522 
TRACES OF THE ORIGIN OF THE MALAY KINGDOM 
find them at this day. It is remarkable however that the practice of 
taking’ heads is not alluded to. 
The character of the Malays of Borneo appears to have been the 
same as at present. The Portuguese and Dutch navigators represent 
them as bold, tyrannical, treacherous, rapacious, and with a strong 
tendency to piratical acts, while it is evident, at the same time, that 
much friendly and mutually profitable intercourse was carried on. 
“The Portuguese,” says Harris, “ could never succeed in subduing 
the Moors of Borneo.” The Spanish were equally unsuccesful, and 
the Dutch and English East India Companies found in the character 
of the Malays an insurmountable obstacle to the permanent mainte¬ 
nance of trading establishments. The Europeans, it must be admitted, 
during the early part of their career were at least as rapacious and 
unscrupulous as the natives, and did not hesitate to use their power in 
a piratical manner whenever they could do so with success. We may 
hence surmise that having fully established their bucaneering charac¬ 
ter throughout the Archipelago early in the sixteenth century, the Ma¬ 
lays learned at all times to fear and distrust them. Even when peace¬ 
ably trading or settled in factories we must believe that the domineer¬ 
ing and intolerant -spirit which too generally prevailed amongst them, 
often led them to off end the pride and prejudices and disregard the 
social rights of the Malays. We must therefore hesitate to throw the 
blame on the latter, when we read of their treacherously surprising 
whole the vessels and rising against the factories of their visitors. 
It is too much the habit of Europeans even now to visit with in- 
discriminating indignation the reaction which takes place when Ma¬ 
lays, after submitting for a time to a condition of tilings originating 
in force or a forced consent, are excited by a favorable opportunity, 
throw prudence and humanity aside, and become regardless of every 
thing but their wrongs and their revenge. Prone, like the European, 
to coerce those less powerful than himself when opposing his inter¬ 
ests, it is not the less true that every injustice lrom others sinks 
deeply into the heart of the Malay. He is an Asiatic and has learned 
from childhood lo hide his feelings when to show them would only 
procure an aggravation of his wrong. But if opportunity ever comes 
