. Java, Sumatra and the other islands of the Dutch East Indies . astern coast of Sumatra, and portions ofthe neighbouring islands which are external to the Dutchempire properly so called. According to the differencesin their dialects, the Bataks are divided into three principalgroups : the Tobas of Siboga, Baros, and Sorkam ; theMandailings of the west coast of Sumatra ; and the Dairisof the north and north-west of Baros and the centre ofSingkel. To these groups others are related : the Timor-Bataks, the Raja-Bataks, and the Pakpak Bataks of theSea of Toba : the Karo-Bataks and the Dusun-Batak
. Java, Sumatra and the other islands of the Dutch East Indies . astern coast of Sumatra, and portions ofthe neighbouring islands which are external to the Dutchempire properly so called. According to the differencesin their dialects, the Bataks are divided into three principalgroups : the Tobas of Siboga, Baros, and Sorkam ; theMandailings of the west coast of Sumatra ; and the Dairisof the north and north-west of Baros and the centre ofSingkel. To these groups others are related : the Timor-Bataks, the Raja-Bataks, and the Pakpak Bataks of theSea of Toba : the Karo-Bataks and the Dusun-Bataks ofthe high plains and the east coast of Sumatra. Any real knowledge of the Bataks dates from 1867- * From the Portuguese padre, in the religious sense of into the Malay tongue as padri, this word has come to meanpriest or ecclesiastic. The leaders of the Padris rebellion, whowere all members of the Islamite clergy, were at first the solebearers of this title ; but later on it enlarged its meaning, andsignified the adepts of the sect as a DWELLING-HOUSE AND RICE GRANARY, BATIPU, SUMATRA. To face p. 370. SUMATRA AND RIOUW LINGGA 271 1883 ; I they had at first a terrible reputation for can-nibalism, due principally to the reports of ancient Arabtravellers; they accused them of eating their agedrelations so soon as the latter were no longer of serviceto them ; in order to give them a pious sepulture in theirstomachs. At the season when lemons (the indispensableaccompaniment of such a festival) were ripe, the agedvictim would climb a tree ; the family would dancearound below, singing ^^ Where the fruit is ripe it fallsfrom the tree ; until the victim allowed himself to fall,when he was knocked on the head, cut up, and consumedaccording to custom. 2 The Bataks were also accused ofeating their prisoners of war, men of the people who * See M. Joustra, Liiteraiuuroverzicht der Bataklanden (Leyden,1907, 8vo). A Batak Institute was founded in Leyden in 1909 forthe
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