The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1882-04-29
l. A Il $ A NJ A N A;
The GREAT HERO Of the MALAYS.
a Ro
BY WALTER MURRAY GIBSON.
INTRoDUCTIoS.

ANAAobtfAAAH-
In the year 1873. whilst publishing a small BIZ
hngual sheet. the NuAOu. in the English and Ha-
waiian languages, 1 was urged by Hawaiian
friends to write a story about my experience il
Malaysia, aud illustrative Of Malay manners and
customs. I published some incidents Of travel
IN the Island Of Sumatra, and as 1 introduced
some fragments Of the Legendary stories OF the
Malays, especially in relation TO the renowned
hero Laksamana, Of Malay romance, l was
pressed and tempted to expand this subject,
drawing on my Imagination, as well as on the
traditions of the Malays and Javanese TO which
/ had listened, and the result was that the story
Of "Laksamana" was continued in the .NihOu in
the Hawaiian language. in a succession of week
~ issues for a space OF six months, and yet when
the Nrhou had terminated its career, the story
like those OF ScheheZerade, was left unfinished.
When the editor Of the -HEhOu, and author of
Laksamana, commenced the publication Of The
EIsLs Poakolu in 1880, the Hawaiians very gen.
orally expressed a wish that the story of Laksa-
mana should be continued for the memory of the
interest that it had awakened in 1873 had not
abated in Hawaiian minds. and the author re-
sumed the story in the EIsie, publishing a revised
edition Of the -NShou series of Laksamana le-
gends.
This is a story based upon legends, designed
for the entertainment of young and unsOphisti-
Gated minds. II Is a romance Of the mythic age
of Malaysia and originating in the poetic irven-
ton Of Asia. Laksamana, the brother Of the
demi-god Rama, Is n hero of the great HindOo
poem the 'Ramayana,'' and in "A later age ap-
pears in the Jayanese epic, the "Bratayuda."
The mythic Prince of the Indian epopee has Civ
en- the name that is so prominent in Malay story.
but there was, according to widespread tradition,
an actual Malay hero to whom was given the
name Of Laksamana, as a title, as certain poten-
tates Of Europe are styled Demonstrating their
title from the name of the great Roman who
founded Imperialism. Laksamana has long been
u naval title in Malaysia, being the titular desig-
nation Of an admiral, or commander of a feet of
war Prahus.
Laksamana the hero is frequently mentioned
in Malay song and story at this day, and he APP
pears sometimes q mythic hero working wonders
and sometimes a historic parsonage and the hero
of Malay achievements. There is no written his
tory, or series of stories, recording in any col
lective form, the myths or the achievements,
and the author of this story, designed for the in
struction and entertainment of native Hawaiians
has had ne assistance in the preparation of the
romance but the memory of fragmentary legends
narrated TO him whilst he languished in the Pris-
on of weltevreden, on the island of Java, and
which he arranged into this Hawaiian kaaO, or
romantic tale, during days of peaceful toll on the
island Of Lanai.
This story is now presented to the English
reading public, through the columns of the AD-
vERTIsEE, not on account of any presumed liter
airy merit, but because ii has been thought by
many friends of the author that it would be in
t~erestirg to those desiring the welfare of the
Hawaiian People, to know what kind of litera-
ture captivated their attention, and at the same
time it was thought that the romance OF Laksa-
mana, would at least interest the juvenile, if not
the more matured readers of the ADVERTISER
WALTER MURRAY GIBSON.
HALEAsIASI. April %, 1892.