man did not possess the smallest
natural means of opposition, had come within their observation. An
English officer, with more courage and humour than discretion, exposed
one imposture of this kind. A man having boasted in his presence that he
was endowed with this supernatural privilege, the officer took an
opportunity of applying to his arm the point of a sword and drew the
blood, to the no little diversion of the spectators, and mortification of
the pretender to superior gifts, who vowed revenge, and would have taken
it had not means been used to keep him at a distance. But a single
detection of charlatanerie is not effectual to destroy a prevalent
superstition. These impostors are usually found among the Malays and not
the more simple country people.

NO MISSIONARIES.

No attempts, I have reason to think, have ever been made by missionaries
or others to convert the inhabitants of the island to Christianity, and I
have much doubt whether the most zealous and able would meet with any
permanent success in this pious work. Of the many thousands baptized in
the eastern islands by the celebrated Francis Xavier in the sixteenth
century not one of their descendants are now found to retain a ray of the
light imparted to them; and probably, as it was novelty only and not
conviction that induced the original converts to embrace a new faith, the
impression lasted no longer than the sentiment which recommended it, and
disappeared as rapidly as the itinerant apostle. Under the influence
however of the Spanish government at Manila and of the Dutch at Batavia
there are many native Christians, educated as such from children. In the
Malayan language Portuguese and Christians are confounded under the same
general name; the former being called orang Zerani, by corruption for
Nazerani. This neglect of missions to Sumatra is one cause that the
interior of the country has been so little known to the civilized world.

CHAPTER 16.

THE COUNTRY OF LAMPONG AND ITS INHABITANTS.
LANGUAGE.
GOVERNMENT.
WARS.
PECULIAR CUSTOMS.
RELIGION.

Having thus far spoken of the manners and customs of the Rejangs more
especially, and adverted, as occasion served, to those of the Passummah
people, who nearly resemble them, I shall now present a cursory view of
those circumstances in which their southern neighbours, the inhabitants
of the Lampong country, differ from them, though this dissimilitude is
not very considerable; and shall add such informa