of manners in other respects, and the
dissimilarity of natural and local circumstances. But perhaps I am
superfluously investigating minute and partial causes of an effect which
one general one may be thought sufficient to produce. Under the frigid,
and more especially the torrid zone, the inhabitants will naturally
preserve an uninterrupted similarity and consistency of manners, from the
uniform influence of their climate. In the temperate zones, where this
influence is equivocal, the manners will be fluctuating, and dependent
rather on moral than physical causes.

DIFFERENCE IN CHARACTER BETWEEN THE MALAYS AND OTHER SUMATRANS.

The Malays and the other native Sumatrans differ more in the features of
their mind than in those of their person. Although we know not that this
island, in the revolutions of human grandeur, ever made a distinguished
figure in the history of the world (for the Achinese, though powerful in
the sixteenth century, were very low in point of civilization) yet the
Malay inhabitants have an appearance of degeneracy, and this renders
their character totally different from that which we conceive of a
savage, however justly their ferocious spirit of plunder on the eastern
coast may have drawn upon them that name. They seem rather to be sinking
into obscurity, though with opportunities of improvement, than emerging
from thence to a state of civil or political importance. They retain a
strong share of pride, but not of that laudable kind which restrains men
from the commission of mean and fraudulent actions. They possess much low
cunning and plausible duplicity, and know how to dissemble the strongest
passions and most inveterate antipathy beneath the utmost composure of
features till the opportunity of gratifying their resentment offers.
Veracity, gratitude, and integrity are not to be found in the list of
their virtues, and their minds are almost strangers to the sentiments of
honour and infamy. They are jealous and vindictive. Their courage is
desultory, the effect of a momentary enthusiasm which enables them to
perform deeds of incredible desperation; but they are strangers to that
steady magnanimity, that cool heroic resolution in battle, which
constitutes in our idea the perfection of this quality, and renders it a
virtue.* Yet it must be observed that, from an apathy almost paradoxical,
they suffer under sentence of death, in cases where no indignant passions
could operate to buoy up the mind to a