THE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE MALAYS. 275 
The ends are then sewed together and the sarong is formed.f 
It may be said to be the gown in its simplest form, that is of 
the same width throughout and divested of all the additions 
from the waist upwards. From being nearly as long as the 
person, it forms in itself a complete envelope, as its name in¬ 
dicates, and is with the women, and often with the men, the 
only article of dress worn in the house and kampongon ordi¬ 
nary occasions. It forms also the sole sleeping dress of both 
sexes. In early morning the men may be seen standing in the 
serambi half torpid from the cold, with the arms folded in 
the sarong, which hangs down to the feet, leaving nothing 
visible but the head and neck which are drawn down upon 
it. In the middle of the day, and generally when not in 
deshabille, it is worn fastened at the waist, the operation of a 
moment. In adjusting it, it is extended by the hand in front 
and to the left till it embraces the person closely behind. 
It is then made to meet at the left haunch, so as to enfold 
the body tightly and the top of the remaining or loose half is 
gathered together into a knot in front, over which the border 
of the part next the person is drawn so as to confine it firmly. 
The lower end hangs to about the middle of the calf. The wo¬ 
men fasten it in a different manner. When in deshabille, 
they generally wear it puckered and fastened immediately 
below the arm pits, and reaching to the ankle. At night it 
■is worn either loose or wrapped round the whole person in 
eluding the head, according as the weather is close or chilly. 
Such are the modes in which the sarong is worn in and 
about the house. We must pass to the other articles of 
dress before we can explain how it is worn abroad, or when 
visitors are received. 
The next portion of the men’s dress is the siluar or sluar, 
which is a kind of trousers or drawers, wide at the top, where 
it is fastened round the waist by a running string or tali 
itB greatest cultivation and development in the Malay kingdom of Malacca. 
It was during the predominance of this state also that Malay manners were 
moat highly cultivated. If the condition in which the Malay ofs Malacca have 
existed since 1511 in some respects separates them at this day from those 
branches of the race which have remained independent, the latter have also in 
general lost some of those strongly marked national traits, which cannot flourish 
under the shade of European predominance. For the same reason their culture 
has probably retrograded in most countries. The Malays we describe are 
not the Malaya of Sumatra, but of the Peninsula, and we think Malacca is 
entitled to be regarded as the standard in language, pronunciation and man¬ 
ners. We shall not however, confine our view exclusively to the Malacca Malay 
of the present day, but glance occasionally at past times and other places: 
f This is the kain bekampo, Sometimes it is woven of the full breadth 4 or 
4i feet. 
