OF THE M A L A Y E S. 



<' war, plunder, emigrations, colonies, defperate enterprifes, ad- 

 *' ventures, and gallantry. They talk inceiTantly of their ho- 

 " nor, and their bravery, whiift they are univerlally conlidered, 

 " by thofe with whom they have intercourfe, as the moft 

 *' treacherous, ferocious people on the face of the globe ; and 

 " yet, which appeared to me extremely lingular, they fpeak 

 " the fofteft language of Afia. That which the Count de Forbin 

 " has faid in his memoirs, of the ferocity of the Macqffars, is 

 " exactly true, and is the reigning charadleriftic of the wliole 

 " Malay nations ; more attached to the abfurd laws of their pre- 

 " tended honor, than to thofe of juftice or humanity, you al- 

 " ways obferve, that amongft them, the ftrong opprefs and de- 

 " ftroy the weak ; their treaties of peace and friendfliip never 

 " fubfiiling beyond that ftlf-intereft which induced tliem to 

 *' make them, they are almoll always armed, and either at war 

 ** amongft themfelves, or employed in pillaging their neigh- 

 *' bors. 



" This ferocity, which the Malais qualify under the name 

 *' of courage, is fo well known to the European companies, who 

 *' have fettlements in the Indies^ that they have univerfally 

 " agreed in prohibiting the captains of their fliips, 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 of thefe horrid 

 " favages fuddenly to embark, attack a veffel by furprife, 

 '* poignard in hand, maffacre the people, and make themfelves 

 *' mafters of her. Malay batteaus, with twenty-five or thirty 



F 2 " men, 



35 



