12 



EASTERN GEOGRAPHY. 



It is not n little remarkable itiut Malay should have remained unwritten,, 

 while tliti Japanese, the Ib-janga and tJuttaa of Sumatra, the Uugis of 

 Col til ws, and kivvw the Tagala* of the Philippine* nil possessed peculiar 

 characters, all doubtless of Hindu origin. lSut with ihu Mohammedan 

 conversion the Perso- Arabic 1 ulpbahM was introdue^d aimniiyst nil the 

 civilised Malays. Malay is essentially a dLssj Ihibic language, harniuuious, 

 and of simple structure. From the ] 1 Lining, whu apjuur to havu settled 

 in Sumatra,. Java, and Hali about the 3rd w unity, if nut L-uriii-r. iht- 

 Mttr« diflJectd adopted n large inimbur of .Sanskr it terms ; mid airu-e tin* 

 lIUli • 1 1 1 1 1 ry tiiiiuy Arn.hu; «-i*rds jtnd expressions lluVe, under the 

 rtt'.ttfiuiia influence of Islam, found their way estmcially into the liturury 

 Malay language. Xo real *iiH.ti ji^lion can he dr.iwn, an is same ti tin -a 

 done, bdtweeu High Malay and L*wr Mniay, bli between Kami and 

 modem Javanese. Low Malay i.i not a distinct dialect, but merely a 

 ■ -•lbi.|iiial form jurying as a men limn of intercourse between the native* 

 and EftttOptMUh 



Ma]jy in said to bo spolteu with the greatest etegance in tha RhvLingpa 

 An'liijH'lftga. and among the Malay Status along the south-west coast of 

 ftta Pts&i&ioia. 



The Chinese— Besides the indigenous ethnical groups of 

 Negritos, Maluys, and Siamese, the Peninsula is inhabited by a 

 large number of immigrant from the Biirroutidiiig regiona rind 

 from Europe. By far the most numerous of these foreign peoples 

 are the Chinese, who are already in an absolute majority in some 

 distriels, and who furm about one-third of the whole population. 

 Many nf I hem lmve married Malay women, and their oiTsprii g 

 whiln remaining Chinese gi-Mi-rally adopt the local speech ami 

 usages. With tlie characteristic versatility of the HUM, they aihtpt 

 themselves to all conditions of life,, and arc specially noted for their 

 skill ami enterprise ns miners, artisans, trailers, ami agriculturists. 

 If t re.it n] with justice and kindiu-ns. ifn-y arc on [Ik: \v\nt\v n peaceful 

 arid law-abiding pdiple; hut troubles Inlvo occasionally orison, 

 especially through the influence of their secret societies, the 

 members of which often bind themselves to recognise no civil 

 jurisdiction except the authority of theS* assoeiatinriH, Peace, 

 however, has hitherto been maintained , partly by the pcdii'v of 

 dividing these dangcnitis elements into hostile groups, juirlly 

 by securing the co-operation of the wealthy Chinese capitalists snd 

 traders, who are admitted under various titles into the Jiritibh 



administration. 



The Slings, Ac, — Next in importance to the Chinese are the 

 TTinditN, or natives of British India, who arc also divided into 

 distinct groups according to tho. countries whence they have 

 immigrated. The term Kiing, a contracted form of Ketiwjti, or 

 Tr tiutja^ that is, M T«hlga ( w is commonly applied to all th« Drnvidian 

 communities of Telugti and Tamil speech, those speaking llindubtuiii 



