24 COMPENDIUM OF GEOGEAPHY AND TEAVEL 



ever, distinguished by greater energy and acquisitiveness 

 from the other races of the Indian Archipelago, though 

 Islam has deprived even them of all higher aims in life, 

 splitting up their local communes, and reducing their 

 pursuits mainly to navigation and piracy. Theft and 

 kidnapping are thought lightly of, while insults, real or 

 imaginary, are savagely avenged on the spot. They are, 

 at the same time, unforgetful of wrong, false and wily, so 

 that solemn oaths are uttered with no intention of keep- 

 ing them, and poisonings are very common. They are 

 passionately fond of opium-smoking, though this is a less 

 common vice than among the Chinese ; and of betting 

 over their cock-fights, often staking their very selves and 

 their personal freedom on the issue. On the other hand, 

 they are very frugal ; and characteristic of their con- 

 tentedness is the current expression asking for a present : 

 " Ivechil presentie, tuan, poer makan " — " A little present, 

 sir, to eat." Hence the eating-houses take the place of 

 our drinking-houses, and are their chief places of resort. 

 Here they indulge in dry rice, capsicums, little scraps of 

 meat or fish, cooked vegetables, and sweet titbits handed 

 round with a cup of hot water. 



The Malays are nominally Moslems, but lack the 

 fanaticism of that religion. The Javanese, especially, 

 consider they have done enough by observing the rite of 

 circumcision, the prescribed ablutions, and the Eamazan 

 fast, at the same time retaining many of the old Hindoo 

 ideas. Some of them are Christians, that is to say, 

 they attend the services of the Dutch Church, abstain 

 from shaving their heads or filing down their teeth, and 

 drink wine and spirits. 



The lingua franca of the whole East Indian Archi- 

 pelago is the Low Malay, which contains no rough or 

 harsh gutturals or other consonants difficult of utterance. 



