Ohfervat'ions on the S'rails of Malacca, aoi 



of Europeans, Creoles, mulattncs, black Chrlftians (called 

 commonly I'ortugiiefc), Chinefe, and Malays. The Dutch 

 and Germans eftablifhed here, all have mulatto or creok 

 wives, for I do not know one whjfe wife is an European. 

 The wife even of the lad governor, Abraham Couperus, was 

 a mulatto. The cuftoms, manners, and drefs of thefe ladies, 

 are all in the Malav tafte. The drefs which they ufe, both 

 in the houfe and on public occafions, confifls of a filk gown. 

 with wide (leevcs, which has a great refemblance to a povv- 

 dering-gown. Their hair is twifted together and faftened 

 on the crown of the head with a filver pin. In the houfe 

 their favourite female (laves (it at their feet; and when they 

 go out to walk, or pay vifits, they accompany them, bearing a 

 fmall filver box divided into different copartments,wIuch con- 

 tain certain articles indifpenfably neceflary for a Malay lady. 

 Thefe articles are, betel, areka-nuts, chalk, a pair of fmall 

 tongs, and a knife for fpreading the chalk on the betel-leaves, 

 in which they wrap up fmall bits of the areka-nut for the 

 purpofe of chewinir them. The care which they beftow on 

 their domeftic economy confifts only in feeing the orders 

 which they give to their (laves carried into execution. When 

 a ftranger is invited to dinner, he is (irfl: introduced into aa 

 apartment where he is treated with a pipe of tobacco. Fe- 

 male (laves then make their appearance, one of whom brings 

 him a filver bafon for wafhing the hands, another a veffel 

 containino; water, and a third a towel. The company then 

 fit down to table, and are waited on by the female (laves be- 

 lonofinor to the mafter of the houfe. They are attended alfo 

 fometimcs by mufical (laves, who, during the entertainment, 

 perform pieces of mufic. 



Slaves here, both male and female, a few excepted, are 

 treated with great feverity. The matter of one of the taverns, 

 a German, named Kreis, born in Hohcnlohe, is particularly 

 diftinguiilied in this refpeft. I never entered his houfe, 

 which I did above ten times, without feeing punifliment 

 inflic\ed on fome of his domeftics. If the cook had not 

 prepared the dinner according to his tafte, he was immedi- 

 ately carried into the back court, when two other (laves ap- 

 peared vviih bamboos in their hands, and belaboured him 



Vol. VII. D d on 



