2 president's address. 



called by different names in different localities, these tribes 

 are all of one race, of Melanesian type ; and that the differ- 

 ence, both in physical characteristics and manners and cus- 

 toms, between those who seem most unlike one another, such 

 as the Orang Sakei Liar and the Orang Mantra of Aver 

 Salah, is only the effect of intermarriage with some of the 

 more civilized races of the coast and the adoption of certain 

 of their usages. We may esteem ourselves fortunate to 

 have been entrusted with the publication in English of this 

 most important contribution to ethnological science, the 

 fruit of Mr. Mac-lay's labours and privations, which have un- 

 happily resulted in very serious loss of health to that distin- 

 guished traveller himself. 



Another of last year's papers that requires some special 

 notice is the Bevd. J. Peruana 5 s account of the Mengap, or 

 Song of the Dyak Head Feast. It appeared first in the 

 columns of the Sarawak Gazette, but the Council lias been 

 glad to give it a more permanent place in literature by 

 printing it again in the forthcoming number of the Journal. 

 It is a kind of contribution to our knowledge of such races 

 as the Dyaks of Borneo which ought to be easily obtained. 

 Missionaries, who are engaged in planting Christianity, 

 should have the desire, as they have the opportunity, of in- 

 forming themselves accurately respecting the nature of those 

 religious ideas and beliefs which they are trying to super- 

 sede. And as the Mission in Sarawak has been diligent and 

 successful in making converts to Christianity, so I trust it 

 will be careful to preserve a record of that which will rapid- 

 ly pass away under its influence,— the imperfect and childish 

 efforts of an untaught people to "feel after God if haply 

 they may find Him." Communications on this subject will, 

 I feel sure, be always most gladly received by this Society, 

 whoever may be for the time conducting its affairs. 



Another paper to which I will venture to draw special 

 attention is Mr. W. E. Maxwell's collection of Malay Pro- 

 verbs, of which the first portion was printed in the first num- 

 ber of the Journal, and a second portion will appear in the 

 next. Certainly, some of these Proverbs shew a depth of 

 worldly wisdom and a pungency of wit with which many of 

 us, who have only a superficial knowledge of the Malay, 

 would not have credited him. And they also give us an in- 

 sight into his character, and his ways of looking upon the 

 world about him, which could hardly be afforded us so well 

 by any other means. 



