ACCOUNT OF SULU 
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fundamental principles of innate morality, though at the same time 
it adds energy to the hand of Government, by evincing the benefit 
to society, of an executive power, to prevent, or restrain the 
inordinacy of iniquity, incident to the human frame, to custom, 
and to example. 
Every man, not indeed by the law, but by custom, is in these 
countries his own avenger, by which the sallies of passion, often 
occasion the most enormous crimes, and entail inveteracy and 
bloodshed from father to son, for generations. 
The most common cause of murder amongst them, is the fair 
sex, for as divorces are permitted to the men, and often bought 
by the women, there is wanting that cordiality of affection, 
necessary to bind so strict a union of marriage; and it oftejn 
happens a man wall divorce his wife, and, when she marries 
another, he will reclaim her, on pretence of the want of some 
formality in his divorce; and, though the probable suspicion often 
is held a sufficient cause for assassination, and scarce a night, 
which is the common time of these enormities, passes without 
a murder. 
The histories of all times seem to evince the bad consequences 
to society, by a facility of divorce, and experience sufficiently refutes 
that innocent affection of the poet, that 
-Half the cause of contest were remov’d, 
If beauty could be kind to all who lov’d. 
perhaps a mere speculatist would rather join with Sir Thomas 
Browne, and some others, in wishing the Deity had made a 
different disposition for continuing His creation. 
Another custom, equally destructive to civil society, as it bestows 
a ferocity of disposition, is the power every master is vested with, 
regarding his slaves; which are' by much the greatest part of the 
Stilus; these may be put to death with, impunity, for the slightest, 
or even without, crime. When such licence of murder exists, 
there can be no expectation it wall be held in that abhorrence its 
iniquity demands. 
Another enormity, which evinces the malignity of disposition is 
the frequent theft of people, who are seldom to be redeemed, as 
the country is, in a manner, entirely destitute of public justice. 
The laxity of public Government is more in all savage, than in 
civilized countries; under the first denomination, we may include 
in some measure the Bugis &c. But there is a very remarkable 
peculiarity between the Bugis and Sulus; which deserves to be 
mentioned, as it may tend to establish the character of each ; the 
Bugis, in common with the greatest part of mankind, determine 
many disputes by single combat, but never avenge themselves by 
personal assassination ; on the contrary, the Sulus have no idea of 
putting themselves on a footing with their antagonist, but always 
attack him in the dark, or off guard; we may allow the last to be 
