492 



head than Iheir heart, and, whilst they acknow- 

 ledge the absurdity of their practices, ihey plead 

 custom and antiquity in their behalC 

 ^ The next class of inhabitants which passes un- 

 der ourreview is that of the descendants ofihe an- 

 cient conquerors of Malacca, the Portuguese, and 

 here we are tempted to exclaim, " How are the 

 raight^ fallen 1" Perhaps tliere never was a more 

 striking instance of the vicisitudes of nations exhi- 

 bited to the world than h to be found in the con- 

 trast between the present degraded condition of 

 the Portuguese iuhabiiants of Malacca and the glo- 

 ry of their ancestors. With few— very few— ex^ 

 ceptions their occupations are of ihe most servile 

 and laborious nature. 1 he most respectable of 

 them are engaged as menials by tlie English and 

 Dutch families, or employed in the inferior de- 

 partments of the different Government offices; 

 but by far the greater proportion obtain a precari- 

 ous livelihood by means of fishing. 



An extensive mud bank, varying from 1^ to 2^ 

 miles, belts the doast in the vicinity of Malacca, 

 and t!ie fishing stakes afe erected in various parts 

 of it, at a great distance from the shore. These are 

 raadeofbambooR driven into the flat; the shape of 

 the jeromnais, or enclosures, depending in some 

 measure on the taste of its owner, although they 

 are generally made either square or cord t form. 

 The latter are usually double, a row of wattled 

 stakes intersecting the jeroomal from the point, 

 which looks to seaward, to the angle, and being 

 produced in a straight line nearly to the shore. 

 On either side of these stakes is an intricate en- 

 trance into the enclosure. The fish, passing along 



