39 Life o/Sir Stamford Raffles'. 



served in codes called Undang Undang, or Institutrons. The 

 paragraph with which this account begins, is so characteristic of 

 the extensive views, by which the researches of the author were 

 ever prompted, that it would be unjust to omit it in this analysis 

 of the memoir. 



'' Considering that a translation of these codes, digested and 

 arranged according to one general plan, might be as useful in 

 facilitating and ensuring a more secure intercourse among this 

 extraordinary and peculiar nation, as it might be interesting in 

 illustrating the unjustly degraded character of so extensive a 

 portion of the human race, hitherto so little known either with 

 respect to what they are oi* what they were ; I have long been 

 engaged, as far as the severe duties of my public situation would 

 admit, in collecting Malay manuscripts of every description^ 

 and in particular, copies of the Undang Undang Malciyu^ which, 

 with the various collections of Addaty or immemorial customs, 

 and what may be usefully extracted from the Sejdreh Maldyu^"^ 

 and Akal Maldyu^ or annals and traditions of the Malays^ com- 

 prise what may be termed the whole body of the Malay laws, 

 customs, and usages, as far as they can be considered as original, 

 under the heads of government, property, slavery, inheritance^ 

 and commerce." 



Proceeding next to notice, seriatim^ the respective Undang 

 Undang of the different Malay States, both of the islands and 

 the peninsula, the author presents an account of some of the 

 distinct tribes inhabiting the latter; and also gives a Translation 

 of a Malay historical narrative of the ancient relation between 

 the state of Menangkabau in Sumatra, and that so called on 

 the Malayan peninsula. This is succeeded by a translation of a 

 Malay " History of former times, containing an account of the 

 first arrival of the Portuguese at Malacca." 



Returning to the subject of the Undang Undang^ having be- 

 fore dismissed it, as far as relates to the Malciyu nation itself, 

 Mr. Raffles notices the original institutions of the various na- 

 tions among the Eastern islands, especially those of Java, and of 

 the Bugis and Macassar states on Celebes. The consideration 



* A translation of the Sejdreh Maldyu, or Malay Annals, by Dj.Leyden, was 

 published, in an octavo volume, in 1821, w^itli an introduction by Sir S. Raffles* 



