286 
!THE PINUA OF JOHORE/ 
of men whose indolence prevents them from working up to the high 
priees which the Malays exact, and who live in the condition of the 
less advanced Jakuns, their only clothing a chawafc, and their food 
limited, during the greater part of the year, to the produce of their 
ladangs and of the forest. 
Compared with the labour which the acquisition of the necessaries 
of life costs them, that which is required to obtain the few luxuries 
and conveniences to which they are now habituated, is excessive. 
Instead of a scanty and irregular supply of clothing and other arti¬ 
cles, it should suffice to raise them to a condition of greater plenty 
and comfort than the Malays themselves have attained, because their 
industry is greater. 
The Malayan Panghulu, Jinnang, or other Head in each river is 
also the head of the monopoly of trade with the Binuas. Strangers 
who enter.the river for trading purposes visit him. He either sup¬ 
plies them from his own store, purchases what they require from the 
Malays of the river, or allows, the traders to do so directly. This 
system is enforced with more or less strictness according to the cha¬ 
racter of the Panghulu, but traffic is always to a certain extent carri¬ 
ed on without Ills intervention. Strangers are absolutely prohibited 
from trading with the Binuas. 
The Malays of southern Johore, from their long intercourse with 
otiier nations, and their piratical habits, which were continued down 
to very recent times, and are still engrained in many of them, have 
acquired a peculiar character. They retain much of the manner of 
the uncorrupted Malay, but their courtesy is seen to lie on the sur¬ 
face, is liable to be converted into a tone of effrontery, and even with 
the better bred often fails to hide their true disposition. They are 
greedy, bold, frequently reckless, designing and deceitful. I speak 
of those whose characters have been developed under circumstances 
which have given free scope to their activity. Every where numbers 
are to be met with in whom the piratical or rapacious disposition has 
not. been fostered by opportunity. 
The Malays settled on the rivers leading into the country of the 
Binufi may be divided into three classes: The Panghulu and his 
relatives and dependents; Malays of Johore, frequently from Ti- 
loh Blangah, enjoying some consideration and. influence from their 
means aud their connections in Singapore; and miscellaneous set¬ 
tlers who have not this advantage. The trade with the Binuas is 
chiefly in the hands of the first and second classes. They act in 
concert. The prices at which articles bought and, sold are to be 
