220 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



cations of a Caucasian infusion. In that case, consider- 

 able stature is likewise not unfrequent ; while, without 

 the exciting cause just mentioned, a lank spare struc- 

 ture is the more usual, and the lower extremities are 

 often somewhat deficient and short among the tribes 

 addicted to marine lives. In moral capacity, the Malay 

 races are inferior to the Mongolic, yet they exhibit, like 

 them, intellectual vitally, great bodily activity, and 

 considerable manual dexterity as well as enterprise. 



The temperament of true Malays is treacherous, the 

 disposition ferocious, implacable, and the nervous sys- 

 tem compatible with a kind of insensibility to bodily 

 pain ; hence, fits of ungovernable passion are always 

 breaking forth in acts of indiscriminate murder, brought 

 on by an abuse of ardent spirits, opium, and bang 

 (sm'oking hemp). These occur so frequently among 

 them, that in most European settlements, where this 

 race is apt to congregate, particular police regulations 

 and precautions are taken to obviate the greatest mis- 

 chief; and it is not unusual to kill the maniac on the 

 instant, as the only effectual preventative ; since in- 

 stances are recorded, where they have run up the spear 

 that had transfixed them, and thus have sabred the 

 spearman. This frenzy is commonly known by the 

 name of Muck, MooJc, MengamoJc, in Sumatra, and 

 Wude in India. To the same insensibility may be 

 ascribed their ferocious unyielding spirit in battle. 

 They fight to the last gasp, never ask, and scarcely will 

 accept quarter, nor profess thanks for mercy and the 

 cure of their wounds. 



