the most southerly part of the great peninsula beyond the Ganges, is about 600 miles in length, and contains a kingdom of the same name. It is bounded by the kingdom of Siam on the north; by the bay of Siam and the Indian ocean on the east; and by the straits of Malacca, which separate it from the island of Sumatra, on the south-west. This country is more to the south than any other in the East Indies; and comprehends the towns and kingdoms of Patan, Pahan, Ighor, Pera, Queda, Borkelon, Ligor; and to the north the town and kingdom of Tanassery, where the Portuguese formerly carried on a great trade. This last either does or did belong to the king of Siam. The people of Malacca are in general subject to the Dutch, who possess all the strong places on the coast, and compel them to trade on their own terms, excluding all other nations of Europe from having any commerce with the natives.

The Malays are governed by feudal laws. A chief, who has the title of king or sultan, infuses his commands to his great vassals, who have other vassals in subjection to them in a similar manner. A small part of the nation live independent, under the title of orangcai or noble,

(A) The awkwardness of this title has induced many collectors to dispose of their first volume, as thinking it imperfected by the second edition: but this is by no means the case; the volume of 1719 being equally necessary to complete the set as that of 1733, which is a revision of all the former volumes. The whole work, when properly bound, consists, ad libitum, either of five volumes or of nine. ble, and fell their services to those who pay them best; while the body of the nation is composed of slaves, and live in perpetual servitude.

The generality of these people are rifles, fond of navigation, war, plunder, emigration, colonies, desperate enterprises, adventures, and gallantry. They talk incessantly of their honour and their bravery; whilst they are universally considered by those with whom they have intercourse, as the most treacherous, ferocious people on earth. This ferocity, which the Malays qualify under the name of courage, is so well known to the European companies who have settlements in the Indies, that they have universally agreed in prohibiting the captains of their ships who may put into the Malay islands, from taking on board any seamen from that nation, except in the greatest distress, and then on no account to exceed two or three. It is not in the least uncommon for a handful of these horrid savages suddenly to embark, attack a vessel by surprise, massacre the people, and make themselves masters of her. Malay batteaux, with 24 or 30 men, have been known to board European ships of 30 or 40 guns, in order to take possession of them, and murder with their poniards great part of the crew. Those who are not slaves go always armed: they would think themselves disgraced if they went abroad without their poniards, which they call cri. As their lives are a perpetual round of agitation and tumult, they cannot endure the long flowing garments in use among the other Asiatics. Their habits are exactly adapted to their shapes, and loaded with a multitude of buttons, which fallen them close to their bodies.

The country possessed by the Malays is in general very fertile. It abounds with odoriferous woods, such as the aloes, the sandal, and cassia. The ground is covered with flowers of the greatest fragrance, of which there is a perpetual succession throughout the year. There are abundance of mines of the most precious metals, said to be richer even than those of Brazil or Peru, and in some places are mines of diamonds. The sea also abounds with excellent fish, together with ambergris, pearls, and those delicate birds-nests so much in request in China, formed in the rocks with the spawn of fishes and the foam of the sea, by a species of small-sized swallow peculiar to those seas. These are of such an exquisite flavour, that the Chinese for a long time purchased them for their weight in gold, and still buy them at an excessive price. See Birds-Nest.

Notwithstanding all this plenty, however, the Malays are miserable. The culture of the lands, abandoned to slaves, is fallen into contempt. These wretched labourers, dragged incessantly from their rustic employments by their rifles masters, who delight in war and maritime enterprises, have never time or resolution to give the necessary attention to the labouring of their grounds; of consequence the lands for the most part are uncultivated, and produce no kind of grain for the subsistence of the inhabitants. The sago tree indeed supplies in part the defect of grain. It is a species of the palm tree, which grows naturally in the woods to the height of about 20 or 30 feet; its circumference being sometimes from five to six. Its ligneous bark is about an inch in thickness, and covers a multitude of long fibres, which being interwoven one with another envelope a mass of a gummy kind of meal. As soon as this tree is ripe, a whitish dust, which transpires through the pores of the leaves, and adheres to their extremities, indicates that the trees are in a state of maturity. The Malays then cut them down near the root, and divide them into several sections, which they split into quarters: they then scoop out the mass of mealy substance, which is enveloped by and adheres to the fibres; they dilute it in pure water, and then pass it through a straining bag of fine cloth, in order to separate it from the fibres. When this paste has lost part of its moisture by evaporation, the Malays throw it into a kind of earthen vessel of different shapes, where they allow it to dry and harden. This paste is wholesome nourishing food, and preserves for many years.

the capital of the country of the same name, is situated in a flat country close to the sea. The walls and fortifications are founded on a solid rock, and are carried up to a great height; the lower part of them is washed by the sea at every tide, and on the landside is a wide canal or ditch, cut from the sea to the river, which makes it an island. In 1641 it was taken from the Portuguese by the Dutch, since which time it has continued in their possession. In this city there are a great many broad streets; but they are very badly paved. The houses are tolerably well built, and some of them have gardens behind or on one side. The inhabitants consist of a few Dutch, many Malays, Moors, Chinese, and other Indians, who are kept in awe by a fortrefs, which is separated from the city by a river, and by good walls and battlements, as well as by strong gates, and a drawbridge that is on the eastern side. The city is well situated for trade and navigation. E. Long. 102. 2. N. Lat. 2. 12.