Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-06

the close of last year in the neighborhood
of 10000 acres of rubber trees had peen
planted. There are now something like
twenty million such trees on the various
farms, and tens of thousands will be set
out this year. The forests are being ex-
plotted, mines opened and the country
prospected for tin, silver and gold. From
one state alone as much as eighty million
dollars worth of tin has been taken, and
in all something like twelve thousand
ounces of gold are mined every year. In
addition they are finding lead. iron and
copper. as we'll as mercury, bismuth, sill
yer and zinc. The country is said to De
very rich, but no one knows yet what 1t
contains, although a rude sort of mining
has been going on for ages. the Maiays
are noted for their work in precious
metals and the sultans of the past had
goldsmiths and carvers of silver. ivory
and wood Some of them demanded gold
and silver trees and flowers as part OF
their annual tribute, and the Malay
spears and krises inlaid with gold nave
always been noted.
But before l go further let me tell you
something about the Malays as they
live here in their own home on the tip
end of Asia. They are the nrst cousins
of our Filipinos, and belong to the race
which has overrun the Dutch East Indies.
There arc something like twenty-five mil
lions of them in Java. large number
in Borneo. and millions in the Philippine
Islands. The natives here are better
looking than the Moros. but they have
the same brown skin, the same sturdy
form and staggering ways They are
clean limbed, well made and by no means
bad looking.
Down here at the straits they dress in a
bag-like skirt known as the sarong.
above which is a jacket which falls to
their hips. The sarong reaches from the
waist to the calf, it is a gay-fgured calico
bag, often of plaid. which is open at both
top and bottom. and is of the same width
throughout. When the Malay puts on his
clothes he steps into his bag, raises Its
top to his waist and by twist of the
wrist fastens 1t there in a knot. Under
the bag he may wear calico drawers or If
poor he may be naked. The rich wear
pantaloons of bright colors or white
duck, but the Sarong is always over the
rest of their clothing 1t seems TO be the
badge OF the race. as are also the hand
kerchief turban and sandals or slippers.
x
Here at the Straits of Malacca the
Malays have been contaminated by for
eigners. The Europeans have taught
them to drink and through the Chinese
they have become opium smokers. They
are not so good consequently as the peo-
pie of the wilds. They are naturally lazy
and have become the loafers of this part
of the world. Some of them act as
coachmen for the rich Chinese or Euro
peans. Others do light work about the
towns. and a few live in villages scat
tered over the islands. laboring only
enough TO keep soul and body together.
Now and then one meets "a rich Malay
from the mainland, the son of an official
perhaps of sultan. but as rule the
MaIays of the straits shiftless and
poor and they grow worse off every
year.
II one would see the race at Its best.
he should go to the peninsula and travel
through the British states. There are
other provinces belonging to Siam and