Sumatra

Menangkabau Malays.—South of the Battaks, in the Padang highlands and surrounding districts are found the Menangkabau Malays. At one time their ancient and powerful kingdom (which, legend says, rose on the ruins of a Hindu empire) covered the greater part of central Sumatra. They sent out emigrants to the Malay peninsula, and represented the highest form of Malayan civilization. Although converted to Islam, the Menangkabau Ma lays retained their ancient custom of the Matriarchate, i.e., descent and inheritance in the female line, which is said to be preserved nowhere in a purer form than amongst these Malays. A wife remains after marriage with her kinsfolk on the mother's side, the husband, having no home of his own, only visits his wife, and resides in his mother's house. Names, privileges and property derive from the mother's side. The eldest man of the elder female line is termed Mamak, and he is the keeper of all the possessions of the family. Land is unalienable, and always comes back into the possession of the family or village. Marriage be tween members of the same tribe is not allowed. Houses, raised from the ground, are very ornate and picturesque, with horned ridge-poles and finely-carved wooden fronts, sometimes painted. Several families bearing the same patronymic live in the same house, and several houses, their rice-barns, a communal house, a mosque, school, an inn and market form a village. There are priests and nobles; the people live by trade, agriculture, hunting and fishing. Their language is one of the chief branches of Malay (with a few words of Sanskrit origin). At one time the Javanese script was used; now this is Arabic. Literature is legendary and poetical. Native chronicles derive the Menang kabau dynasty from Alexander the Great; and the Achinese princes derived their ancestry from a missionary of Islam.

Other Peoples.—South of the Menangkabaus, in the Indrapura region, live the Korinchis, a small community, partly Moham medan, partly Animist, and east of these, in Jambi, Malays, using the term as denoting a seafaring race (Mohammedans), speaking Malay and having the usual Malay characteristics, not fond of work, prone to finery, devoted to sport and gaming, friendly and intelligent, and living in tribes. In Rejang-Lebong there are the Rejangs, a rather truculent people, who work in the gold and silver mines of their country, are Mohammedans, possess a script of Indian origin, and have Hindu antiquities scattered amongst them. In the south are the Lampongs, who were largely under Hindu influence and attained a high degree of civilization which they have retained. Pepper culture, for the European market, is the chief occupation, and many plantation owners are men of wealth, em ploying a great deal of outside labour. Among the primitive tribes, there are the Kubus of the Jambi mountains, who are nomadic and quite savage, almost dwarfs, and have frizzled hair denoting negritic blood. All are extremely shy and isolated peoples, but

quite peaceable, nomadic or semi-nomadic, primitively clothed, living by fishing and hunting and rude agriculture. (For "island peoples" see NIAS, MENTAWEI, BATU, SIMALUR.) Enggano people are Animistic Malays, fishers and agriculturists.

Administrative Divisions and Towns.

The northern part of Sumatra is administered by the Government of Achin and Dependencies (q.v.), the capital of which is Kota Raja (q.v.), with Oleh-Leh as its port. Other ports are Sigli, Idi, Lho Seumawe (pop. 2,043), and Langsa, on the north-east coast, Meulaboh (pop. 2,575), and Singkel, on the west coast. Apart from Lhoinga on the north coast, Chalang, on the west coast, and Tapatuan, which have a controleur, Kuala Simpang near the southern boundary on the east coast, Meuredu, Bireuen and Kota Chane (Alas country), Blang Kejeren (Gajo country), Lokop and Takengun, a mountain station (4,000 ft.), in the interior, there are no towns worthy of mention. Exports in 1926 were 19,016,628 and imports guilders. On the east coast, below Achin from 4 m. N. to the Equator, and extending inland to the central mountains and Lake Toba in the north, and to the western mountains in the south, is the Government of the East Coast of Sumatra, the largest administrative unit in the island, with its capital at Medan, and with its chief port Belawan (Deli) (q.v.).

A railway runs from Kuala Simpang, where it links up with the Achin coastal railway, to Tanjong Balei (pop. 15,708), the capital of the Sultanate of Assahan. It is the seat of the Sultan of Assa han, who has two palaces here, and, situated at the mouth of the Assahan river, is a port of call for vessels of the Royal Packet Navigation Company (which call also at Belawan, Bengkalis, Labuan Bili and Bagan Si-Api Api), with a trade in copra, rubber and gambier. The railway ends here, but a long motor road runs inland to Si Pare Pare. Other motor roads follow more or less the line of the coastal railway; they also connect other centres. South of these railways and roads there are no com munications save riding-tracks and the rivers. Towns are : Bengkalis, on the island of that name (pop. 3,291), Pasir Pen garajan, and Gunung Sahilan, in the interior, Labuan Bili, on the coast, Siak Sri Indrapura, on the Siak, and Pakan Baru, ioo m. up the Siak, which is a port of call for vessels of the Royal Packet Navigation Company, and is connected by road with Gunung Sa hilan. East Coast imports (1926) amounted to a total of 90, and exports were 277,453,450 guilders. Below Achin, on the west coast, opposite the East Coast Government, is Tapanuli (q.v.), a residency, its capital and chief port being Sibolga (pop. 10,765). Other ports are Barus and Natal, and all three are ports of call for Royal Packet Navigation Company steamers. Coffee, rubber and nutmegs are grown. Imports (1926) 5,072,923 and exports 14,899,537 guilders.