ltan boasts possession I conceive to be an
imaginary and not an existent plant. The late respected Sir W. Jones, in
his Botanical Observations printed in the Asiatic Researches Volume 4
suspects that by it must be meant the Kaempferia bhuchampac, a plant
entirely different from the michelia; but as this supposition is built on
a mere resemblance of sounds it is necessary to state that the Malayan
term is champaka biru, and that nothing can be inferred from the
accidental coincidence of the Sanskrit word bhu, signifying ground, with
the English term for the blue colour.

(*Footnote. See a beautiful engraving of one of these coins preserved in
the Bodleian collection, Oxford, prefixed to Dr. Vincent's Translation of
the Voyage of Nearchus printed in 1809.)

CEREMONIES.

With the ceremonies of the court we are very imperfectly acquainted. The
royal salute is one gun; which may be considered as a refinement in
ceremony; for as no additional number could be supposed to convey an
adequate idea of respect, but must on the contrary establish a definite
proportion between his dignity and that of his nobles, or of other
princes, the sultan chooses to leave the measure of his importance
indefinite by this policy and save his gunpowder. It must be observed
that the Malays are in general extremely fond of the parade of firing
guns, which they never neglect on high days, and on the appearance of the
new moon, particularly that which marks the commencement and the
conclusion of their puasa or annual fast. Yellow being esteemed, as in
China, the royal colour, is said to be constantly and exclusively worn by
the sultan and his household. His usual present on sending an embassy
(for no Sumatran or other oriental has an idea of making a formal address
on any occasion without a present in hand, be it never so trifling), is a
pair of white horses; being emblematic of the purity of his character and
intentions.

CONVERSION TO MAHOMETAN RELIGION.

The immediate subjects of this empire, properly denominated Malays, are
all of the Mahometan religion, and in that respect distinguished from the
generality of inland inhabitants. How it has happened that the most
central people of the island should have become the most perfectly
converted is difficult to account for unless we suppose that its
political importance and the richness of its gold trade might have drawn
thither its pious instructors, from temporal as well as spiritual
motives. Be t