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    HHHVM|M. _ ii M|HMaMH||N444__--4- [ i 20...

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    CHILDREN'S BOOKS. In spite of the demand...

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    Kei'pel's Visit To The Indian Arch J Pkl...

    _^^_ . _^ a , _^ _^^ _M __ | | . _^| _HMHa || | || | | a | _BM _^ _Aaa || M a serious riot . Had men interfered , weapons in all probability would have bee drawn , and blood shed . " ' The court must repeat on every occasion—must impress it on the mind c every one—that no private individual can take the law into his or her handt Justice is daily administered ; and no angry passions find their way within thes walls . The woman Si Summa has been misused , " and the public peace broken therefore the defendants are condemned to pay the usual fine of thirty reals am three sukus , or , in common parlance , thirty and three / " ¦ ' - These decisions , and there are others given in this volume , aro ex tremely interesting , as affording an accurate indication of thc amount o civilization in actual force . Turning from Law to Love let us learn wha we can of

    A WEDDING AT SARAWAK . " The bride was a niece of my old acquaintance Mina , the Datu Patinguo ' s wife thc brielegroom was young Kassan , who was residing with the Datu Randar . The event created , from the rank of the parties , a great sensation at Sarawak . "For a whole month previous to the actual ceremony , firing of cannon and display of flags , feasting aud merry-making , had been going on at the houses of thc respective parents . " The ceremony took place at Mina ' s new residence . A large square space was fitted up in one corner of the room , and handsomely elecorated : here were placed the bridal couches , the two last covered with handsome mats ; and at the head ' _ot each there \ yas a pile of pillows which nearly reached to thc ceiling . The couches were surrounded by one or two sets of curtains , ready to be let down at pleasure ; and the spaces between the latter and the couches were decorated in gorgeous style , with cloth of gold , artificial flowers , anel numerous other ornaments . " Chairs ( an unsightly innovation ) were placed in the centre of the room for the Europeans , on which we had to wait a considerable time . Gradually the room began to fill with the ladies of Sarawak and their children . They seated themselves in their more primitive posture , all _sepiatting on the floor , while the men collected outside . " In one corner we observed the bride seated on an ornamented mattress , and surrounded by a crowd of women , who were busy dressing and decorating the poor girl ; she drooped her head and affecteel to be , or I dare say she was , very nervous , but did not say a word . However , the head-dress , covered all over with gold flowers and ornaments , having been completed to the satisfaction of the elderly ladies , she was led to the bridal couch , where she was seated . The men sit crosslegged ; the posture ofthe women is more graceful , both feet being inclined ou one side , and bent back . We noticed that each young lady closely scrutinised the bride , and pretended to detect something in the dress that required a finishing pinch : some fanned her , and all looked a little envious . handsomeand in tastethe of

    "Her dress was very , good : baju ( jacket ) was shot silk , embroidered with gold , and was of native manufacture ; the saluar ( trousers ) of rich silk ; one sarong , likewise of silk , wa . s fastened round the waist by a gold belt , and reached to thc ancles ; while a lighter one was worn over the right shoulder and across the breast ; her arms were loaded with massive gold bracelets , anel she wore on her left hanel a profusion of rings ; a handkerchief was helel in her right hand , as is considered indispensible by Malays of rank . "The young bride hael a narrow escape of being very pi _* etty ; the upper part of her face really was so , but the lower jaw was a little too square and prominent . " Freim the number in the room , we hael an opportunity of forming an opinion ns to the looks eif Malay women , whie-h we-re decidedly pleasing ; a few of the damsels particularly se ) . Those of emr party who bad been living long enough to have ge > t ewer their English prejudices , pohiteel out two e ); " three whom they eleclareel to be downright handsome . The women eif the lower classes have , however , se ) much household drudgery to perforin , that their _geieiel looks soon wear eiut . The men , although small , are stremg-limbed anel well-proportioned ; but their features are hard and ugly . " Our briile ; having been ke > pf in proper suspense for sonic time ' , the approach of the _brielegreioni , whe > hael been fitting out at his relation ' s ( the Randar ' s ) , was announced . " Kassan , having landed from his barge ; ( a new Siamese boat , lent for the occasion by the I . njah ) , was _beirne ; by four _nieui em a kinel of chair to the door of the room , preceded by _me-n _e-arrying ornaments of _artifie-i . il llowe'rs . "On his alighting here , sonic Hadjis ( me'ii who have' maele a . pilgrimage ; to Mecca ) uf ( creel a prayer , whie-h was three time's _re-spomleel to by the whole assemblage . After this , Kassan struck the ; thresholel of the room with his foot three times , anel them walking up tei the brielal e _; eiue : h between two men , he ; geuitly toucdied bis future' wife ; _eive-r the head with a wanel , and _plae-ed his right foot , in he-r lap , anel _the-n red renting a couple of puees , he sat down em the ; adjoining _e'ouch . " Kassan wa . s _dresseel , as well as his bride , in clot It of golel . He ; _weire silk _trouse-rs , anil eive'r them a sarong , short , like a kilt , : another sarong , crossing over his right shouleh'i- anel under the left arm , and a crown of golel flowers on bis _he-ael , compled . e'el his costume . "As this was all the-. ce ; reanemy we ; were ; _alleiwe'el tei see , we _h-ff the room , in whie-h I understand the wedded pair have ; to reanain hIiiiI- up for _seve-n elays . " Anel now for gniver matter , touching on one ; of Ihe ; most complex questions of social . science . hYoin Sir James Brook e ;' s diary we extract , the ; following passage " , _hideling all _the'eirisfs on society , and especially all colonizers , relleef em its meaning : —

