with by traders from Menangkabau; the swords are of their own workmanship, and they also manufacture their own gunpowder, extracting the saltpetre, as it is said, from the soil taken from under houses that have been long inhabited (which in consequence of an uncleanly practice is strongly impregnated with animal salts), together with that collected in places where goats are kept.  Through this earth water is filtered, and being afterwards suffered to evaporate the saltpetre is found at the bottom of the vessel.  Their proper standard in war is a horse’s head, from whence flows a long mane or tail; beside which they have colours of red or white cloth.  For drums they use gongs, and in action set up a kind of war-whoop.

WARFARE.

The spirit of war is excited among these people by small provocation, and their resolutions for carrying it into effect are soon taken.  Their life appears in fact to be a perpetual state of hostility, and they are always prepared for attack and defence.  When they proceed to put their designs into execution the first act of defiance is firing, without ball, into the kampong of their enemies.  Three days are then allowed for the party fired upon to propose terms of accommodation, and if this is not done, or the terms are such as cannot be agreed to, war is then fully declared.  This ceremony of firing with powder only is styled carrying smoke to the adversary.  During the course of their wars, which sometimes last for two or three years, they seldom meet openly in the field or attempt to decide their contest by a general engagement, as the mutual loss of a dozen men might go near to ruin both parties, nor do they ever engage hand to hand, but keep at a pretty safe distance, seldom nearer than random-shot, excepting in case of sudden surprise.  They march in single files, and usually fire kneeling.  It is not often that they venture a direct attack upon each other’s works, but watch opportunities of picking off stragglers passing through the woods.  A party of three or four will conceal themselves near the footways, and if they see any of their foes they fire and run away immediately; planting ranjaus after them to prevent pursuit.  On these occasions a man will subsist upon a potato a day, in which they have much the advantage of the Malays (against whom they are often engaged in warfare), who require to be better fed.

FORTIFICATIONS.

They fortify their kampongs with large ramparts of earth, halfway up which they plant brushwood.  There is a ditch without the rampart, and on each side of that a tall palisade of camphor timber.  Beyond this is an impenetrable hedge of prickly bamboo, which when of sufficient growth acquires an extraordinary density, and perfectly conceals all appearance of a town.  Ranjaus, of a length both for the body and the feet, are disposed without all these, and render the approaches hazardous to assailants who are almost naked.  At each corner of the fortress, instead of a tower or watch-house, they contrive to have a tall tree, which they ascend to reconnoitre or fire from.  But they are not fond of remaining on the defensive in these fortified villages, and therefore, leaving a few to guard them, usually advance into the plains, and throw up temporary breast-works and entrenchments.