Page:Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (IA journalofstrait121878roya).pdf/155

 TOBA,—SUMATRA.

From a detailed description of High Toba, in the Batak Country, appearing in the Sumatra Courant of the 4th April, the following particulars were recently translated in the Straits Times. Since the Military operations of the Dutch from Singkel, some accurate information has, for the first time, been obtained regarding these interesting districts, hitherto a terra incognita even to the Dutch themselves.

"High Toba, which is at present so much talked of on the coasts, is a table land, situated between the 2nd and 3rd degrees of North Latitude and between the 95th and 20th degrees of East Longitude from Greenwich. It is generally an extensive steppe country covered almost every where with thickly growing lallang and intersected by clefts from 200 to 300 rhine-land feet deep. In the plain the Tobanese cultivates dry rice and ubi. In tilling, he makes use of an efficient plough drawn by one or two buffaloes. In the clefts which usuaily abound in water, many promising Sawah fields are met with. Excepting maize, gambier, pisang, and some other fruits, no produce is, however, found, even fire wood is very scarce. Notwithstanding this scarcity the soil cannot be termed unfertile, it being almost every where covered with a thick layer of humus. But mutual divisions among the people and mutual hatred prevent joint efforts to irrigate the land by canals from the Batang Taro river which rises there. High Toba being about 3000 feet above the sea level, the temperature is very moderate and may sometimes be even termed cold. In the shade the thermometer barely rises to 20° Reaumur, and early in the morning it falls to 12° R. The populations of High Toba, who in manners, customs, several of their general laws, and certain pecularities [sic] of character form a whole, may be divided amongst inhabited places lying 1 to 2 hours from each other; or if preferable, amongst districts containing 20, 30, or 40 villages close together. On the other hand, on the shores of the Toba lake, 1,000 villages containing 300,000 souls at least can be seen at a glance. A traveller coming from the south can see the lake lying 1,500 to 2,000 feet below him, the panorama being an impressive one, assuredly too grand for cannibals like the Bataks. Even Switzerland with its abundance of lakes need not be ashamed to include that blue mirror in its landscapes. The Toba lake is fed by a great number of streams which flow into it from all sides, chiefly from the north. It has a considerable outlet on the cast. It lies from east to north west, being about 10 hours long and 4 broad, with a breath of 6 hours to the north west. In the middle there is, however, a