here also. Amongst the amusements is gambling, which is a Government farm, and the wayang. This last is really fine, the costumes were all prepared in China and cost the Captain Oei Banhok ƒ5,000.

As no women can leave China, the Chinese here take Malay women or the descendants of Chinese and Malays. The offspring of such marriages are called baba, in contra-distinction to the China born, who are called Keh. Many hundreds and even thousands of Chinese arrive at Singapore in the months of January and February in the junks, to fly from poverty in their native land and seek a livelihood elsewhere. Many of these come here, and scatter themselves in all directions, where they can barely gain a subsistence. Their desire is, only to acquire sufficient to enable them to return to their native country, in order there to spend their old age and die. For this purpose they live sparingly and send all their surplus money to China; owing to this cause no large capitals are employed in trade or agriculture.

The Moors are mostly all from the coast of Coromandel or Kling. They are not very numerous at Rhio and employ themselves exclusively in trade; scarcely one of them has any capital; the largest does not exceed one thousand rupeess, as far as I am aware. Goods sold at Singapore at the public auctions are brought here and hawked about by them. Gain is their only desire, and therefore they practice many tricks and impositions, so that in dealing with them one must be on his guard. One person only is a commendable exception to this. They are a fine race of men, strong and vigorous, dark brown in colour, with expressive features. The few who are not engaged in trade are cattle keepers or servants

The Bugis and Javanese are only temporary residents, and consist, the first of traders, and the last named, on the other hand, of handicraftsmen. It is chiefly from the island of Bawean that the prahus bring men who hire themselves here for a year and then return home with their savings. The viceroy of Peningat and the princes are of Bugis descent.

The Malays may be considered the aboriginal inhabitants of the archipelago, or perhaps as those who have expelled the former population and replaced them. People are not generally agreed as to their origin. Marsden maintains that they are derived from the kingdom of Menangkabau in the interior of Sumatra, Before

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they were converted to islamism they were Budhists. The inhabitants of Menangkabau was divided into four great divisions or families, one of which bore the name of Malayu. From this division the first emigration to the southern part of the Peninsula took place and they founded the town of Singapore, on the island of that name, in the year A. D. 1160 under their prince Sri Turie Buwana. Although this colony was at first known under the name of Orang dibawa angin (from the direction of the country of their origin), they soon acquired that of Orany Malayu from the name of their tribe in Menangkabau, and the whole country that of tana Malayu.

From this colony, and not from their original kingdom of Menangkabau, the Malayan name and nation have spread over the whole archipelago. Johor and Malacca have peopled the islands of Bintang and Lingga, Kampar and Ari on Sumatra, Bruné on the island of Borneo and founded nearly all the states on the Peninsula. This circumstance is decisive regarding the claim made by the princes of Menangkabau to the possession of some of the states above mentioned, the princes of which were willing of their own accord to acknowledge that primitive right, notwithstanding the opposite was shown by the well established superiority of Johor and the existing contracts with the Dutch Company.

Through their extended trading operations the Malays have come in contact with the most easterly peoples, and their language has become the common medium of communication over the whole of the archipelago. To the circumstance that they were the people most addicted to trade and a seafaring life, as also that the language itself is easily acquired, simple and melodious, must this general adoption of it be ascribed. It is now so generally diffused, that from the islands west of Sumatra to New Guinea, from Timor to the Phillipines, we can use this language. It is deserving of remark that notwithstanding this wide diffusion, the language is everywhere almost spoken in the same manner, that is, that there are only very small differences in dialect and that single words differ in application and signification, while on many places very many others are imported, which are not Malay (on account of the intercourse with foreign nations). In the written language there is however no difference, being the same everywhere. This language is that which is used in writing to the

princes and is spoken by them and is that generally used in trade.

Many transformations have taken place in the Malay language. According to Marsden the Malay was originally a Polynesian dialect, which he endeavours to demonstrate by the great similarity of many words of first necessity with those which are still used in the islands to the west of New Guinea; and even an apparent community with the languages of the islands to the east of these last mentioned. In very distant times, which are wholly enveloped in obscurity, the Malay language was refined and embellished by many words from the Sanscrit, which most have reference to the first moral impressions, the first ideas of science or of an awakened intelligence with a young people.

These words appear to have been imported and to have been generally adopted when the Hindoos conquered these countries and introduced their religiou and language.

