Malacca -foutherri kingdom ofYohor; and in the laft century was. füppofécf to
~ ’ Irr' contain i 2,oóq inhabitants; of which however only i‘3o©af. dwelled
within the walls, -Not above were native Portuguefe,' the cithers
Being a mixed race of Mahometan. Malays, accounted among the chief
merchants of the eaft. 'Thé Portuguefe fettle ment did not-extend above
. five leagdés around ; y et became highly importantfrom its advantageous
pdfition fiar Indian and Chinefocommerce.4
The meato and difgraceful jealoufy of the Dutch concerning their
' oriental pofleffions renders thé recent afccöumtg .of this sïfy iimpëfÉ#i |{
Malays. TA géüéral ihe Malays are a well-made people, though rather below ithe
middle ftature, their limbs wells lhaped, but fmall, and particularly Bender
at the- wrifts and ancles. Their complexion is tpraey,, their eyes
large, their nofes feern rather flattened by, art than nature; and .their
hair is véry long, black, and fhiqing,,;- -
*4J Befides the tiger and elephant, Malacca produces the. cijsret.cat de-
feribed by Soanerat, who alfo mentions that wild men are-fqqnd in this
peninfuki perhaps the noted Orang Outangsi I SomeTingular birds are
alfo found j and Makcca likewife produces a mqft delicious fruit called
the mangoften.- -
. Jn imitation of Mr. Pennant,« this account lhalf bg elofe&with a few
extracts from M. le Poivre’s philofophical voyage.s, that judicioiis oh-
lèrver having given a more juft idea of the Makys than'any otBèr
traveller,
•-0 V Beyond the kingdom of Siam is thé pertinhila of Malacca, a aoun-.
try formerly well peopled, and confequently well cultivated'. This
nation was once One of the greateft powers, and made a very confider-^
able figure, in the theatre of Alia. The lea was covered’ with thèir
, ftiips, and they carried on a moft- extenfive cqmmeree. Their laws
■ however were apparently very different from thofe" which fubfift among
them at prefenf. From time to time they fent out numbers, of" colonies,
which one after another peopled the' iflands of Sumatra, Java,
Borneo, Celebez or Macaflar, the Moluccas, the Philippines, and thofe
innumerable: iflands of the Archipelago which hound Afia on the eaft
4 Mandetflo, i§ CoL 337.
_ * Outlines of the Globe. London, x86o. 4 v o l. 410. iii, 33.
and
and which ocblfp^an eit^fï^|©fl^w^ilfe^'gq,es in longitude from E. jto W.
byf£Sbsout'^ctó oB^atitude’’ from M'i'to'S.' inhabitants tof alPthefe
iflands, thiéfe atjeaft updiisthè^Goafts,' arè .the, fame people; ; They fpeak
a'fm'dft 'the- fame language, haWtte fame laws1,'.the fame manners.^- Is
irnoribmewhat fingular that ^ this. -natW,I wh'èfé poffeffions are p P
ten%Ke,ifhould't f^arce he known in Europe ? I ftialkendeavquiE J^give
-you art idea of thofe laws, and. thefefmanners j . yo.u-will from, thence
eafily j&dgd of their Agriculture. ' ' ’ .
- j.1 -TrawÉèr^Hvfto makë obfefvat-ioas on the- Makys, ate aftoniflied
ïhflhd'^h’the^ÉiM of Afia, uïider ïffife 'fêdMhing! climate of thé line,' the
kws,''theiHiahnérSi'the-cuftoms,’ ahd’thë^rhjudiëêS, tof thé ’iri^tft'ihhabi-
tants'of the no*rth of Europe.' 'ThëMalays-are governed by-febefef laws,
thahclfifrci’óus fyftem conceived fé-ifthê'fhfetïce of t-h «^liberty of a feW
againft the tyranny of one* wbilft the’hihltitüdé^is fubjêdéd tö flavery1
and ójjpteflion. '
A chief, who has the'tltle of king oVJultan, i’flues Bis commands to
his'great vaflals, whVobe’y when they think proper thefe h'dje. infêfipr
valfalsj wh’o often iA ’in'théYamVnilnneywïthfégaïrtd them. % A fmall
part of the nation live independent, uhder the %fle
an^lell ,their*fèrvipès to thófe whp pay them b:èft'; ' whinj '-‘thé'Body d?
thënafïon is compofed of flaves, andiifesm |e^ét^jfèrvitrt<fe. '*
' With thefe laws Asi Malays 'are reftJeÊ,* foqd'of lafiga|ic^', war,
plunder’ emigrations, ydoilies,' defperate 'pntefprifes,,adyenWeBj4and
gallantry. They talk ineeflantly of their honour and ^elr Brayery^lulft
they are univerfally confidered, by |hd|Vith whom they have niter-,
equrfe as the moft ^ a c ï^ u ë le^ilus'people oh-ih^fate o-fthelé&hfk
andyet, which appeared to n^e extremely fingdar; thej 1'pcak.tlu; foftLft>
language of Afia. What the, .Gount de.Forb|q his.Jakl, i^his^meinolrs^
of the ferocity of the Macaflars, is exaftly true, and is the ^igrting\ha-
raderiftic. ©f the whole Malay, nations. Mol^ attaclieft- to tfipjabfur-cl
laws of their pretended honour than to ^'ofe pf ^ i c e or humayilt||^ 0 4
alwaystobffefve that ampngft.th.ern the ftrortg oppr^fy and?^eftroy the
weak; their treaties of peace and friendlh^ nev.ert^bfiftrng|^ond that
feliiratereft Which iaduced them to make them,, they are altnoil ahvay»
. armed*
Malays. -