ellows daily
swearing debts against persons who never were indebted to any of their
generation. In such suits, and there are many of them, it requires no
small discernment to discover, by the attendant circumstances, where the
truth lies; but this may be done in most instances by a person who is
used to their manners and has a personal knowledge of the parties
concerned. But what they mean by their oath, in those cases where it is
impossible they should be acquainted with the facts they design to prove,
is no more than this; that they are so convinced of the truth of the
matter as to be willing to subject themselves to the paju sumpah
(destructive consequences of perjury) if what they assert is believed by
them to be false. The form of words used is nearly as follows: "If what I
now declare, namely" (here the fact is recited) "is truly and really so,
may I be freed and clear from my oath: if what I assert is wittingly
false, may my oath be the cause of my destruction." But it may be easily
supposed that, where the punishment for a false oath rests altogether
with the invisible powers, where no direct infamy, no corporal punishment
is annexed to the perjury, there cannot fail to be many who would makan
sumpah (swallow an oath), and willingly incur the guilt, in order to
acquire a little of their neighbour's property.

Although an oath, as being an appeal to the superior powers, is supposed
to come within their cognizance alone, and that it is contrary to the
spirit of the customs of these people to punish a perjury by human means,
even if it were clearly detected; yet, so far prevalent is the opinion of
their interposition in human affairs that it is very seldom any man of
substance, or who has a family that he fears may suffer by it, will
venture to forswear himself; nor are there wanting apparent examples to
confirm them in this notion. Any accident that happens to a man who has
been known to take a false oath, or to his children or grandchildren, is
carefully recorded in memory, and attributed to this sole cause. The
dupati of Gunong Selong and his family have afforded an instance that is
often quoted among the Rejangs, and has evidently had great weight. It
was notorious that he had, about the year 1770, taken in the most solemn
manner a false oath. He had at that time five sons grown up to manhood.
One of them, soon after, in a scuffle with some bugis (country soldiers)
was wounded and died. The dupati the next year