subjects, not his slaves," replied one of the proattins. But from the
pangeran you hear a tale widely different. He has been known to say, in a
political conversation, "such and such dusuns there will be no trouble
with; they are my powder and shot;" explaining himself by adding that he
could dispose of the inhabitants, as his ancestors had done, to purchase
ammunition in time of war.

ORIGIN OF THE PANGERAN IN RAJANG.

The father of Pangeran Mangko Raja (whose name is preserved from oblivion
by the part he took in the expulsion of the English from Fort Marlborough
in the year 1719) was the first who bore the title of pangeran of
Sungey-lamo. He had before been simply Baginda Sabyam. Until about a
hundred years ago the southern coast of Sumatra as far as Urei River was
dependant on the king of Bantam, whose Jennang (lieutenant or deputy)
came yearly to Silebar or Bencoolen, collected the pepper and filled up
the vacancies by nominating, or rather confirming in their appointments,
the proattins. Soon after that time, the English having established a
settlement at Bencoolen, the jennang informed the chiefs that he should
visit them no more, and, raising the two headmen of Sungey-lamo and
Sungey-itam (the latter of whom is chief of the Lemba country in the
neighbourhood of Bencoolen River; on which however the former possesses
some villages, and is chief of the Rejang tribes), to the dignity of
pangeran, gave into their hands the government of the country, and
withdrew his master's claim. Such is the account given by the present
possessors of the origin of their titles, which nearly corresponds with
the recorded transactions of the period. It followed naturally that the
chief thus invested should lay claim to the absolute authority of the
king whom he represented, and on the other hand that the proattins should
still consider him but as one of themselves, and pay him little more than
nominal obedience. He had no power to enforce his plea, and they retain
their privileges, taking no oath of allegiance, nor submitting to be
bound by any positive engagement. They speak of him however with respect,
and in any moderate requisition that does not affect their adat or
customs they are ready enough to aid him (tolong, as they express it),
but rather as matter of favour than acknowledged obligation.

The exemption from absolute subjection, which the dupatis contend for,
they allow in turn to their ana-buahs, whom they govern by t