans who have long refided in hot climates, are more afcribable to the effect of bilious diftempers, which almost all are fubject to in a greater or lefs degree, than of their expofure to the influence of the weather, which few but feafaring people are liable to, and of which the impreffion is feldom permanent. From this circumftance I have been led to conjecture that the general difparity of complexions in different nations, might poffibly be owing to the more or lefs copious fecretion, or redundance of that juice, rendering the fkin more or lefs dark according to the qualities of the bile prevailing in the conftitutions of each. But I fear fuch an hypothefis would not stand the teft of experiment, as it must follow, that upon diffection, the contents of a negro's gall bladder, or at least the extravafated bile, fhould uniformly be found black. Perfons fkilled in anatomy will determine whether it is poffible that the qualities of any animal fecretion can so far affect the It is allowed by travellers that the Patagonians have tufts of hair on the upper lip and chin. Captain Carver fays, that among the tribes he vifited, the people made a regular practice of eradicating their beards with pincers. At Bruffels is preferved, along with a variety of ancient and curious fuits of armour, that of Montezuma king of Mexico, of which the vizor, or mafk for the face, has remarkably large whiskers; an ornament which thofe Americans could not have imitated, unless nature had presented them with the model. frame, |