30 



EASTERN GEOGRAPHY. 



is, tho smi-civilised flouting population ; and tbu Orttny Maldyti, or 

 M;il i> s in n pre-Huiiirui ih.it if, the eivili-wd Malay.* with a rullur.\ 



•i lil'-:-.iltin\ :t i l> I ;i i ■ - ! : i.- E- ■ 1 1 . Tin' Oran^ 1 ',< ni. i, * '=t 1 1 ■ -. 1 »Li» fr<-i?if!-t, r ;->i< .; ■<, 

 or " Highlander*, 1 ' «nd even fJ^r^y-ft-nr, or " >V T i 1 ■ 1 Men," constitute tl'ir- 

 n Em i ri filial Muhiy eL-mont, which has hitherto remained unaffected by 

 foreign influence*, and which ia ulill jp-nuped in small tribes at a vi>ry low 

 nUw of culture, living mainly by the eh use, ami almo-ft destitute uf in 

 or£;tni*atiou, 'they sre found chiefly in thn morn inaccessible VOOded 

 lijil ui'ls i<i ilir p.Miiiihiili ninl Sumatra, in thn former region mure or Ion 

 intimately wwmtted fur tgvfl with this Xegrito tribe, ami fat tho bitter 

 island apparently the sole, oeeu piers of the land from tho first. 



blteffftwWite between tho Orang-Benna and Orang-Maloyu nra the 

 Omi^-l nit. it " Sim Cij^i..* " of former Kufilish writers, thd "f'ellittes " 

 00 i u early I'ortugnase explorar*. Hut thoy are no longer the " vile 

 people- (3 welling innro on thi- sea ihan on the land, " -mil ^living by fishing 

 ami robbing ; 1 for pirney has been almnnt entirely suppressed "in these 

 waters, and tho Oran^-knt havo risen considerably in tho weiat wdc since 

 tho spread of English power and bkflttMMM throughout Malay lutid and 

 North Borneo, 



This remark is equally applicable tn tins Orang-Malnyn, or civilised 

 Malays whn liret under Hindu and afterward* under Arab influences 

 duvolopdd a national life and culture, and founded more or lass powerful 

 political fltlfeM in various parte of tho archipelago and luroutfhoin the 

 peninsula. At mm time tlmre was nn impression that they were fating 

 ground, ami Iwcoioiii^ p-adiially dfapljfljri by the Chinese immigrants into 

 Mahysiru Hut KlaLb*licfl have shown tli at this view vraa groundless, and 

 during tha pmntt I'enlury the whole Malay race baa evorywhrre display'- 1 

 an unexpected vi^mur and vitality. The native populations of Java, 

 Sumatra, and the Peninsula, far from showing any tendency to dwmdlo 

 away before, tho (linn-v iuini.hT.-i, have i 1 1 n 1 1 i j>1 i ■-■ I conssdevulily, nml ;uv 

 al present probably four times more numerous than at tho bcjmmiiijj «i 

 the century. In tho British posseasions of PinanR and Malacca the Malay 

 element has fnoreaaed from 30 r 0>>0 in 1S0O to nearly wis times ins many aL 

 the cunsoj of 188L 



In their temperament no less than in their physical features the 

 Malays h E ill betray tlnir Asiatic oritrin. They aro di-Hcribcil nn of 

 a taciturn, undomonatnitive diapoaition, little given to oofrfftfd 

 1 1 taj ii fecial fona of joy or sorrow, yet extremely courteous towurds 

 each other, nnd as a rule kind to their women and rhihiren. Blow 

 nnd d^liberato of speech, neither elated by good nor depressed by 

 b: u I fortune, normally impreasive and indolent, they are iieverlheEeHH 

 capable of the greatest excesses when their pnaaione Are roused, 

 tinder Ibe influence of religious exritcmeni, losses at gambling, 

 jealousy; or other domestic troubles, they arc at tiinffl aeiiod by the 

 au-called * amok " fever, when they will rush wildly through llio 

 crowded ba/naar armed with their sharp kriases, cutting down oil 

 whn crow their path with iiie-rrdibte fury and withuiic ibc h- ; usi 

 discriniinalion. 



The Oraug-Bcnun, are still uattire-womhippers ; but the civilised 



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