The Face Is Nearly Destitute
Of Beard, And The Breast And Limbs Are Free From Hair.
The
stature is tolerably equal, and is always considerably below that
of the average European; the body is robust, the breast well
developed, the feet small, thick, and short, the hands small and
rather delicate.
The face is a little broad, and inclined to be
flat; the forehead is rather rounded, the brows low, the eyes
black and very slightly oblique; the nose is rather small, not
prominent, but straight and well-shaped, the apex a little
rounded, the nostrils broad and slightly exposed; the cheek-bones
are rather prominent, the mouth large, the lips broad and well
cut, but not protruding, the chin round and well-formed.
In this description there seems little to object to on the score
of beauty, and yet on the whole the Malays are certainly not
handsome. In youth, however, they are often very good-looking,
and many of the boys and girls up to twelve or fifteen years of
age are very pleasing, and some have countenances which are in
their way almost perfect. I am inclined to think they lose much
of their good looks by bad habits and irregular living. At a very
early age. they chew betel and tobacco almost incessantly; they
suffer much want and exposure in their fishing and other
excursions; their lives are often passed in alternate starvation
and feasting, idleness and excessive labour, - and this naturally
produces premature old age and harshness of features.
In character the Malay is impassive. He exhibits a reserve,
diffidence, and even bashfulness, which is in some degree
attractive, and leads the observer to thinly that the ferocious
and bloodthirsty character imputed to the race must be grossly
exaggerated. He is not demonstrative. His feelings of surprise,
admiration, or fear, are never openly manifested, and are
probably not strongly felt. He is slow and deliberate in speech,
and circuitous in introducing the subject he has come expressly
to discuss. These are the main features of his moral nature, and
exhibit themselves in every action of his life.
Children and women are timid, and scream and run at the
unexpected sight of a European. In the company of men they are
silent, and are generally quiet and obedient. When alone the
Malay is taciturn; he neither talks nor sings to himself. When
several are paddling in a canoe, they occasionally chant a
monotonous and plaintive song. He is cautious of giving offence
to his equals. He does not quarrel easily about money matters;
dislikes asking too frequently even for payment of his just
debts, and will often give them up altogether rather than quarrel
with his debtor. Practical joking is utterly repugnant to his
disposition; for he is particularly sensitive to breaches of
etiquette, or any interference with the personal liberty of
himself or another. As an example, I may mention that I have
often found it very difficult to get one Malay servant to waken
another.
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