“ neo, the Celebes, or Maeajfar, the Moluccas, the Philippines, and
“ thofe innumerable iilands o f the Archipelago, which bound
“ Alia on the eaft, and which occupy an extent of feven hundred
“ leagues in longitude from eaft to weft, by about fix hundred of
« latitude from north to fouth. The inhabitants o f all thefe
“ iilands, thofe at leaft upon the coafts, are the fame people,
“ they fpeak almoft the fame language, have the fame laws, the
“ fame manners.— Is it not fomewhat lingular, that this nation,
« whole pofleffions are fo extenfive, ihould fcarce be known in
“ Europe ? I ihall endeavor to give you an idea o f thofe laws,
“ and thofe manners; you will, from thence, eafily judge o f
“ their agriculture.
“ T r a v e l l e r s who make obfervations on the Malais, are
« aftonilhed to find, in the center of Afia, under the fcorching
« climate of the line, the laws, the manners, the cuftoms, and
“ the prejudices o f the antient inhabitants of the north o f Eu-
(C rope. The Malais are governed by feudal laws, that capri-
“ cious fyftem, conceived for the defence of the liberty of a few
“ againft the tyranny of one, whilft the multitude is fubjeited
“ to llavery and oppreffion.
« A c h i e f , who has the title o f king or fultan, ilfues his
« commands to ' his great valfals, who obey when they think
“ proper; thefe have inferior valfals, who often ait in the fame
it, manner with regard to them. A fmall part of the nation live
« independent, under the title o f Oramcai or noble, and fell their
“ fervices to thofe who pay them heft; whilft the body of the
u nation is compofed of Haves, and live in perpetual fervitude.
“ With thefe laws the Malais are reftlefs, fond of navigation,
6 I war,
“ war, plunder, emigrations, colonies, defperate enterprifes, ad-
“ .ventures, and gallantry.. They talk inceffantly of their ho-
“ nor, and their bravery, whilft they are univerfally confidered,
“ by thofe with whom they have intercourfe, as the moft
“ treacherous, ferocious people on the face o f the globe; and
“ yet, which appeared to me extremely lingular, they fpeak
“ the fofteft language o f AJia. That which the Count de For bin
“ has faid in his memoirs, o f the ferocity of the Macajjars, is
“ exactly true, and is the reigning charaiteriftie o f the whole
“ Malay nations; more attached to the abfurd laws o f their pre-
“ tended honor, than to thofe o f juftice or humanity, you al-
“ ways obferve, that amongft them, the ftrong opprefs and de-
“ ftroy the weak; their treaties of peace and friendfhip never
“ fubfifting .beyond that felf-intereft which induced them to
“ make them, they are almoft always:armed, and either at war
“ amongft themfelves, or employed in pillaging their neigh-
“ bors.
“ T his ferocity, which the Malais qualify under the name
“ o f courage, is fo well known to the European companies, who
“ have fettlements in the Indies, that they have univerfally
- “ agreed in prohibiting the captains o f their ihips, who may put
“ into the Malay iflands, from taking on board any feamen of
“ that nation, except in the greateft diftrefs, and then, on no
“ account to exceed two or three.
“ It is nothing uncommon for a handful o f thefe horrid
“ favages fuddenly to embark, attack a veffel by furprife,
“ poignard in hand, maflacre the people, and make themfelves
“ mafters of her. Malay batteaus, with twenty-five or thirty
F a “ men,