365 
A GENERAL SKETCH OF SUMATRA, 
ing to noble Malaya families first discovered or settled on 
the western coast of Sumatra and civilized the aborigines. 
The name Malaya was probably retained by all the families 
which these settlers founded by intermarriage with the women 
of the country, and hence perhaps the origin of the suku 
Malayu , several of which are found in the clans of Me.nang- 
kah&u. The first application of the general name Malayu 
to the coast and its inhabitants, and its extension to the 
people ot the same race elsewhere, was, we may be sure, the 
act of the Malaya or Kling navigators and traders and not 
of the aborigines who always distinguish themselves by the 
names of the district which they inhabit. In the Maleala 
language Male signifies a mountain, Maleala a mountain re¬ 
gion or highland,* and hence the name of themselves and 
their own mountainous country: When they discovered 
the mountainous West Coast of Sumatra they would na* 
turally give the same name to it and its people when they 
found it had no native name, and that no national desig¬ 
nation existed amongst its inhabitants. The Malay as pro¬ 
bably introduced another peculiarity of Malayala into Me- 
nangkabau, the custom of living in separate houses sur¬ 
rounded by plantations ( desa , desam) instead of villages. 
The Malay dusun which entirely resembles the Malaya 
desam, has doubtless derived its name from it also. The 
system of village government prevailing in Menangkabau 
was probably also amongst the reforms of the Indian set¬ 
tlers, as it strikingly resembles their own. That the settlers 
were few with reference to the number of the aborigines, 
we may gather from the facts that they adopted the verna¬ 
cular of the latter and produced no perceptible physical 
change in them, 
4th.—The condition resulting from the uninterrupted con. 
tinuance of Indian influence. Ex. The Achinese. 
5th.-—The condition resulting from the influence of inter¬ 
course with foreigners of different nations. Ex. The Malays 
of the sea ports of Sumatra, and trading Malays in general. 
assumes the direction. Brothers almost always live under the same roof; 
but, if one of the family separates from the rest, he is always accompanied 
by his favourite sister. Even cousins, to the most remote degree of kindred, 
in the female line, generally live together in great harmony ; for in this part 
of the country love, jealousy, or disgust, never can disturb the peace of a 
iVafr family. A man’s moveable property, after his death, is divided 
equally among the sons and daughters of all his sisters. His land estate is 
managed by the eldest male of the family; but each individual has a right 
to a share of the income. In case of the eldest male being unable, from 
infirmity or incapaciiy, to manage the affairs of the family, the next in rank 
does it in the name of his senior ’’—buchamn Humitton • 
* Malewr, a highland town, or town of the highlanders or Male people. Mar* 
