SVTDUXCK. 



203 



to elicit truth by an indirect process, at every halt 

 in which that evidence loses in freshness and per- 

 spicacity. For instance, a Batta witness speaks to 

 the Batta interpreter; he transmits it in bad Malaya* 

 perhaps to the Malayan interpreter, who debwrs 

 it in improved, or perchance amplified Malayan, 

 to the English interpreter, who, in his turn, tries to 

 convey to the Judge and Jury as much of the origi- 

 nal meaning* as may not have evaporated during- tha 

 judicial alchemy. In this part of the world there u 

 no Jesuitical k using of the thumb, or evasion of the 

 preliminary or accompanying form. The perjury ei 

 straightforward and uuhlushiug. 



CHAPTER Vm. PART 2nd. 

 RELIGION. 



ROMAN CATHOLIC RELIGION. 



A late statement in the Prince o f Wales Island 

 Gazette makes the number of conversions in Peuung, 

 amongst tlie Chinese alone, during the past leu yearn, 

 to have l>ecn 759 ; but the actual present number of 

 proselytes is not given. In the same statement tin; 

 number of converts in Province \\ c llesley \a rated at 

 about SO Chinese. 



The chief local pastor, the Reverend Mr. Boucho, 

 is very indefatigable in his vocation; and if we may 

 be allowed to doubt the sincerity of the greatest por- 

 tion of his converts, he may still lay (air claims to die 

 merit of having successfully aided in the vt ork of 

 civilizing the natives. 1 believe there are some converts 

 also amongst the Samsams, or mixed descendants of 

 Siamese and Malays. The rest are not noticed in the 

 statement alluded to in a very precise manner. 



The Chinese; we know, are Booddhists and materia* 

 psychoaists, as well as the Samsams, and die lowest 

 classes of the former are grossly superstitions, while 



