XII, D, 6 Review 425 



Thus the Malays appear to have skirted practically the entire 

 inhabited coasts of Asia and to have left a trail stretching from 

 southern Africa to Korea. 



Of the cultural influences affecting this widely scattered race, 

 the Indian, as has been mentioned, was the first and most 

 powerful. But in spreading northward, the» Malays naturally 

 encountered the civilization that was then dominant in eastern 

 Asia — the Chinese. Craig shows how, as early as the third 

 century of our era, Chinese writers probably mention what we 

 know as the Philippines, grouping them with Formosa ; and his 

 chronological leaflet, issued separately from the other pamphlets, 

 indicates that there has hardly been a century since in which 

 reference to the Philippines fails to appear in some Chinese 

 work. 



Meanwhile communication between the two countries appears 

 to have continued, persistently even if intermittently, until 

 checked by unwise and ill-adapted immigration restrictions, 

 and one begins to understand from the antiquity of this contact 

 how it is that the Chinese people and their civilization have 

 come to exert such an extensive and permanent, although withal 

 unobtrusive, influence upon the Philippines. The motive of this 

 contact seems to have been primarily commercial. The New 

 History of the T'ang Dynasty, dealing with the period from the 

 seventh to the tenth century of our era, states that — 



When Chinese naerchants arrive there, they are entertained as guests in 

 a public building and the eatables and drinkables are abundant and clean.' 



This takes as a matter of course the presence of Chinese mer- 

 chants in the Philippines and points to long-established custom. 

 Incidentally it affords an early instance of the proverbial Malay 

 hospitality. A later work describes in greater detail the manner 

 in which this trade was conducted, relating how the traders — 



Live on board ship before venturing to go on shore, their ship being 

 moored in midstream, announcing their presence to the natives by beating 

 drums. Upon this the savage traders race for the ship in small boats, 

 carrying cotton, yellow wax, native cloth, cocoanut-heart mats, which they 

 offer for barter. If the prices (of goods they may wish to purchase) cannot 



be agreed upon, the chief of the (local) traders ( w i^ ) must go 



in person, in order to come to an understanding, which being reached the 

 natives are offered presents of silk umbrellas, porcelain, and rattan baskets; 

 but the foreigners still retain on board one or two (natives) as hostages. 

 After that they go on shore to traffic, which being ended they return the 

 hostages. A ship will not remain at anchor longer than three or four days, 



' Particulars of the Philippines' Pre-Spanish Past, p. 10. 



