he is suspended
by the heels and flogged as far as nature can bear short of death,
and the punishment repeated _ad libitum_.

Prisoners taken from an enemy, whether found in arms or not, are made
slaves of, or suffer death, at the option of the captor.

The Malay government is said to exhibit the feudal system in its most
perfect form. The chief, or rajah, issues his orders to the Pangerans,
or princes of the blood; to the Datus, or nobles of royal descent;
or to the Orang Kayas, or wealthy vassals. All these obey and follow
him to war, free of expense, when the king is sufficiently powerful
to enforce it; but whenever the vassal feels himself strong enough
to throw off the yoke, and to assert his independence, he sets up for
himself. These vassals exact the same obedience from their slaves or
villains, who pay the like deference only so long as they are compelled
to observe and obey them. The property acquired by a slave he is often
allowed to enjoy unmolested during his lifetime; but at his death, his
master administers to the estate as heir, executor, and sole legatee.

In fact, it is a government that inspires on all sides one universal
distrust--that rules by precedents of oppression without a view
to protection. The chiefs dread the power of their vassals, who,
in return, apprehend everything from the rapacity of the governing
power; while the bulk of the people, having no property to lose, are
still compelled to appear abroad armed to defend their very persons
from the outrage and violence of the next assassin they meet.

Where governments not only tolerate murder, rapine, thefts, piracies,
conflagrations, with every outrage violating the happiness and safety
of society, but are the first to set the example and to consecrate the
atrocity--where the people are taught no one principle of morality
or religion--where the arts and sciences are wholly unknown or
despised--where the amusements and sociabilities of human life are
totally disregarded--where the bounties and comforts of nature are
rather dispensed with than enjoyed, and where the absolute necessaries
to existence and the decorations of life are more scanty and wretched
than yet discovered among the rudest set of barbarians extant; if,
from the experience of the past, expectations of the future are to be
formed, we may safely infer that every vestige of Malay government
and dominion will be ingulfed in the vortex of self and mutual
destruction. Such a s