cured in a malleable state, and seldom undergoes any process of refining to purify it for the market, where opium and fine goods are expected in return. Mines of copper and tin, as before stated, abound in the island and its neighbour Banca, where it is said to have been accidentally discovered by the burning of a house in 1710, and was long worked by a colony of Chinese, under the control of the Dutch, at Palembang, who grasped at the whole trade. We have already stated that the island of Banca was ceded to the British by the Sultan of Palembang, in the year 1812: Billeton Isle, which lies about sixty miles east of Banca, was ceded at the same time. This last named island, which is almost a perfect quadrangle, with a coast facing the four cardinal points of the horizon, is about fifty miles in extent each way, and has long been celebrated for producing the fine steel of which the Malays manufacture their arms. Banca had, for many years, been the resort of a numerous horde of pirates, who acted under the immediate protection of the sultan and court of Palembang. Minto, the capital of the island, is situated near the sea, towards the west, at the foot of the mountain called Monophin. There is anchorage in from six to twelve fathoms; a sandy point at the northwest affording shelter to ships from the boisterous waves which roll into the straits from the Java Sea, as well as from the northwest winds, which often blow very hard along the coast of Sumatra during the monsoons. At the pacification of Europe in 1814, Banca was again ceded to the Dutch by treaty.

We have thus taken a hasty and excursive view of the Island of Sumatra, and trust that the reader has accompanied us. have seen the capacities of its soil, and the varied richness of its vegetable and animal kingdom. How rich, in point of external appearance and grandeur, is the inheritance of the Malay! In the soft and rich teints of its mountains, the velvet covering of its hills,-its wild cascades, placid lakes, rapid streams,-Sumatra may challenge comparison with the world! Why has nature been so extravagant? Why bestow in many parts where human footsteps seldom tread, all that is sublime-all that is beautifulall that is calculated to elevate the mind which is susceptible of noble impressions!

Is it solely for the Malay, the living Ishmaelite of the world, that prolific nature has been thus bountiful? The Malay

treacherous, cruel, and vindictive as he is-fierce and unrelenting as the tiger of his own mountains, by which he is often destroyed, -is still a being entitled to the sympathy and compassion of the civilized world; and we cannot but pity his condition, even when his vices demand a measure of punishment at our hands. How black and damning would be the page containing an account of his wrongs from boasted Christians, since the year 1510, when Albuquerque landed on his shores. For three centuries, what has been the history of Europeans trading on his coast, under the direction of heartless, grasping monopolies, but a record of oppressions, cruel exactions, and abominable injustice! To the honour of the British name, though her track in the east has, in all directions, been stained with blood, she has ever shown more humanity than either of her former powerful competitors; whose every thought, impulse, and action, appear to have been concentrated in one festering canker-insatiable avarice!

But we leave this picture to be resumed in another place; and from the leafy groves, rich plains, and varied productions, shall attempt a more close analysis of the Malay himself; and trust that the reader will find something to repay him for his trouble in turning our pages.

CHAPTER X.

The Malays of Sumatra-Difficulty of delineating their Character-Their Language, Poetry, &c.-Five different Languages spoken in Sumatra-Malay Duplicity— Effects of their intercourse with Foreigners-Conscious Inferiority-Erroneous Policy formerly exercised towards them-Favourable Traits in their CharacterThe Rejangs-Their Laws, Customs, and Political Regulations-Their judicial Proceedings-Manner of taking an Oath-Rights of Inheritance, &c.-Their secret Hoards-Security for Debts-Punishment for Theft and Murder-Courtship, Marriage, and Divorces-Cock-fighting-Use of the Betele-nut-TobaccoEarly Maturity of Females-Funeral Obsequies-Religious and superstitious Notions The Lampoons-Their Hospitality.

AGREEABLY to our promise made in the conclusion of the last chapter, we now proceed to a closer analysis of the character of the inhabitants of Sumatra. This is not a very easy task to perform, as we find in many places but little indigenous among them. There is also some difficulty in adopting a standard with which to compare them, divided, as they are, into numerous tribes, and presenting, as they do, at each step, in the same tribe, so many lights and shades, vices mingled with some virtues, forming an endless chain of perplexing contradictions.

Perhaps the standard adopted by Le Poivre, Robinson, Richardson, and other writers of reputed learning, is the best that can be given. They agree in assigning to nations various grades; giving to Greece and Rome, in the days of their ancient splendour, the first rank, with which may now be classed England, France, some of the other nations of Europe, and the United States. The second will include the Asiatic empires and Turks, in the days of their dominion, magnificence, and grandeur; while in the third, fourth, and fifth classes, as they are distinguished by the degree of perfection of their agriculture, progress in the arts, science of numbers, and use of abstract terms, may be classed the Sumatrans, in common with the Holoans, and other states of the eastern Archipelago; the nations on the northern coast of Africa; Mexicans and Peruvians before the conquest; together with the Carribs, New-Hollanders, Laplanders, and Hottentots. Possessing shades of character in common with all these will be

found the Sumatrans, and we leave the reader to make his own distinctions, and form his own comparisons, as we proceed.

The Malay language, long and justly celebrated for its smoothness and softness, like the Malays themselves, has partially extended itself over the whole island; at least, there are few parts of the island where it is not understood by some, while in other districts it forms the lingua franca of all classes.

They devote many of their leisure hours to singing extemporaneous sonnets, which are more remarkable for sententious qualities than truly poetic spirit, if the following may be considered a fair sample :

"Apo goono passang paleeto,

Callo teedah dangan soomboonia?
Apo goono bermine matto,

Callo teeda dangan soongoonia?"

"What signifies attempting to light a lamp,
If the wick be wanting?

What signifies making love with the eyes,

If nothing in earnest be intended ?"

A wickless lamp can show no flame,
To light it baffles human art;
Then why should lying eyes proclaim

A love, that dwells not in the heart?

The city of Palembang, so long the emporium of the inland commerce of the island, is the point which has always been considered as taking the lead, and fixing the court etiquette among the Malay princes, and the language spoken there as the standard of the Malay tongue. In writing, the Arabic characters are used, introduced at the time of the dissemination of the Mahometan religion. They have paper and ink of their own composition, and write with the pen of the anou-tree. We believe it has never been ascertained that even the Malays of the Peninsula of Malacca had any original written language peculiar to themselves, previous to the country being overrun by Mussulmen during the thirteenth century.

There are several languages, however, besides the Malay, spoken on the island, especially in the interior. And what appears to be most remarkable is, that two tribes, the Battas and Rejangs,

both possessing equal and undisputed claims of being the original .inhabitants, not only speak languages different from each other, but employ characters essentially different. All this has occurred among tribes residing but a comparatively short distance apart, and bearing unquestionable evidence of having descended from the same original stock. The language of the Lampoons bears a close affinity to that spoken by the Rejangs, while the Achenese, using the Arabic characters in considerable purity, has less claim to originality.

The inner bark of a tree, or pieces of bamboo, split and shaped for the purpose, serve as tablets for the preservation of their records. In writing, they move the hand and form the line from left to right, as we do; while the Malays and Arabs practise the contrary. In harmony, these languages are far inferior to the Malay, as will be seen by the following table from Marsden, which we introduce for the gratification of the curious.

SPECIMENS OF LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN SUMATRA.