VOLUNTEER POLICE FOR PROVINCE WELLESLEY. 195 
The use of the Roman characters instead of the Arabo-Persian 
for Malay might, in due time, be introduced, as, the Dutch 
have done so successfully and with such signal practical advan- 
tages in Netherlands India. When some progress had been made 
in establishing village schools on this basis, a new zest and larger 
scope might be given to their awakening literary appetite by 
supplying them with copies of some of the best works extant in 
their own language but of which few of them have ever heard, 
with translations of some of the Arabian Nights, and the like. . 
Tracts on geography: and ethnography, the elementary facts of - 
meteorology, astronomy, botany, &c., might follow in due time. 
No attempt would, of course, be made to meddle with their 
religion. All attempts of the kind have hitherto failed and only 
tended to excite suspicion and arouse bigotry. We may freely 
allow to them, with some qualifications at which they will not 
take umbrage, that the better Mahomedan the better man. * 
13. Inmy memorandum of 20th August I suggested that, in addi- 
tion to their duties of a Police nature, the Pénghtilus might have 
others assigned to them, such as keeping a registry of the inhabit- 
ants, of births, deaths, marriages, divorces, &c. Hach might be 
supplied with a blank book in which to write, or get written, a 
diary of all such events, and others of public importance or inter- 
est, such as crimes and offences, accidents to life, floods, droughts, 
the state of the crops, &e. This would itself serve as some stimulus 
to education, and it would furnish a contemporary record valuable 
in courts of justice and materials for general official registries 
to be kept by the Magistrates. 
The Pénghilus and Katuas might also do much good service with 
little trouble to themselves by assisting in protecting the public 
rivers, canals, drains, embankments, roads, and landing places from 
injury and giving immediate notice of injuries which they have 
been unable to prevent to the nearest resident officer of Public 
Works. At present water-courses of all kinds are almost constant- 
ly being injured or obstructed by buffaloes, fishing stakes and 
traps, dams, &c. Roads, paths and canals in course of formation 
are seriously damaged by cattle. Works like the Muda Bund are 
liable to be injured during their progress, and after completion 
require constant watching to prevent careless or malicious damage. 
The heads of the villages along the course of such works might 
give good aid in protecting them. Few of the landing places are 
kept in good order. When the harvest is over herds of hundreds 
* See Note at end. 
