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whole of the Malayan Archipelago. But as we increase our territories, we increase our obligations. Our duties to our Hindoo empire have been long enough the subject of discussion: let us now turn our attention to the obligations which we owe to our Malay empire. We are now about to take possession of islands, peopled by numbers of protestant christians. For in every island where the Dutch established their government, they endeavored to convert the natives to christianity, and they were successful. Those amongst us who would recommend that the evangelization of barbarous nations should be deferred "till a more convenient season," will have no opportunity of offering the advice in regard to some of these islands: for, behold, the natives are Christians already. They profess the religion of the bible. Let it be our endeavor then to do more justice to these our new protestant subjects than we have done to the Christians. of Ceylon. We have less excuse in the present instance, for the Malay scriptures are already translated to our hands. What a noble field here opens to the view of the "society for promoting Christian knowledge," and of the Bible Society! Here there is ample room for a praise-worthy emulation, and for the utmost exercise of their benevolent exertions. One huudred thousand Malay bibles will not suffice to supply the Malay Christians.

The sacred scriptures were translated by the Dutch into the eastern Malay;* for that is the general language of their extensive dominions in the Indian sea. But the eastern Malay is different from the western Malay, or that of Sumatra. In the college of Fort William, Thomas Jarret, esq. of the honorable company's civil service, was preparing a version of the scriptures in the western Malay; for which undertaking he was well qualified, having resided

A complete version of the Malay bible was published in the Arabic charaeter at Batavia, in 5 vols. 8vo. in 1758, under the direction of Jacob Mossel, governor general of the Dutch possessions in the East Indies,

twelve years in Sumatra. When the progress of the biblical translations was interrupted in the college, Mr. Jarret prosecuted the work, after his return to Madras. He has had an assistant in the design, a learned Malay of the rank of Rajah in his own country, who came from Sumatra for the purpose. Mr. Jarret has also made considerable progress in compiling a copicus Malay dictionary, which he commenced before he left the island. His labor, it is to be hoped, will not be lost to the public; for the Malay language is daily increasing in its importance to the British nation.

Prince of Wales' island, or as it is called by the natives, Penang, or Pulo Penang, that is, the island Penang, is the capital of our Malay territories, and is the proper place for the cultivation of the Malay language, being situated close to the main land of Malacca. As there is a college in Bengal for-instructing the English in the languages of the continent of Hindostan, it is equally expedient that there should be an institution in Penang for the cultiva tion of the Malay tongue, and of the various dialects of our insular possessions. The Dutch attended to this subject in the very infancy of their empire. Besides, it is probable that Penang will, in the progress of eastern civilization, become the great emporium of Asiatic commerce. Its sudden elevation, is a prognostic of its future celebrity. It is situated on what may be called "the high way," in which ships sail from either hemisphere; and is the very centre of British navigation in the east. The author resided in this island for about a month, and was greatly surprised at the variety of languages which are spoken, and at the different races of men who present themselves to view in this infant settlement. The merchants are principally of the Malay and Indo-Chinese nations. John Shaw, esq. was prosecuting the study of the eastern Malay language, when I visited

the island, and has since published a considerable portion of a Malay grammar.

The author who chiefly claims our notice in regard to the Malay regions, is J. C. Leyden, M. D. Professor of Hindostanee in the college of Fort William. To him the learned world is indebted for "a dissertation on the languages and literature of the Indo Chinese nations," just published in the Asiatic Researches, in which he illuminates a very dark subject, and opens a new view to Great Britain of her insular possessions in Asia. Dr. Leyden takes the lead in this most useful science, in the east, being possessed of very rare talents for general philogy, which he has applied almost suddenly, and with admirable effect, to the Oriental languages. If this erudite scholar should prosecute his researches for some years to come, with equal assiduity and success, he will promote, in the most effectual manner, the general civilization of the east by opening the way for the future exertions of Christian teachers, and preparing them for the study of languages, the names of which are not yet known in Europe.

Penang, and the neighboring settlement of Malacca, are most favorable stations for the study of the various dialects of the Malay and Chinese languages; and for pouring forth from the press useful works for the civilization of maritime and Austral Asia. Every week, boats of different nations are ready to carry off every thing that is printed to their respective regions. The author found here a general spirit of inquiry, a communicative disposition, and an unusual thirst for knowledge; for the civilities of commerce have a tendency to weaken prejudice and superstition among barbarous tribes.

Although the Dutch introduced christianity on every island where they established a government, yet the greater part of the Maylay islands are involved in darkness. The natives are of three casts, Pagans, Mahomedans, and Chinese. The Mahome

dans chiefly inhabit the shores, and the Pagans the interior parts of the islands. The barbarism of the interior nations in Sumatra, Borneo, and the other islands almost exceeds belief. Marsden, in his history of Sumatra, had informed us that it was usual with the natives of the interior, called the Batta tribes, to kill and eat their criminals and prisoners of war; but the researches of Dr. Leyden have led to the discovery that they sometimes sacrifice their own relations. "They themselves declare," says he, "that they frequently eat their own relations when aged and infirm: and that, not so much to gratify their appetite as to perform a pious ceremony. Thus, when a man becomes infirm and weary of the world, he is said to invite his own children to eat him in the season when salt and limes are cheapest. He then ascends a tree, round which his friends and offspring assemble, and as they shake the tree, join in a funeral dirge, the import of which is, 'The season is come, the fruit is ripe, and it must descend.' The victim descends, and those that are nearest and dearest to him deprive him of life, and devour his remains in a solemn banquet."*

These cannibals inhabit the interior of the island of Sumatra, on the shores of which is the English settlement, Bencoolen, or Fort Marlborough. We have been settled there for a long period, and trade with the inhabitants for their species. In return for the pepper which the natives give us, it would well become our character as a Christian nation, were we now at length, to offer them the New Testament.

Another description of Barbarians in the eastern isles, are the Haraforas, called by the Dutch, the Alfoers. They are to be found in almost all the larger islands. "In their manners, says Dr. Leyden, the most singular feature is the necessity imposed on every person of, sometime in his life, imbruing his hands in human blood: and in general, among all

Asiatic Researches, vol. x. p. 203.

their tribes, no person is permitted to marry, till he can shew the skull of a man whom he has slaughtered. They eat the flesh of their enemies like the Battas, and drink out of their skulls; and the ornaments of their houses are human skulls and teeth." When the author was at Pulo Penang, he himself saw a chief of the Malay tribe who had a staff, on the head of which was a bushy lock of human hair; which he said he had cut from the head of his enemy whom he had killed.

The author has mentioned the foregoing circumstances to shew what Paganism is in its natural state, and to awaken some desire of civilizing a people who are now so accessible to us. Some philosophers of the school of Voltaire and Gibbon, have been extravagant in their eulogium of man in a state of nature, or in some other state devoid of christianity; and it is to be lamented that some Christian writers have tried of late to draw the same picture. But Paganism in its best estate, is well described by one line of the poet:

Monstrum, horrendum, informe, ingens cui LUMEN ademptum-Virg.

No quarter of the globe promises to be more auspicious to Christian missions than the Malayan Archipelago. In regard to the probable success of our endeavors, the Dutch have already shewn what is practicable. The natives are of different casts, and are a divided people. The communication is easy from island to island; our own ships are continually plying on their shores. The China fleets pass through twice or oftener every year; and with most of the islands we have intercourse by what is called in India, the country trade. And now there will be, of course, an English government established in each of the conquered islands in lieu of the Dutch.

The Mahomedans found it easy to translate the koran into the languages of Java, and of the Cele

Asiatic Researches, vol. x. p, 217.

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