178 
MORALS. 
carved with intricate patterns and representa- 
tions of crocodiles and other animals. Their 
appreciation of beauty is a characteristic of them, 
which, absolutely wanting in the Malay people, 
I was surprised to find among a less advanced 
race. While walking through the forest they 
invariably pluck and tastefully arrange in a 
hole in their comb, which is there for the very 
purpose, any particularly bright bunch of flowers. 
A word of their morals, before I tell you of my 
friends the boys. These are such as might be 
expected from a rude people subjected to no re- 
straint. Where they think they can escape 
detection, they lie and steal without compunc- 
tion, though their laws punish the latter offence 
with slavery, from which the thief can be ran- 
somed only by a great sum. To their enemies 
they are savagely cruel, executing on those that 
fall into their hands the most revolting atrocities 
before affixing their dismembered quarters to 
their public places. They are essentially selfish, 
and devoid of all feelings of gratitude or pity. 
To give anything for nothing would be a breach 
of all hereditary instincts. In their cups they 
are easily offended, and in all cases one has to be 
very wary in dealing wdth them, for the true 
savage comes out when they are roused. We 
