Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-11-21

which we have no name in English, sltg-
gest and few resemble faro, lottery,
roulette, odd and even, G0minoes and dice.
Many of them have learned the American
national game and draw and bluff with
the sang troid of a Moyrissey or a Ran
som, In the nome life they have made in
the new world the Malays are industri-
Gus, atfectionate and domestic. When
they marry they pick out IL possible
German woman. next to her daughter
Of Erin. then lady OF color, and last OF
all an American. Why they prefer this
order has never been ascertained. Mix
de la Cruz is married to German widow
who speaks but little English, and he
speaks even less German. When asked
why he married her he said: "German
women are not pretty, but they never get
drunk; they don't fight; they work hard;
they're good housekeepers, and they have
lots of children" When married they
herd together the same as when single.
A typical boarding house in "Baxtef
street Bend' is a compartment ON the
ground floor about Ia feet wide by 20 long,
broken up by partitions into six rooms.
Ot these the front room IL the Office and
store. The next, "a compartment II by 20
feet, is the living aud sleeping place of
the boarders, who vary from one to
twenty in number. In the third sleep
Nix, his wife and smaller children, in the
fourth his larger children. The fifth ia
dining room and kitchen comblued. The
sixth and last is the storeroom. Such a
place costs from $3A 30 $40 month rent
and nets its proprietor about $4,000 per
annum.
The Malays have been taught SO many
religions that they may be truthfully said
to have none, Missionaries and zealots
from the Buddhist, Mohammedan, Roman
Catholic and Confucian faiths are found
in every town and hamlet OF Malaysia.
They outnumber Protestant missionaries
ten to one. Unlike the latter, they adapt
themselves to their surroundings and be-
come integral units OF the community.
They teach persistently. AS a result the
Malay faith as seen In New York is q
vague mixture OF all the religions named.
curious exemplification OF the persis-
tence OF religious systems is found In the
tact that nearly all believe In the old
Javanese god, Roma, who seems to be
survival OF the Sanskrit deity, Rama,
whose life ard adVentur form the theme
OF the great epic the Ramaysna. The
Roma worship is seen here aud there in
amulets and little metal or wooden
etatues carried by Malays about their
person. IL appears living fact on Roma
day, which is often but incorrectly called
the Malay Christmas. 1t occurs toward
December, and appears to be determined
by the last new moon of the Oriental year.
The ceremonies of the day are similar to
those related OF all the dead religions. In
the morning fasting and prayer are
observed by the devout. Symbolical gifts
are carried to the church that has been
designated for the day. These include
tiny cups OF tea, coffee, arrack and orange
wine, saucers OF sliced roast mutton, pork,
beef chicken and duck, and dimnutive
baskets of fruits, sweetmeats and cakes
OF all kinds. The altar is a small square
table draped in black cloth 30 as to
resemble a cube of black porphyry. On
the cloth are fastened pieces OF gold,
silver and scarlet tinsei cut int grotesque
shapes that suggest the Hlndustani,
Arabic and Chinese alphabets. Upon the
table is a statue of Roma. 1t seems to be
ebony, but it is so old and has been
handled by so many generations of
wOrshipers that IL resembles carved and
polished bituminous coal. The image, or
what remains of it, is that of a powerful
young man sitting cross-legged and hold
ing in his clenched band q strangled
snake with immense folds.