eatises in his learned Introduction to the Malayan Vocabulary of
Gueynier, printed at Batavia in the year 1677; and extracts to the same
effect were afterwards given by Valentyn in Volume 5 pages 316 to 320 of
his elaborate work, published at Amsterdam in 1726. The books are
likewise mentioned in a list of Malayan Authors by G.H. Werndly, at the
end of his Maleische Spraak-kunst, and by the ingenious Dr. Leyden in his
Paper on the Languages and Literature of the Indo-Chinese Nations,
recently published in Volume 10 of the Asiatic Researches. The substance
of the information conveyed by them is as follows; and I trust it will
not be thought that the mixture of a portion of mythological fable in
accounts of this nature invalidates what might otherwise have credit as
historical fact. The utmost indeed we can pretend to ascertain is what
the natives themselves believe to have been their ancient history; and it
is proper to remark that in the present question there can be no
suspicion of bias from national vanity, as we have reason to presume that
the authors of these books were not Sumatrans.

The original country inhabited by the Malayan race (according to these
authorities) was the kingdom of Palembang in the island of Indalus, now
Sumatra, on the river Malayo, which flows by the mountain named
Maha-meru, and discharges itself into the river Tatang (on which
Palembang stands) before it joins the sea. Having chosen for their king
or leader a prince named Sri Turi Buwana, who boasted his descent from
Iskander the Great, and to whom, on that account, their natural chief
Demang Lebar Daun submitted his authority, they emigrated, under his
command (about the year 1160), to the south-eastern extremity of the
opposite peninsula, named Ujong Tanah, where they were at first
distinguished by the appellation of orang de-bawah angin or the Leeward
people, but in time the coast became generally known by that of Tanah
malayo or the Malayan land.

SINGAPURA BUILT.

In this situation they built their first city, which they called
Singapura (vulgarly Sincapore), and their rising consequence excited the
jealousy of the kings of Maja-pahit, a powerful state in the island of
Java. To Sri Turi Buwana, who died in 1208, succeeded Paduka Pikaram
Wira, who reigned fifteen years; to him Sri Rama Vikaram, who reigned
thirteen, and to him Sri Maharaja, who reigned twelve.

MALAKA BUILT.

His successor, Sri Iskander Shah, was the last king of S