The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-08-11

HE NEvERsDRINKs, hut HE GAM
BLEs AND LIKES COCK FIGHTING.
A strange Disease. said TO BE the Re-
suit of Heredity-A Look Sufficient
to Destroy VIII Power.

A@f"f
the Malay as he is:
The real Malay Is a short, ~thick-set, we'll
built man, with straight. black hair, a dark
brown complexion. thick nose and lips, and
bright, intelligent eyes. His disposition is
generally kindly. his manners are polite and
easy. Never cringing. he is reserved with
strangers and suspicious. though he does
not show IL. He is courageous and trust
worthy in the discharge OF an undertaking.;
but he is extravagant. fond OF borrowing
money and very slow in repaying IT, He Is
a good talker. speaks in parallels. quotes
proverbs and wise saws, has a strong sense
Of humor. and is very fond OF a good Joke.
He takes an interest in the affairs of his
neighbors and Is consequently a gossip.
He is a Mohammedan and a ~fatalist, but he
IS also very superstitious. He never drinks
intoxicants: he Is rarely an opium smoker.
He is fond Of gambling, cock fighting and
kindred sports. He is by nature a sports
man, catches and tames elephants, Is a
skilful fisherman and thoroughly at home
IN a boat Above all things he is conserva-
tive TO a degree. is proud and fond Of his
country and his people. fears his rajahs.
and has a proper respect for constituted
suthority-while he looks askance on all
innovations, and will resist their sudden in
PRODUCTION. But if he has time to examine
them carefully, and they are not thrust
upon him, he is willing TO be convinced of
their advantage. At the same time. he is a
good initiative learner. and, when he has
energy ana ambition enough for the task.
lazy 10 a degree, Is without method or or
der OF any kind. knows no regularity. even
time as of no Importance. His house is mn
toy. even dirty, but he bathes twice a day.
and IS very fond of personal adornment in
"A Malay is intoierant Of insult or slight;
Wiped S out in Blood shat To g. him him s should be
a real or fancied stain on his bonor vsel
he is possessed by the desire for revenge
u ne cannot wreak ii on the offender. he
VII strike out at the first human being
Old or young 1t is this state of blind
fury. this vision OF blood. that produces
called treacherous- I question whether he
deserves the reproach more than other
men He is courteous and expects court
esy In return. and he understands only
one method OF avenging personal insults.
The haly boy is a creature OF wonderful
cherub. When he reaches sixteen ba e eiyea
over a decade to sewing wild oats; after
.nat usually comes reformation and that
good, ola, gentlemanly vice Of average.
THEIR DOMESTIC LIFE.
The Malay sirl-child is not usually so at
tractive in appearance as the boy. and less
consideration is shown her. She runs wild
tai the time comes for investing her in a
garment, hat Is to say, when she is about
five year old. From then she Is taught to
help in the house and kitchen, to sew, TO
read and write, perhaps to work In the
"padf' field. but she is kept out OF the
way OF all strange mankind When fifteen
or sixteen she Is often almost interesting;
very shy. very fond of pretty clothes. and
not u-ncommonly much fairer
In complexion than the Malay man, with
small hands and feet, a happy, smiling
face. good teeth and w0pdorful auaa md
eyes of the little Malay boy.
The Malay girl is proud of a wealth OF
straight, black hair, of a spotless olive
complexion, OF the arch of her brow. like
a one-day-old moon," OF the curl OF her
eyelashes and Of the dimples in her cheek
Unmarried girls are taught to avoid all
men except those nearly related to them.
Until marriage it is considered unmaidenly
for them to raise their eyes or take any
part or interest in their surroundings
when men are present: This leads to an
Affection of modesty. which. however over
strained, deceives nobody.
A Malay is allowed by law to have four
wives. to divorce them and TO replace them.
II he is we'll off and can afford so much
luxury he usually takes advantage of the
power to marry more than one wife. to dt-
vorce and secure SUCCESSORS; but he seldom
undertakes the responsibility of four wives
at one time. The woman on her part can,
and often does. obtain a divorce from her
husband. Written conditions of marriage,
settlements" OF a kind, are common Wit
people in the upper classes, and the law
PROVIDES IOr the CUSTODY OF cllldreQ, 01V1S-
Ion OF property, and so on. The ancient,
maiden lady is an unknown quantity, so
Is the Malay public woman; and, as there
t = no s sUsie slm ossp 1af.r sde people Thers sea sra nv ps
drunken husbands. no hobnail boots, and no
screaming viragos-beeause a word would
mania and brain softening are extremely
rare.
The Malay has ideas on the subject Of
marriage, ideas born of his infinite exper-
fence. He has even scared into regions Of
matrimonial philosophy. and returned with
such crumbs of lore as never fall TO the
poor moncgamist. His reason is this: He
says certainly not TO a stranger. rarely
even to his Malay friends: but to HIMSELF:
best. have no fear that she will wish to
90 further afleld." All Malay girls marry
Ss :of ons fne known sS one HUSBAND sbba a. however mVleSe ~ at,
tTactive he may be, will come sooner or
later to the conviction that life with an
ences not found In the society OF the first
man to whom destiny and her relatives
have chosen 10 unite her. Thus some fool
persusdes her that in his worship and pas
sion she will find the worlds desire. and 1t
IS only after perhaps a long and varied ex-
started for a voyage on the ocean, she
finds herself seated at the bottom of a
dark we'll. 1t is possible that thus she be-
comes acquainted with truth
A STRANGE DISEASE.
Very interesting Is Mr.. Swettenham's ac-
count of that strange hypnotic disease
which prevails in Malaga and of which lit
tie has been written. A strange and un-
canny influence. this 'latah." besides which
the experiments In suggestion of Luys and
Lharcot are applicable and simple. The au-
thor writes:
Among Malays there is a well-known dis
ease Il use the word for want of a better)
called latah: IL Is far more common at GER
tain places than at others, and among GER
tain divisions OF the great Malay family.
Heredity is probably accountable
for the result. whatever may have been the
original cause to produce the afiiction in
certain places more than in others. i can
only speak of my own experience and what
j have personally seen. for no English au-
thority appears 70 have studied the matter
or attempted to either observe "latah' peo-
pie. diagnose the disease Of IL is one).
search for it's cause or attempt 10 cure 1t. /
can vouch for the facts. but nothing more.
g. 49, / was seAt In III. NJ. s. Hart 70 re-
size WITH the sultan OF seIangor- Though
his Highnesss personal record was one of
which he might be proud. for he was said
20 have killed ninety-nine men with his own
hand. his state was not altogether a happy
one. for il had been the lighting ground of
several ambitious young rajahs for some
years. An unusually. hideous piracy. per-
sonally conducted by one OF the Sultan's