Justice was originally based on this patriarchal foundation. Joint responsibility and blood-revenge prevail extensively in Malaysia, but money-payments compensate for all crimes, even for murder or privation of liberty. Penal slavery is prevalent, and slavery, slave-hunting, and slave-dealing are widespread. There are many punishments for smaller offences; as, for instance, among the Hovas criminals are compelled to wear heavy rings around the neck or to carry blocks of wood in their arms. The figure on the left (p1. 28, 3) is an example. Judicial dis putes are also often decided by duels, oaths, and ordeals. Single combats frequently occur in the wars, and the wars often arise from judicial disputes.
armies generally have champions, who, fantastically attired (p1. 21, jig. I; pl. 27, fig. 22), challenge the hostile champions to single combat. The heralds and messengers of peace are also fantasti cally adorned (151 22,fig. 17), and the warriors themselves are not less prone to excessive decoration (pl. 22, figs. 8, Io)—at least among the less civil ized peoples; among the Javanese, however, the military costume differs but little from the usual dress (p1. 21, fig. 8). The manner of warfare is less barbarous than that of Polynesia, but otherwise very much like it, stratagems and sudden attacks being frequent, and poisoned foot-traps very general. There are but few traces of cannibalism among the Malay sians, yet the accumulation of heads of the enemy is a chief object in war —nay, even private excursions are made for this very purpose; and they usually have special knives, which are used for no other service than this " head-hunting " 27, fig. i6).
Character of the present in one view the character of the Malaysians is very difficult on account of the different development of the single tribes; we therefore give some general traits. They possess a sort of good-nature which easily drifts into indolence and laziness. At the same time, they are vain, ambitions, easily offended, and when offended very revengeful. Their great capability of dissimulation tends to turn their anger into malice and their avarice into craftiness and fraud. When uncor rupted, they are faithful and honest among themselves. On the whole, they are cheerful, and are not lacking in valor, and even chivalry, which impels them to the " noble passion " of piracy. In spite of their modera tion, they are very passionate; they easily get into a sort of madness, in which they run about and destroy or slay all they meet. This is called " running amuck." The barbarous Malaysians are merry, open-hearted, and talkative; but wherever a higher civilization is attained, honesty is first lost, often also temperance; dissimulation, craft, and shrewdness increase; gambling becomes common, and passion hides itself beneath apparent calm and outward earnestness.
Relic ions is now the prevailing religion in Malaysia; it has nearly expelled Brahmanism and Buddhism from the 'islands. Christianity prevails only on the Philippines. The religion varies with the locality, and even where it preserves its original form it is mixed with Indian and Mohammedan elements. Originally the Malay sians believed iu one god, who dwelt in the sun or heavens, and from whom all other gods (generally personifications of the powers of nature), the universe, and mankind have proceeded; sacrifice or direct worship was not offered him. Next to these gods, who were graded down to elf-like element ary spirits, were the guardian spirits (to which foreign names, deva,djin, etc.,
have been transferred), who were originally considered friendly, but later, because they prepared the soul for heavenly life by devouring it, were held to be hostile. These latter had Hermes-like figures, with gnashing teeth (pl. 27, fig. 24) or projecting tongue (p1. 22, fig. 22), and were placed by the wayside or on village boundaries. The Malaysians venerated and feared the spirits or souls of their ancestors, which were not assigned so much power as in Polynesia, although they were much feared.
Superstitions.—In the room of a dying person they hang up a piece of cloth or an artistically-decorated leaf (p1. 27, fig. 20, believing that the departing soul will leave the room on it; the cloth or leaf is then carefully destroyed, because divine beings can walk only on paths that they have already used, and so the room remains secure for the use of the people. From this it follows that the custom of the Polynesian taboo prevails in Malaysia, as, indeed, it does generally, together with a mass of other superstitions. The souls live in a shadowy Beyond, in which- they receive reward or punishment. There were no priests, but many feasts were cele brated in honor of the detvas and souls (hantu), often at night with dances, etc. (pl. 22, fig. 22). For these latter sacrifices were instituted only in individual cases. Human sacrifices were frequent at the graves of the nobles, on whose death a " head-hunting " was inaugurated in order to procure servants for them in the Hereafter.
corpses were disposed of in various ways. They were cremated, which probably was not everywhere due to Indian influence, and the ashes were preserved in vessels, or they were dried in smoke or left to decay on exposed (names and then burned or buried; in some places they were buried at once. Among the cultivated tribes people of rank were first exposed on a bed of state and then buried. Plate 26 (fig. 4) shows a bier from Celebes. The funeral festivities were very numer ous. Diseases are attributed to the influence of evil spirits, and are cured by magicians, who are not without power, and by women; these persons have also some knowledge of medicine. It is clear that the Malays are capable of European civilization; but if European influence has often only injured them, it is due to the manner in which the Euro peans first met them.
Malayan languages are of different degrees of development, the Tagala being the most advanced. In the forms of speech they are nearer to the Polynesian than to the Melanesian, although in the roots they betray a relationship with the latter. The construction shows a rich application and formation of elements that are not yet distinct in the Polynesian. In customs, in physical structure, and in speech all these peoples belong to one great race. At first sight the Australian languages show no relationship to the Polynesian, Malaysian, and Melanesian languages, but the grammatical structure reveals marked similarity.
It is difficult to determine the original home of this race, but it seems to have been in the neighborhood of Malacca and Sumatra. Thence the Polynesians may have first migrated; next, the Melanesians; later on, the Australians; while the Malays proper remained nearest their original home. Only at a time comparatively recent did the Malagassies migrate to their present location.