In the 12th century the Mahomedan religion was imported hither, which was probably much promoted by the great trade with Arabia, of which there are traces found so far back as the 9th century. Two centuries later islamism was first introduced into Java. In the year 1817 and 1849, there were found at different places on the sea-shore of the islands Keteer, Keke and Penguyan in the bay of Bintang, a number of objects of Hindoo origin, such as numerous ornaments of very fine gold, figures of Hindoo gods, gold armlets, porcelain cups and dishes, vases and other antiquities, which nowadays are no longer seen or used; but the resemblance between these and what is met with on the coast of Coromandel, affords every reason for believing that they had been buried in the ground on the introduction of the Mahomedan religion when the Hindoos were driven away from this. All were found at only some three or four feet below the surface.

On the Malayan language itself the introduction of the Mahomedan religion had little influence, but a very great one on the manner of writing, for the Arabian characters have so altered the original manner of writing, that we no longer meet with any traces of it, unless we may consider the Battak-writing as a remnant of the former manner of writing.

In the social language very few Arab words have found a place, but in the works treating of religion, morality, laws, arts and

sciences a very extensive use is made of the Arabic. In the written style we find, especially in the commencement of compositions, many words, and even whole sentences, which are pure Arabic. The daily forms of prayer are also pronounced in this language, without most persons, except the scholars and priests, understanding a word of them.

The Malay language, as is generally known, is separated into two parts, or rather into two distinct modes of speaking,—namely, the high or low Malay (bhasa dalam and bhasa dagang). The first is the court language and is generally used by persons of education. The princes and nobles have some words which they alone use or which are only applied to them, in consequence of which this court language is split into two parts, the bhasa dalam and bhasa bangsawan, which however seems to me a useless distinction. The high Malay is most used in books, letters, high poetry and similar productions of the fancy. The low Malay or bhasa dagang, is, as the name shows, used by the less refined classes of the people, and by foreign merchants as well as in the domestic and common intercourse. It is not so refined as the other but differs less in the words themselves than in the style or syntax. Through the commercial intercourse many words have been incorporated, which betray their foreign origin, so that there are few people with whom anything like a considerable trade has been carried on, whether European or Indian, from whom some words have not been borrowed.

The Malays are of small stature, mostly all between five and five and a half fect in height; a larger stature is an exception. The women are still smaller. The Malays in general are strong and well made although less tall than the Javanese. Deformed persons, giants or dwarfs are very seldom scen amongst them. The few deformities occasionally met with are generally the consequence of sickness, wounds or other external causes. The colour of the skin is brown, varying between light and dark, approximating to the Javanese, but generally, in my opinion, of a darker hue. There is also a slight dissimilarity in the appearance of the features, by which we speedily learn to distinguish a Malay from a Javanese. The countenance is broader and rounder; the cheek bones are more prominent, the chin is rounder, the nose broad and

flat with wide open nostrils, the lips thick and somewhat prominent, the hair long and black (but it is seldom worn so long as by the Javanese). Hands and feet are generally small and well made. The teeth are originally white and regular, but the use of sirih renders them black and the custom of filing them completely ruins them. Very few men have a beard. The few hairs are in general carefully eradicated. There is very little hair on the breast. * The Malay women are seldom good looking; few have regular features; their mode of walking has something constrained and stiff in it, which is perhaps to be attributed to their being almost wholly confined to the house.

In general the life of a Malay is much shorter than that of a European, which is probably to be ascribed to their uncleanliness, laziness, and excessive addiction to sexual pleasures, so that we often find young men of 18 and 20, who appear old and are weak and decrepit. This is especially the case with the higher classes. Some exceptions, however, are to be found to this, and men of 50 to 60 are no great wonders. On the island Mars there is a man who is above 100 years old. The women have a more aged appearance than the men; they are already on the wane in their 20th year. The children have generally a lively expression.

Their manner of speech is drawling and with a particular emphasis on different words, which produces a kind of singing tone. Some letters, especially the e, they can only pronounce in a defective manner. They are slow of speech and use little gesture.

The Malays are par excellence a trading and seafaring people; the natural situation of the land, consisting almost entirely of islands, brings this about. This circumstance causes them to differ much from the Javanese, and influences their character, way of living, means of livelihood, manner and customs. Since our connection with India the Malays have always been notorious for their piracy, from which they are not yet entirely free, in spite of the many attempts to put it down. It appears, however, that in earlier times, when the commercial relations with foreign peoples was so much more considerable than later, the Malays were not in general addicted to piracy, but on the contrary, were constantly on their guard against the attacks of I!lanun or Sulo pirates, who rendered

The expression of the countenance is in general that of dulness and not of good nature, as we notice in the Javanese.