as to pray to him, for fear he should harm them.  Assuredly, if there were here men of learning, and having a sufficient knowledge of their language to instruct them, many of these ignorant people might be drawn over to the true Christian faith, and civilized; for many with whom I have conversed upon Christian laws have liked all very well, except the prohibition of a plurality of wives, as they are all very lascivious, both men and women.

The better sort of the Javanese, who are in authority, are great takers of bribes; and all of them are bad payers when trusted, although their laws for debt are so strict, that the creditor may take his debtor, wives, children, slaves, and all that he hath, and sell them in satisfaction of the debt.  They are all much given to stealing, from the highest to the lowest; and surely they were, in times past, canibals or man-eaters, before they had trade with the Chinese, which some say is not above a hundred years ago.  They delight much in indolent ease and in music, and for the most part spend the day sitting cross-legged like tailors, cutting a piece of stick, by which many of them become good carvers, and carve their criss handles very neatly; which is all the work that most of them perform.  They are great eaters; but the gentry allow nothing to their slaves except rice sodden in water, with some roots and herbs.  They have also an herb called betel, which they carry with them wherever they go; in boxes, or wrapped up in a cloth like a sugar-loaf; and also a nut called pinang,[123] which are both very hot-tasted, and which they chew continually to warm them within, and to keep away the flux.  They also use much tobacco, and take opium.  The Javanese are a very dull and blockish people, very unfit for managing the affairs of a commonwealth, so that all strangers who come to their land get beyond them; and many who come here to dwell from the country of Clyn, grow very rich, and rise to high offices, as the sabander, laytamongon, and others.  The Chinese especially, who live crouching under them like Jews, rob them of their wealth, and send it to China.

[Footnote 123:  Probably that called areka on the continent of India; the areka and betel being chewed together, along with powdered chunam, or shell-lime.—­E.]

The Chinese are very crafty in trade, using every conceivable art to cheat and deceive.  They have no pride in them, neither will they refuse any labour, except they turn Javans, when they have committed murder or some other villainy, when they become every whit as proud and lazy as a Javan.[124] They follow several different sects of religion, but are mostly atheists; many of them believing, that if they lead good lives, they will be born again to great riches, and be made governors; whereas those who lead bad lives will be changed to some vile animal, as a frog or toad.  They burn sacrifices every new moon, mumbling over certain prayers in a kind of chanting voice, tingling