The relatives of the Sultan of Linggin acted in the same way as the Bornean nobles, who really appear to be convinced that they have a right to treat the poorer natives as they please, and do not understand any other method, but Makota’s cruel nature delighted in it for its sake. He used to say, “I know that the system of government pursued in Sarawak is the right system, and that in the end we should obtain much more from them by treating them kindly; but I have been accustomed all my life to oppress them, and it affords me unmixed satisfaction to get even their cooking-pots from them;” and he chuckled over the remembrance. As the Malays increase in wealth, they are gradually taking more to the fashion of making pilgrimages to Mecca, though the sufferings they undergo in the crowded ships are almost equal to those endured in the middle passage. Some of the Arab ships are so crammed, that each pilgrim is only allowed sufficient space for a small mat on the deck, and there he remains during the whole voyage, except when he cooks his meals. One year, of the twelve who started from Sarawak on the pilgrimage, but five returned, though now it is not so fatal, as our authorities in the east are preventing the over-crowding of those vessels which leave our ports. They have a custom in Sarawak which is rather curious: to insure good hair to their girls, they throw gold dust on it, and then send the child out among the crowd, who with scissors endeavour to snip out the precious metal. It has often been noticed that the Malay language is very concise, and as a proof, I have heard the following anecdote related. I have not yet seen it in print, though it may be. An English judge was condemning a man to death for a barbarous murder, and earnestly dwelling on the dreadful nature of the crime, he lengthened his discourse to twenty minutes. Then turning to the court interpreter he told him to translate what he had said into Malay. The official looked sternly at the prisoner, and addressed him thus: “The judge says you are a very wicked man; you have committed a great crime, therefore you must be hung. Sudah (I have done),” and then quietly retired to his place, to the astonishment of the judge, who could not comprehend how his learned and affecting discourse had been so briefly translated; he could only ejaculate, “Certainly the Malay is the most epigrammatic language.”