53-1 



THE RACES or M.iX 



fcUAP XL. 



scure of beauty, and yet on the wbole the Malays are cer- 

 tainly not hatidsoiiie. In youth, liowever, they are often 

 very good-looking, and many of the boys and girls up to 

 twelve or fifteen years of age aie very pleasing, and some 

 have countenances which are in their way almost perfect. 

 I am inclined to think they lose much of their ^'ood looks 

 by bad habits and irregular livinjjf. At a very early age 

 they chew betel and tobacco almost iuces-sautly ; they 

 suffer much want and exposure in their fishing and other 

 excursions ; their lives am often passed in alternate starva- 

 tion and feasting, idleness and excessive ialxjur, — and this 

 naturally produces premature old age and harshness of 

 features. 



In character the Malay is impassive. He exhibits a 

 reserve, diffidence, and even bashfulness, which is in 

 some degree attractive, and leads the observer to think 

 til at the ferocious and bloodthii-sty character imputed to 

 the race must be grossly exaggerated. He is not demon- 

 strative. His feelings of surprise, admiration, or fear, are 

 never openly manifested, and are probably not strongly 

 felt. He is slow and deliberate in speech, and circuitous 

 in introducing the subject he hios come expressly to discuss. 

 These are the main fetitures of his Tuoral nature, and ex- 

 hibit themselves in every action of his life. 



Childi^n and women are timid, and scream and run at 

 the unexpected sight of a European. In the coinpany of 

 men they are silent, and are generally quiet and obedient, 

 "When alone the Malay is taciturn; he neither talks nor 

 sings to himself Wheu several are paddling in a canoe, 

 they occasi^mmlly chant a monotonous and plaintive song. 

 He is cautious of giving offence to his equals. He does 

 not quarrel easily about money mattei-s ; dislikes asking 

 too frequently even for payment of his jiist debts, and will 

 often give them up altogether rather than quan-el with his 

 debtor, Pi-actical joking is utterly repugnant to his dis- 

 position J for he is particularly sensitive to breaches of 

 etiquette, or any interference with the personal lilierty of 

 himself or another. As an example, I may mention thai 

 1 have often found it ymj difficult to get one Malay 

 ser^'ant to waken another. He wiU call as loud as he can, 

 i)Ut will hardly touch, much leas shake his comrade. I 



