the golden chersonese and the way thither-第4章

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my　information　respecting　them　is　derived　chiefly　from　Mr。　Syers；
Superintendent　of　Police　in　Selangor；　and　from　Mr。　Maxwell；　the
Assistant…Resident　in　Perak。＇

The　Rayet；　or　Orang　Laut；　〃subjects；〃　or　men　of　the　sea；　inhabit　the
coast　and　the　small　islets　off　the　coast；　erecting　temporary　sheds　when
they　go　ashore　to　build　boats；　mend　nets；　or　collect　gum　dammar　and
wood　oil；　but　usually　living　in　their　boats。　They　differ　little　from
the　Malays；　who；　however；　they　look　down　upon　as　an　inferior　race；
except　that　they　are　darker　and　more　uncouth　looking。　　They　have　no
religious　（！）　beliefs　but　in　the　influence　of　evil　spirits；　to　whom　at
times　they　perform　a　few　propitiatory　rites。　Many　of　them　become
Mohammedans。　They　live　almost　entirely　upon　fish。　They　are　altogether
restless　and　impatient　of　control；　but；　unlike　some　savages；　are
passionately　fond　of　music；　and　are　most　ingenious　in　handicrafts；
specially　in　boat…building。

The　Chinese　in　the　Peninsula　and　on　the　small　islands　of　Singapore　and
Pinang　are　estimated　at　two　hundred　and　forty　thousand；　and　their
numbers　are　rapidly　increasing；　owing　to　direct　immigration　from　China。
It　is　by　their　capital；　industry；　and　enterprise　that　the　resources　of
the　Peninsula　are　being　developed。　The　date　of　their　arrival　is
unknown；　but　the　Portuguese　found　them　at　Malacca　more　than　three
centuries　ago。　They　have　been　settled　in　Pinang　and　Singapore　for
ninety…three　and　sixty…three　years　respectively；　but　except　that　they
have　given　up　the　barbarous　custom　of　crushing　the　feet　of　girls；　they
are；　in　customs；　dress；　and　habits；　the　exact　counterparts　of　the
Chinese　of　Canton　or　Amoy。　Many　of　them　have　become　converts　to
Christianity；　but　this　has　not　led　to　the　discarding　of　their　queues　or
national　costume。　The　Chinese　who　are　born　in　the　Straits　are　called
Babas。　The　immigrant　Chinese；　who　are　called　Sinkehs；　are　much　despised
by　the　Babas；　who　glory　specially　in　being　British…born　subjects。　　The
Chinese　promise　to　be　in　some　sort　the　commercial　rulers　of　the
Straits。

The　Malays　proper　inhabit　the　Malay　Peninsula；　and　almost　all　the　coast
regions　of　Borneo　and　Sumatra。　They　all　speak　more　or　less　purely　the
Malay　language；　they　are　all　Mohammedans；　and　they　all　write　in　the
Arabic　character。　　Their　color　is　a　lightish；　olive…tinted；　reddish
brown。　　Their　hair　is　invariably　black；　straight；　and　coarse；　and　their
faces　and　bodies　are　nearly　hairless。　They　have　broad　and　slightly　flat
faces；　with　high　cheek　bones；　wide　mouths；　with　broad　and　shapely　lips；
well　formed　chins；　low　foreheads；　black　eyes；　oblique；　but　not　nearly
so　much　so　as　those　of　the　Chinese；　and　smallish　noses；　with　broad　and
very　open　nostrils。　They　vary　little　in　their　height；　which　is　below
that　of　the　average　European。　Their　frames　are　lithe　and　robust；　their
chests　are　broad；　their　hands　are　small　and　refined；　and　their　feet　are
thick　and　short。　The　men　are　not　handsome；　and　the　women　are　decidedly
ugly。　　Both　sexes　look　old　very　early。

The　Malays　undoubtedly　must　be　numbered　among　civilized　peoples。　They
live　in　houses　which　are　more　or　less　tasteful　and　secluded。　They　are
well　clothed　in　garments　of　both　native　and　foreign　manufacture；　they
are　a　settled　and　agricultural　people；　they　are　skilful　in　some　of　the
arts；　specially　in　the　working　of　gold　and　the　damascening　of　krises；
the　upper　classes　are　to　some　extent　educated；　they　have　a　literature；
even　though　it　be　an　imported　one；　and　they　have　possessed　for
centuries　systems　of　government　and　codes　of　land　and　maritime　laws
which；　in　theory　at　least；　show　a　considerable　degree　of　enlightenment。

