SINGAPORE. 407 



The ceremonies after death are not less curious: washing and shroud- 

 ing of the corpse always takes place, and it is clad in the best clothing 

 of the deceased. On the third, seventh, fourteenth, fortieth, and hun- 

 dredth days, oblations of spices, aloe-wood, and flowers, are offered. 



The Mussulmans of India, in digging graves, never exceed the 

 depth of the navel for a man, while those for a female are always 

 breast-deep. Near the bottom is dug a side niche, into which the 

 body is put. The niche is then closed with boards placed on their 

 edges, after which the grave is filled with earth. The first portion 

 put in is thrown on loose branches, that are laid over the grave in 

 order to sift it and allow it to fall more lightly. Their graves are 

 marked with two small wooden pillars, with the earth heaped up 

 between them ; the largest of these denotes the position of the head. 



On the Malayan peninsula they have various feasts and festivals, 

 that partake more of the customs of the Arabs than of the islands of 

 India. On these occasions sacrifices of buffaloes take place, a prac- 

 tice which is thought to be peculiar to this part of the East. The 

 buffalo selected for this purpose must be without blemish or disease. 

 The animal about to be sacrificed is taken to the mosque, where it is 

 thrown down, its fore and hind legs tied, and the head secured ; water 

 is poured over it, and the offering made. The priest, after saying 

 prayers, cuts the throat ; the carcass is then flayed and divided into 

 two equal parts. One-half is given to the inhabitants, and is gene- 

 rally cooked and eaten on the spot ; the other is divided among the 

 higher orders. The leg-bones are never suffered to be broken, even after 

 death ; neither is the spine, nor are the horns of animals sacrificed suf- 

 fered to be used for common purposes, such as handles of knives, &c. 



Among the animals that are found in the Malayan peninsula, are 

 the elephant, rhinoceros, a variety of tigers, leopards, bears, monkeys, 

 alligators, guanas, and sometimes the tapir : there are one or two 

 species of deer, which are exceedingly small in size, and of delicate 

 proportions. Of birds, there are a vast variety, including the argus- 

 pheasant, horn-bill, peacock, large vampire-bat, humming-bird, and 

 snipe. Snakes abound, many of which are venomous. 



The neighbouring seas afford a great variety of shells and corals ; 

 among the latter I may mention the cup of Neptune (Alcyonium), 

 which grows to a very large size, and is not found elsewhere. Our 

 collections, by the industry of the naturalists and officers, were much 

 increased here. 



The small island of Singapore is destined in all probability to 

 govern at some future period the whole of this country, and will, in 

 course of time, be one of the points from which they are destined to 

 receive the arts and civilization of Europe. It strikes me, therefore, 



