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349 HOUSES OP TUB PEOPLE - . 



Aii improvement in house-building and domestic 

 arrangements is beginning to be perceivable amongst 

 the .substantial ryots. But they have not vet reached 

 that stage of neatness ami cleanliness in their houses 

 nod srardens, which would augur ain rapid degree 

 of improvement in domestic economy. 



When not greatly overmatched, the Malays defend 

 their Grail tenements very manfully, and often 

 wound and sometimes kill assailants. The Malay 

 javariably raises his liouse from 3 to 5 feet off the 

 ground, whether the site be low or not. The Chi- 

 nese and settlers from India have ground-floors, and 

 these are rarely surmounted by an upper story. 

 These two classes, especially the first, build better 

 houses than those oft he Malays, and lliey understand 

 full well the devious paths of usury, and the thou- 

 fcand-aiukoue ways by vvhich money can be rendered 

 prolific at the expense of the feelings of humanity or 

 tint v . When a Chinese or a Mala} builds a house? 1 

 many ceremonies are performed. 



The first class, when they have pi <n rtled mate- 

 rials and dugf the foundation, write the name of 

 Yono Ko.VG-scx-soo, a famous architect of old, on a 

 piece of bamboo and fix ft on the spot. A cock is 1 

 then sacrificed, and its blood is sprinkled over this 

 bamboo : this ceremony is intended to drive away 

 9ei ils. When flie rafters have been put up, two bags? 

 made of red Hoih arc placed over (be roof, one at 

 each gable, fn each of these are iron nails, paddie 

 and beans, to briny yood luck. When the house has 

 Tiecn fairly built. Yon*; Ko\g-si:\-soo is propitiated 

 Wlift a ftast of good tilings and requested logo 



bome. 



The Malays consider the month of December as* 

 the most propitious for laying' the foundation of a 

 house. They put sometimes small bils of gold and 



