140 
except the chiefs, have more than one. 
When a rajah has several wives, the suc- 
cession to his rank and property is not 
by order of priority, but descends to the 
children of that wife for whom the highest 
jujur was paid. This, no doubt, proceeds 
upon the presumption, that the amount of 
the jujur is proportioned to the rank of 
the lady, and that thus the succession is 
secured to the highest family in point of 
birth and rank. The mode of burial in 
the southern division of the island, is pe- 
culiar; the body is not committed to the 
earth, but is enclosed in a wooden shell or 
coffin, which is elevated on four posts, and 
then given to enjoy the four winds of hea- 
ven, Flowering shrubs and creepers are 
generally planted beneath, which. soon 
climb up and cover the coffin with foliage. 
These cemeteries are at some little distance 
from the villages, and, when not quite re- 
cent, have nothing unpleasant or disgust- 
ing in their appearance; on the contrary, 
there is something almost poetic in the 
idea of placing the remains of their friends, 
as it were, beyond the reach of the worm, 
suspended in air amidst verdure and flow- 
ers; and, if they might be supposed to 
have had, further, a moral object in view, 
.what could be more forcible than to see 
the very sepulchres hastening to decay, 
amid the wild luxuriance and unfading 
freshness of the shrubs they had sup- 
ported ?" 
Bencoolen, April 8, 1821. — *I have 
never yet seen this place so completely 
without communication with the rest of 
the world, as it has been lately: we have 
not had a single arrival that could bring 
any intelligence of home, since I wrote 
last, nor an opportunity even of sending a 
letter. Yesterday a vessel came in, which 
I confidently hoped was from Bengal or 
England, and lo! it was from Ceylon, and 
I could, of course, expect nothing. I send 
this letter, by way of Batavia, by a vessel 
which is to touch there, on her way to 
ingapore. I have lately had a return of 
the old complaint in my lungs, which laid 
some time; but, by dint of 
istering, and starving, I got 
MEMOIR OF THE LATE MR. WILLIAM JACK. 
over it pretty well, and have now only to 
recover strength, which I shall do very 
fast, I feel no doubt. I cannot assign any 
cause for the recurrence of my illness, for 
I had not been at all exposed, and it com- 
menced and proceeded very impercepti- 
bly, until it became so severe on the very — 
day when I was to have accompanied Sir 
S. and Lady Raffles on a trip to the 
country, that I was obliged to stay behind | 
and take advice. Under the idea that 
the writing posture does not agree with 
me, I have had a very high desk made, 
and mean never to write except standing, 
which is easier for my chest, and will, 
perhaps, compel me to use the pen rather - | 
less than I have lately been doing, since | 
no one can stand as long a time as he 
This illness occurred rather in- 
opportunely, as I was just beginning à 
View of the Natural History of the East- 
ern Islands, and it has, of course, sus- 
pended it for a while. "Under the idea of 
bringing out this work under all possible 
advantages, I have almost determined, so 
far as one can determine on what is so 
distant, to accompany Sir Stamford Raf- 
fles when he returns to England. In that 
event, I should have leisure on the voy- - 
age to arrange my materials ; and, with a 
little brushing up at home, might make 
my Sketch a thing of some character, 
much better than I could hope to do here, 
amid the constant pressure of new matter, 
and the daily interruptions of duty and 
business." 
Bencoolen, May 27, 1821. — * I have 
lately written to Mr. Brown, at Sir Joseph 
Banks', upon botanical subjects, and sent 
him a paper on the Malayan Melasto- — 
macee, which may, perhaps, appear in 
Linnean. Transactions! 1 possess abun- 
dant materials for many more essays of the — 
the same nature; but it is difficult to find d 
good opportunities of bringing them out. 
They will accumulate till I can retum 
myself, when I shall crown the whole with — 
a broad general view." ic 
It was during the month following the 
date of the letter, from which the previous | : 
! It is there published, vol. 1. 
EUM 
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