In some brackish pools I collected several small living species of the Cerethium; and about the banks a great number of a small crab, remarkable from one of the claws being greatly disproportioned to the size of the other parts of the animal, and entirely different in colour. When I first beheld them, I mistook them for small crabs running away with the claws of larger ones. They are difficult to catch, from the exceeding rapidity of their motions, and escape, on the slightest movement or noise being made, into their subterraneous dwellings in the sand. The body and feet of the animal are bluish black, with a few white marks across, and the large claw is of a light or occasional darker red colour. The natives call them Biong, po. They are seen in great numbers about the pools, but are not eaten by the natives. I procured several specimens, which I preserved in spirits. On being placed in strong rum, they survived for the space of full three minutes; and if more than one was placed in the same bottle, they would fight and pull the claws off each other in their death agonies.
Near the village, several boys were playing a game with Areka-nuts, called Mein-achu, in some degree resembling our game at marbles. Four nuts were piled up in form of a pyramid, twelve such forming a row; a nut was then fillipped off with some degree of force against the heaps, from a distance of about three yards. If the thrower succeeds in destroying one of the pyramids, he renews his throw at the others, always at the distance where his nut remained, until he misses, when the next player takes his turn: the game thus continuing until all the pyramids are thrown down.
I was much surprised a few days since, while passing a house in the vicinity of the village, to see apparently a European lad, of about six years of age; and on examining him closer, found his skin of a white colour, thinly scattered over with small light-brown patches. On passing the same house again, I made inquiry on the subject, and then had an opportunity of seeing two others, who were females,—one about sixteen or eighteen years of age, the other an infant just able to run about. They were described to us as children of native Malay parents, of the usual colour of their race; but we did not see them, as they had gone a short distance into the country. The children were named Ceté, Theté, and Cebreté. They had a plump appearance; flaxen hair, light-blue eyes; and the boy and young woman were slightly covered with scattered small brown patches; but the infant had not a blemish on its integument. The natives could give no reason for this variety; they looked upon it as curious, but did not seem, as far as I could ascertain, to regard it as a disease. They have the flat nose of the Malay, but otherwise would be considered the offspring of European parents, the skin being in some degree freckled. It ought certainly to be regarded as a variety of, if not actually the disease called, leprosy.[160]
I met several natives going into the interior; they were all well armed with krisses, klawangs or Malay swords, spears, and blunderbusses or musquets; the country in the interior being described as in a very unsettled state. Some of the spears were about six feet long, resembling walking-staves, covered above by a wooden sheath, similar to the other part of the weapon, and ornamented with rims of silver; the upper part, or sheath, being taken off, displays the head of the spear.
I purchased a specimen of the Viverra musanga, similar to one I had before procured at Java, for half a rupee; although very wild with strangers, it was exceedingly domesticated with its master, following him like a cat, as he walked along the path: they called him, on this coast, as at Java, “Mussang.”
This specimen was very little larger than one I had before procured; but they attain, I was informed, the size of our domestic cat, living, in the wild state, upon the summits of the trees, eating fruit, and catching birds as their food. The animal is very fond of sugar-cane, plantain, rice, and the flesh of fowls, and will also kill and eat those troublesome insects, the cock-roaches. It, however, became so very savage on board, that I was obliged at last to destroy it.
I was frequently applied to by the natives, when sick, to administer medicines to them. There were several suffering from different kinds of tumours; one, near the nose, I offered to remove; but although the person promised to come on board for the purpose, I afterwards heard he was afraid, and altered his mind. Among many patients was a little girl, belonging to a Moorman, suffering from Diarrhœa mucosa: her body had been rubbed entirely over with a mixture of turmeric, sandal-wood, and oil, as a remedy for the disease. The yellow appearance—the usual indication of sickness—was not the result, as may have been expected, of some disease, but merely a daubing over the body of the above-mentioned composition,—this being the remedy for all diseases. The common Hindoo application of cow-dung and turmeric is frequent for external wounds or bruises, and considered a very efficacious remedy. Cutaneous diseases were very numerous, and the native applications proved very inefficacious in removing them.
I had an opportunity of seeing another rajah—the rajah of Putu (a village and district not far distant, on the sea coast). He was ill-looking in person, and carried with him the appearance of being addicted to opium-smoking. He was attired in a sarong of a handsome pattern, the borders of which were woven with gold threads. These sarongs are the manufacture of the country, and are sold at high prices. The rajah was tall and young, and was attended by a numerous retinue, attired in red cloth jackets ornamented with gold lace, and handsome sarongs: others could only wear a cotton baju, or jacket. They were armed with spears, klawangs, krisses, and old rusty blunderbusses. The object of his visit to this place, was to pay his respects to the old queen (grandmother of the present rajah) of Acheen, who was residing at Pedir, and was about to embark in a few days in the Acheenese grab for Acheen, and was described as being an excellent old lady.