Their　religion；　laws；　customs；　and　morals　are　bound　up　together。　They
are　strict　Mussulmen；　but　among　the　uneducated　especially　they　mix　up
their　own　traditions　and　superstitions　with　the　Koran。　The　pilgrimage
to　Mecca　is　the　universal　object　of　Malay　ambition。　They　practice　relic
worship；　keep　the　fast　of　Ramadhan；　wear　rosaries　of　beads；　observe　the
hours　of　prayer　with　their　foreheads　on　the　earth；　provide　for　the
〃religious　welfare〃　of　their　villages；　circumcise　their　children；　offer
buffaloes　in　sacrifice　at　the　religious　ceremonies　connected　with
births　and　marriages；　build　mosques　everywhere；　regard　Mecca　as　the
holy　city；　and　the　Koran；　as　expounded　by　Arab　teachers；　as　the　rule　of
faith　and　practice。

Much　learning　has　been　expended　upon　the　origin　of　Malayan；　but　it　has
not　been　reliably　traced　beyond　the　ancient　empire　of　Menangkabau　in
Sumatra。　Mohammedanism　undoubtedly　brought　with　it　a　large　introduction
of　Arabic　words；　and　the　language　itself　is　written　in　the　Arabic
character。　It　has　been　estimated　by　that　most　painstaking　and　learned
scholar；　Mr。　Crawfurd；　that　one　hundred　parts　of　modern　Malayan　are
composed　of　twenty…seven　parts　of　primitive　Malayan；　fifty　of
Polynesian；　sixteen　of　Sanskrit；　five　of　Arabic；　and　two　of
adventitious　words；　the　Arabic　predominating　in　all　literature　relating
to　religion。　Malay　is　the　lingua　franca　of　the　Straits　Settlements；　and
in　the　seaports　a　number　of　Portuguese　and　Dutch　words　have　been
incorporated　with　it。

The　Malays　can　hardly　be　said　to　have　an　indigenous　literature；　for　it
is　almost　entirely　derived　from　Persia；　Siam；　Arabia；　and　Java。　Arabic
is　their　sacred　language。　　They　have；　however；　a　celebrated　historic
Malay　romance　called　the　Hang　Tuah；　parts　of　which　are　frequently
recited　in　their　villages　after　sunset　prayers　by　their　village
raconteurs；　and　some　Arabic　and　Hindu　romances　stand　high　in　popular
favor。　Their　historians　all　wrote　after　the　Mohammedan　era；　and　their
histories　are　said　to　contain　little　that　is　trustworthy；　each　State
also　has　a　local　history　preserved　with　superstitious　care　and　kept
from　common　eyes；　but　these　contain　little　but　the　genealogies　of　their
chiefs。　They　have　one　Malay　historical　composition；　dated　1021　A。H。；
which　treats　of　the　founding　of　the　Malay　empire　of　Menangkabau　in
Sumatra；　and　comes　down　to　the　founding　of　the　empire　of　Johore　and　the
conquest　of　Malacca　by　Albuquerque　in　1511。　This　has　been　thought
worthy　of　translation　by　Dr。　Leyden。

Their　ethical　books　consist　mainly　of　axioms　principally　derived　from
Arabic　and　Persian　sources。　Their　religious　works　are　borrowed　from　the
Arabs。　The　Koran；　of　course；　stands　first；　then　comes　a　collection　of
prayers；　and　next　a　guide　to　the　religious　duties　required　from
Mussulmen。　　Then　there　are　books　containing　selections　from　Arabic
religious　works；　with　learned　commentaries　upon　them　by　a　Malay　Hadji。
It　is　to　be　noticed　that　the　Malays　present　a　compact　front　against
Christianity；　and　have　successfully　resisted　all　missionary　enterprise。

They　have　a　good　deal　of　poetry；　principally　of　an　amorous　kind；
characterized；　it　is　said；　by　great　simplicity；　natural　and　pleasing
metaphor；　and　extremely　soft　and　melodious　rhyme。　They　sing　their　poems
to　certain　popular　airs；　which　are　committed　to　memory。　Malay　music；
though　plaintive　and　less　excruciating　than　Chinese　and　Japanese；　is
very　monotonous　and　dirge…like；　and　not　pleasing　to　a　European　ear。　The
pentatonic　scale　is　employed。　The　violin　stands　first　among　musical
instruments　in　their　estimation。　　They　have　also　the　guitar；　the
flageolet；　the　aeolian　flute；　a　bamboo　in　which　holes　are　cut；　which
produce　musical　sounds　when　acted　upon　by　the　wind；　and　both　metallic
and　wooden　gongs。

