"Sir Andries Stockenstrom has given his Burghers leave to retire to their homes, for the purpose of planting their land. The Malay force have represented that their period of service has already expired; the Burghers in the General's division have requested the same indulgence as those under Sir Andries, and the liberated Africans will be making the same demand. On looking at these latter happy, healthy, free creatures, we cannot sufficiently rejoice at their freedom, however we may deprecate the manner in which the emancipation principle was carried out. Very different are these well-clad negroes to those who in old times formed the West India Militia, to whom their officers addressed the following words of command:--`All dem wid shoe and tocking tan in de front; all dem wid shoe and no tocking tan behind; all dem wid no shoe and no tocking tan in de middle!' "A few nights since, the Malays held a meeting to celebrate the festival of their new year. We were induced to look in at the scene of the _fete_ for a short time. The only thing worth hearing was the war-song, which, although very simple, is very inspiring, chiefly from the enthusiasm with which it is sung. The choruses present many beautiful combinations of a peculiar kind, from the circumstance of the singers being ignorant of the rules of music. The group was picturesque. A priest in white robes, in a posture between sitting and kneeling, occupied the chief place at the head of the apartment, which was a long low room, dimly lit, except above the mats whereon the singers were assembled, without their shoes. This end was garlanded with flowers and foliage, and illuminated by a not ungraceful lantern of Chinese appearance, ornamented with coloured tapers. The priest, and his two churchwardens, as they were called, were distinguished by green tufts in their turbans, and led the chant, which was taken up and chorussed by the rest with spirit. "The other part of the room was undecorated; here and there, a solitary candle on a shelf above cast a dim light on the head of some mustachioed Dutch Burgher; and, beside him, in strong contrast, was the comparatively slight English soldier. At one point, a knot of Hottentots congregated together, joining in the chorus, and, snapping their fingers, seemed ready to dance to it; while on the lap of a dark-faced nurse, slumbered a fair infant, resembling one of Chantrey's charming pieces of sculpture. "Some weeks ago, a Malay was buried near this. The grave was very deep; within it were placed a number of planks in a slanting position, forming a kind of penthouse, and within this was laid the body, sewn up in canvas cloth, and so placed as not to touch the side of the tomb. Some biscuit, a pipe, and some tobacco were left within the penthouse beside the corpse, and it was then covered in. The ceremony was closed by a party assembling round the grave, and continuing in silent prayer for two hours, at least.