Page:Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (IA journalofstrai9101882roya).pdf/195

 MISCELLANEOUS NOTES.

I, Haji, of the country of Hainan, have heard the following story from the old men of Hainan.

Once, when Râja was King of China, he was uneasy in his mind for a long time. One night he dreamt that there existed Mahomedan people on either side of China, who wore cloths wrapped round their heads, and long coats down to their feet, and had their faces covered with hair; and that if he could bring those people to China, his mind would be at ease. Upon this, he sent a number of junks in search of the people of which he had dreamt, and brought them to China, giving them orders to live in different parts of the country, such as Canton, Hn-nan, Yn-nan, llam-su. Su-sun and Iainan. Now, one of these Arabs had a great many descendants, of whom I am one. In course of time, the race be- came scattered about the country, until a man named Sultan became King of Yu-nan. After this various disturbances arose in different parts, and since the death of Raja I can only partially remember what took place.

The custom among Mussulmen in China was that they were called Hué-Hué, and wore towchangs like the Chinese; but we con- tinued to wear the long coats of our ancestors. But now, however, the custom has been changed by the Chinese as regards those long coats, and they have become the exclusive costume of great men, or