In the Island of Ceylon, _cock-fighting_ is carried to a great height. The Sumatrans are addicted to the use of dice. A strong spirit of play characterises a Malayan. After having resigned everything to the good fortune of the winner, he is reduced to a horrid state of desperation; he then loosens a certain lock of hair, which indicates war and destruction to all whom the raving gamester meets. He intoxicates himself with opium; and working himself into a fit of frenzy, he bites or kills every one who comes in his way. But as soon as this lock is seen flowing, it is _lawful_ to fire at the person and to destroy him as fast as possible. This custom is what is called "To run a muck." Thus Dryden writes-- "Frontless and satire-proof, he scours the streets, And _runs_ an Indian _muck_ at all he meets." Thus also Pope-- "Satire's my weapon, but =I'm= too discreet To _run a muck_, and tilt at all I meet." Johnson could not discover the derivation of the word _muck_. To "run a muck" is an old phrase for attacking madly and indiscriminately; and has since been ascertained to be a Malay word. To discharge their gambling debts, the Siamese sell their possessions, their families, and at length themselves. The Chinese play _night_ and _day_, till they have lost all they are worth; and then they usually go and hang themselves. Such is the propensity of the Javanese for high play, that they were compelled to make a law, that "Whoever ventures his money at play shall be put to death." In the newly-discovered islands of the Pacific Ocean, they venture even their hatchets, which they hold as invaluable acquisitions, on running-matches.--"We saw a man," says Cook, "beating his breast and tearing his hair in the violence of rage, for having lost three hatchets at one of these races, and which he had purchased with nearly half his property." The ancient nations were not less addicted to gaming: Persians, Grecians, and Romans; the Goths, and Germans. To notice the modern ones were a melancholy task: there is hardly a family in Europe which cannot record, from their own domestic annals, the dreadful prevalence of this passion. _Gamester_ and _cheater_ were synonymous terms in the time of Shakspeare and Jonson: they have hardly lost much of their double signification in the present day. The following is a curious picture of a gambling-house, from a contemporary account, and appears to be an establishment more systematic even than the "Hells" of the present day. "A list of the officers established in the most notorious gaming-houses," from the DAILY JOURNAL, Jan. 9th, 1731. 1st. A COMMISSIONER, always a proprietor, who looks in of a night; and the week's account is audited by him and two other proprietors. 2nd. A DIRECTOR, who superintends the room. 3rd. An OPERATOR, who deals the cards at a cheating game, called Faro. 4th. Two CROWPEES, who watch the cards, and gather the money for the hank.