fcTOTES ON TWO PERAK MANUSCRIPTS, 193 



saw the grandeur of His Highness and the preparations of 

 the warriors. After that he ceased to entertain any further 

 evil intentions against the sovereign of Perak. 



When the Eaja of Selangor crowd leave to depart in 

 order to accompany his relation the Pangeran in the invasion 

 Kedah, Sultan Mahmud Shah sent his youngest brother 

 Raja Kechil Bongsu with the former. And Kedah was de- 

 feated and then the invaders returned each to his own coun- 

 try." 



This is the last event recorded in the reign of Mahmud 

 Shah, whose death occurred after he had reigned eight years 

 in Peiak. His successor was Sultan Ala-eddin Mansur Shah, 

 with a catalogue of whose virtues the history closes. It was 

 probably concluded in his reign about one hundred years ago. 



Though tliej abound with oriental exaggeration and the 

 most tedious recapitulation, and though historical da,ta are 

 disappointingly scarce, these are not without some interest 

 and value, as I think the extracts which I have given will 

 shew. It is satisfactoiy to have any writen account at all 

 of the Perak Rajas on purely native authorit}^ and the gene- 

 ral accuracy of the Misal Malayu has been borne out, 

 wherever possible, by a comparison of the facts related in it 

 with accounts of the same events obtained from European 

 sources. I could wish that it were in my power to lay before 

 the Society translations of the manuscripts of which I have 

 here given a brief sketch, for there are now opportunities 

 for annotating the test by reference to local traditions, and 

 of getting explanations about various customs and ceremonies 

 of the Perak Malays, which will diminish as civilization extends 

 and as the days of Malay rule recede further into the past. 

 But on the present occasion I must content myself with 

 this short Summary, which has been very hastily drawn up 

 and which prof esses to be nothing more than a general 

 description of the only Perak histories I have yet seen. 