    TIIK eiUOWTH OK ( I V I 1 , 1 / ATION NOP Te > 1110 roUCKI ) . " Sarawak seems lo have taken the _sboeif upward \ vbie : h I hael expected long ago : but coiilidciice is of slower greiwth ( ban I aid _ie-ipaf eel ; and piracy has been a _gri-iif , draw bade . I may mention , loo , ( hat the ; _e-Heef , em the ; Dyaks eif a freeeloin from oppression has been just the ; reverse uf what , 1 _expeeleel . The ; freeeleiin from oppression , the ; _reehie-liein of taxation , the senility feir life anel property , has maele ; them lary . I always fbeiiight that it wemlel have- made' them inelusfrioiiH , anel eager tei improve' their _e-einelition . This error is a _ciniiiuou eine- ; anel probably most men in Kn _^ lnnel would have' fallen _intei if as well as myself . _Meire ; of this another tunc ; but , lazy eir inelusfrieiuis , the right principle shoulel ( anel shall ) be ; persevered in ; f () 1- (|„ , right principle is base-el em fhe ; solid rock . If the first step is laziness , the- iiTOiinl will he- _impieive-niciif , the lbirel inelusfry . " 'fhe- lazy , _e-t _. _mlbi-tiibh' , _we-11 f ' _e-el Dyaks , who have- no _occasiein lo work for others , and ne > winh In work for fbeuiselves , who have arriveel al , fhe ; summit of human felicity , as depicted in their imag inations , form no ungrateful picture for the mind to rent , upon : and now , belbro thoy labour to satisfy thoir wants , they

    must be taught new wants , arising out of an improved social state . "W ould I labour in order to possess palaces paved with gold , and studded with precious stones ? No , Certainly not , for I should not valuo such a lodging . Why , then should the Dyak work to obtain a silver spoon , or a silver platter , when a plantain leaf and five-pronged hand are sufficient for his wants ? There is a point of social development which begets healthy wants and desires ; and to this point the Dyak has not arrived . " There is , besides this , a condition of sterner want , begotten by the very progress of social advancement , which we know in England and Ireland ) and God forbid the Dyak should come to that state of penury which has ever been seen in contrast , and , perhaps , must ever contrast frightfully with a high degree of civilization . There are some philosophers who harp on the terms ' industry' and ' work ' as though these two words comprised the sum total of human happiness—work ! work . ' work ! and when the weary head reposes , what is gained ? "Wh y , food ! Now , if food can be obtained without ceaseless labour , is it not better that the poor man should relax from toil ? Is there not a greater hope of moral and intellectual fruit when want is not always p inching us , or staring us in the face ? " I believe that stern and ceaseless toil keeps man as . nearly as possible to the level ofthe brute . I say , then , let the Dyak be happy—let him eat his fill of the rice he grows . He has pigs beneath his house—he feasts at stated periods—he is not driven to labour for others . The jungle is his own , he enjoys the chase , he is rich in his own estimation , and he is happy . Why should he toil when he does not want—when he has no desire to gratify—no hope to realize ? He is content and well-fed . The time will come when events , chasing each other in the world , will aelvance his intellectual powers ; the infant state of the race will progress to manhood ; the Dyaks will improve morally and socially , and be creatures capable of appreciating a higher order of enjoyment . But it is time , and time alone , can do this ; the whole province of Government is to afford them protection , and to prevent them from injuring others ; and taxation , that inevitable result of Government , must be apportioned to their laziness . They must not be forced to work : no ! not even to pay the taxes that may not appear burelensome . They must not be forced to work—no ! though civilized men and wise may think it for their good . In these principles I am firm and steadfast . " Philanthropists would improve the Dyaks by teaching the women to sew , and the men to manufacture piece-goods . Experience will leave them to advance , content that they enjoy , and fearful of applying rules which may injure and not benefit them . " Our extracts have sufficiently indicated . the variety of this work and the nature of its contents . Having done that we have done all our office demands . Upon the great question of the Hajah ' s exploits and policy this is not the time to speak , nor the place . Book-clubs and Libraries will know what they may expect _krt . aptain Keppel ' s Visit to the Indian Archipelago .