They　have　no　written　system　of　common　arithmetic；　and　are　totally
unacquainted　with　its　higher　branches。　Their　numerals　above　one
thousand　are　borrowed　from　the　Hindus；　and　their　manner　of　counting　is
the　same　as　that　of　the　Ainos　of　Yezo。

Their　theory　of　medicine　is　derived　from　Arabia；　and　abounds　in　mystery
and　superstition。　They　regard　man　as　composed　of　four　elements　and　four
essences；　and　assimilate　his　constitution　and　passions　to　the　twelve
signs　of　the　zodiac；　the　seven　planets；　etc。；　exaggerating　the
mysterious　sympathy　between　man　and　external　nature。　The　successful
practice　of　the　hakim　or　doctor　must　be　based　on　the　principle　of
〃preserving　the　balance　of　power〃　among　the　four　elements；　which　is
chiefly　effected　by　moderation　in　eating。

They　know　nothing　of　astronomy；　except　of　some　meagre　ideas　derived
through　the　Arabs　from　the　Ptolemaic　system；　and　Mr。　Newbold；　after
most　painstaking　research；　failed　to　discover　any　regular　treatise　on
astronomy；　though　Arabic　and　Hindu　tracts　on　interpretations　of　dreams；
horoscopes；　spells；　propitious　and　unpropitious　moments；　auguries；
talismans；　love　philters；　medicinal　magic　and　recipes　for　the
destruction　of　people　at　a　distance；　are　numerous。　They　acknowledge　the
solar　year；　but　adopt　the　lunar；　and　reckon　the　months　in　three
different　ways；　dividing　them；　however；　into　weeks　of　seven　days；
marking　them　by　the　return　of　the　Mohammedan　Sabbath。　They　suppose　the
world　to　be　an　oval　body　revolving　on　its　axis　four　times　within　a
year；　with　the　sun；　a　circular　body　of　fire；　moving　round　it。　The
majority　of　the　people　still　believe　that　eclipses　are　caused　by　the
sun　or　moon　being　devoured　by　a　serpent；　and　they　lament　loudly　during
their　continuance。　The　popular　modes　of　measuring　distance　are
ingenious；　but；　to　a　stranger　at　least；　misleading。　Thus　Mr。　Daly；　in
attempting　to　reach　the　interior　States；　received　these　replies　to　his
inquiries　about　distance〃As　far　as　a　gunshot　may　be　heard　from　this
particular　hill；〃　〃If　you　wash　your　head　before　starting　it　will　not　be
dry　before　you　reach　the　place；〃　etc。　They　also　measure　distances　by
the　day's　walk；　and　by　the　number　of　times　it　is　necessary　to　chew
betel　between　two　places。　The　hours　are　denoted　by　terms　not　literally
accurate。　Cockcrowing　is　daybreak；　1　P。M。；　and　midnight；　9　A。M。；　Lepas
Baja；　is　the　time　when　the　buffaloes；　which　cannot　work　when　the　sun　is
high；　are　relieved　from　the　plough；　Tetabawe　is　6　P。M。；　the　word
signifying　the　cry　of　a　bird　which　is　silent　till　after　sunset。　The
Malay　day　begins　at　sunset。

They　are　still　maritime　in　their　habits；　and　very　competent　practical
sailors　and　boat…builders；　but　though　for　centuries　they　divided　with
the　Arabs　the　carrying　trade　between　Eastern　and　Western　Asia；　and
though　a　mongrel　Malay　is　the　nautical　language　of　nearly　all　the
peoples　from　New　Guinea　to　the　Tenasserim　coast；　the　Malays　knew　little
of　the　science　of　navigation。　They　timed　their　voyages　by　the　constant
monsoons；　and　in　sailing　from　island　to　island　coasted　the　Asiatic
shores；　trusting；　when　for　a　short　time　out　of　sight　of　land；　not　to
the　compass；　though　they　were　acquainted　with　it；　but　to　known　rocks；
glimpses　of　headlands；　the　direction　of　the　wind；　and　their　observation
of　the　Pleiades。

They　have　no　knowledge　of　geography；　architecture；　painting；　sculpture；
or　even　mechanics；　they　no　longer　make　translations　from　the　Arabic　or
create　fiction；　and　the　old　translations　of　works　on　law；　ethics；　and
science　are　now　scarcely　studied。　Education　among　them　is　at　a　very　low
ebb；　but　the　State　of　Kedah　is　beginning　to　awake　to　its　advantages。
Where　schools　exist　the　instruction　consists　mainly　in　teaching　the
children　to　repeat；　in　a　tongue　which　they　do　not　understand；　certain
passages　from　the　Koran