146 The Gardens of the Sun. [ch. vn. 



and wire or lace. White browsers, similar to those worn 

 by Europeans, and patent leather slippers are also affected 

 by the rich Malays, and all, rich or poor, wear the national 

 "sarong," a sort of chequered petticoat wound around 

 the waist, and allowed to fall to the feet in graceful folds. 

 When trowsers are worn a shorter "sarong" is worn 

 kilt-fashion, barely reaching as low as the knees. The 

 JMala} r Hadjis or priests wear long green Arab coats, 

 and green or white turbans around their shaven heads. 

 The women when engaged in their household duties wear 

 nothing but a " sarong " reaching from the breasts to the 

 feet. When abroad, however, neat print sacques reaching 

 as low as the knees are worn, having long and tight 

 sleeves. This dress opens in front, and is fastened by a 

 set of three silver or gold brooches. Below this a 

 chequered, or Javanese sarong reaches from the waist 

 to the ankles. Beautiful sarongs are made \>y the 

 Brunei ladies. They are richly embroidered with gold 

 wire, and are worn by the well-to-do women along the 

 coast. 



Slippers of European or Chinese manufacture are 

 sometimes worn. Their black hair is oiled profusely, and 

 secured behind with silver pins. It is often perfumed by 

 tying up in it flowers of the champaca, jasmine, gardenia, 

 or other scented blossoms over night. Both men and 

 women bathe at least twice daily, morning and evening, 

 and the women dye their nails with a mixture made of 

 the red stems of a common balsam, mixed with lime 

 juice, as a substitute for the henna so largely used in 

 Persia and Egypt. 



There are some veiy singular liberties allowed to loving 

 swains in out of the way places in Wales and Cornwall, 

 but those allowed by the Mala} r and native girls of Borneo 

 to their favourite lovers are of a yet more faithful kind. 