    Hhhvm|M. _ Ii M|Hmamh||N444__--4- [ I 20...

    _HHHVM | _M . __ ii _M | _HMaMH || N 444 __ --4- [ i 20 THE LEADER . Saturday ,

    Children's Books. In Spite Of The Demand...

    CHILDREN'S BOOKS . In spite of the demands upon our space , we must squeeze in a few words about the Children ' s Books on our table : that being a branch of literature intrinsically more important than critics usually suspect . It is a branch that has been immensely improved of late , not only in respect of the artistic illustrations which replace the deformities and conventionalities once passed off as " pictures" upon the credulous child , but also in respect of greater truthfulness and superior morality . Conspicuous in this last respect is Miss _Jewsbury ' _s book , The LListory of ati Adopted Child ( Grant and Griffith ) , which is in some sense our ideal of a book for youth , and cannot be read without admiration , interest ; , anel moistened eyes , by grown men and women . That sharp sagacity and close observation which gave value to Miss Jewsbury ' s novels , are here brought to bear upon the vividness anel reality of a story , which , as we can testify , children read with intense interest . The moral is apparent but unobtrusive ; it shines with a quiet light through the incidents , and is not preached . The heroine is a true girl—not a pattern girl at al l—¦ and hence the sympathy she excites in chilelren , who , not generally being of the pattern order , secretly despise the virtuous models set before them by uneliseriminating teachers . We hope great good will come from efforts in this direction . . Depend on it , with children , as witli all Adam ' s sons , truth is the most certain and effectual tuition . The History of an Adopted Child we would very seriously commend te > parents , teachers , and guardians— they will earn something from it ; and the ; children will delig ht iu it . _IVIi-h . Hooper ' s Arbcll ( Adeley anel Co . ) is a tale for young peop le , also to he commended for its interest , its wise ; , healthy . spirit , and its feminine observation ; but , we ; think it inferior , on the whole , _te _> Mrs . . Hooper ' s former work , Mrs . Anderson ' s School , as running more in the track of thc novelist , anel as sinning more in what is called " want of keeping " - —viz ., the children talk too much like grown people ; anel think too much like grown people . . Not that , children notice this when they read ; hut wo critics eh > , anel are ; sure that if must have ; its ellect . With all allowance , maele ; for its short-comings , Arbcll is nevertheless an attractive and admirable little ; hook . is ael

    A Day tf Flcasurc , by Mrs . Harriet Myrtle ( Addey and Ce > . ) - ( lresscel te > still , younger renders , and abounelH in those incidents of everyday life , and those natural objects whie-h children are ; never tired of , _hee ; ause iinniediafely appealing le > their sympathies . The ; eig ht illustrations by Haldol , K . Browne ; have his ordinary angularity , and a certain _ivip'tshvcss of expression in tin ; faces , which deduct from flu ; merit ofthe drawings . The Adventures of a Hear , ami a Ureal , Hear too , ( Aehh ; y and Co ., ) is _«• ' very amusing _sfeuy of the career poor Bruin _parses t hrmtgh , from hi * noisy nnel quarrelsome boyhood to his final degradation as a _blinil old beggar , led about , fhe ; _sfrea'tri hy a dog . Harrison _Weirf ' s illustrations are admirable , in the Granville ; and Kuulhnch st ylo , representing bcnslH us seini-hiinian ; they an ; full of character ami fun . _Hovh will delig ht m them . ' The ' Lilt . lt ; Drummer ( Addey anel Co . ) is n story of the Kussian campaign of Napoleon , very popular in Germany , ns are moat , of the sforioH Iiy Guslav Nieritz . If gives a livel y picture ; ' of the horrors of war , nnd will impress upon fhe juvenile mind some of the leuding incidents in _^ llti celebrated campaign .

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 1, 1853, page 20, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_01011853/page/20/