THE ISLAND OF CEYLON. 
l65 
their native officers, I had an opportunity of minutely 
observing the character of the Malays as soldiers. From 
their natural intrepidity and hardiness, they are well calcu- 
lated to become very useful and serviceable troops if pro- 
perly officered and commanded. It requires however much 
management, much attention to their tempers, skill in re- 
gulating their economy, firmness in maintaining discipline, 
and at the same time great caution in punishing misbe- 
haviour, to make our service reap in its full extent the 
advantage that might be derived from them. To their native 
officers, who were at that time chiefly from among their 
own princes and great men, they always paid the most im- 
plicit obedience, and seemed to hold them in the highest 
veneration. On being punished by sentence of a court-mar- 
tial they never murmur, and their darling passion of revenge 
seems to be entirely laid aside. The contrast of this beha- 
viour with their usual furious resentments 011 the most trivial 
occasions, struck me so forcibly, that I was induced to en- 
quire the cause of some of their officers. I was told, that 
it was an ordinance of their religion, and a rule among their 
customs which was never infringed upon, to pay implicit 
obedience to all their officers, European as well as Malay, 
and to execute military orders with the strictest punctuality ; 
and they were also enjoined never to murmur at any conduct 
of their superiors, or hesitate to execute orders as long as 
they received pay and continued in the service of any 
power. In addition to this, they are always tried for any 
