IN MEMORIAM. x1 
of the Malays with reference to the Tenure of Land.” He also 
edited three Malay Fairy Tales, “Sri Rama,’ ‘“ Raja Donan,” 
and ‘Raja Ambong,” taken down by him from the lips of 
Malay rhapsodists, and published with a translation and with 
notes from his pen. In 1893 he was elected Vice President 
of the Society, and his cfficial duties as Colonial Secretary 
from this time forward prevented his contributing to the 
Journal, though he continued to take the liveliest interest in 
the Society's work, and was able in many ways to give it 
material assistance. 
The work he did for the Society is not, however, to be only 
judged by what he did under its auspices and in its name. He 
contributed to the Royal Asiatic Society’s journal some interest- 
ing notes on Malay legends, and he wrote a Manual of the 
Malay Language which has done much to facilitate a scholarly 
acquisition of the idioms in which he took sco deep an interest. 
He was in some measure acquainted with Arabic and Sanskrit, 
but will best be remembered for his work in connection with 
the indigenous elements of the Malay Language, its traditions 
and folk-lore. He collected a fine library of Malay MSs., 
which he has bequeathed to the Royal Asiatic Society. A great 
advocate of scholarly method, he did much to draw attention to 
the material that exists, in Dutch and other foreign languages, 
for the proper study of Malay. Indeed it was his view that an 
intending student of Malay should commence by learning Dutch; 
and there is no doubt that, with our limited literature on loca! 
subjects, his advice is weurthy of consideration. That he was 
much influenced by Dutch scholars is often clearly traceable in 
v 
his writings; and ‘he had frequently to fight single-handed in 
defence of views which anyone acquainted with Dutch studies 
cn the subjects would have at once admitted to be sound. 
It is most ditiicul lt to exactly measure the extent of Sir 
William Maxwell’s influence, as a scholar, upon his contempo- 
raries and successors. He is constantly referred to by Dutch 
writers, and (except on one point) always with authority. His 
work on Malay Proverbs drew attention to the possibilities of a 
most interesting study, and led to the publication of at least one 
other valuable contribution on the same subject, from the pen of 
Mr. H. Clifford. His edition of Malay Rhapsodist tales also 
