46 THE EARLY MALAYS AND THEIR NEIGHBOURS 



close a resemblance to those of China. Thus, as stated by 

 Dr. Eobertson : 52 



"Among most Philippine peoples, the union was decided on 

 between the parents of the contracting couple. It might even be 

 arranged between the parents before the birth of the children, its 

 consummation being dependent upon the right accident of birth, 

 the payment of a dowry by the man or his parents, and, in many 

 instances, on the fertility of the woman." 



Dr. Saleeby likewise notices the work of Chao Ju-kua 53 

 and the early contact between Chinese and Malays 54 though 

 like Dr. Barrows 55 he ascribes to it less importance than to 

 other influences. But Dr. Eobertson appears to be, though 

 perhaps unconsciously, in substantial agreement with Pro- 

 fessor Craig as to the extent of Chinese influence on the 

 Malays. 



The date assigned by Pavon to the manuscript which he 

 discovered and translated is 1433 and while as our author 

 says, he "gives no clue as to his method of fixing this date", 56 

 it would appear to be at least that early. 57 



Arab Influence. 



The materials collected by these two — Professor Craig 

 and Dr. Robertson — furnish us glimpses of the relations 

 between Chinese and Malays down to the time when the 

 latter first came under the influence of the Arab missionaries 

 of Islam. At this point the notable and illuminating work 58 

 of Dr. Saleeby commences; for while this was the first to 

 appear, it covers the latest period of Pre-Spanish Philippine 

 history. 



Dr. Saleeby is of the opinion that the Malays left the 

 Asiatic mainland at least as early as 1000 B.C. As the first 

 Mohammedans did not enter India much if any before a.d. 600 

 they could hardly have influenced the Malays there. The 

 Moslem conquest of India began in 1024 and Moslem in- 

 fluence was extended to Malaysia about 1300. Leaving the 

 mainland the emissaries of Islam seem to have proceeded 

 first to Sumatra and thence to the other islands of the Malay 

 archipelago whose inhabitants are now so largely of their 

 faith. They entered the Philippines by two routes, the first 



52 An Old Philippine Criminal Code, 170. 



53 Origin of the Malayan Filipinos, Philippine Academy Publica- 

 tions, I, 5. 



54 Id. 9. 



55 American Anthropologist (N. S-.) XII, 358. 



56 An Old Philippine Criminal Code 191, note. 



57 Id. 161. 



58 See note 2, supra. 



