Page:Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (IA journalofstrait341879roya).pdf/247

 12. The paper is surprisingly free from all personalities, excepting in letters having reference to Mahomedan customs of religion and law (Âdat); not infrequently, however, passages occur with those ironical allusions well known to Malays as "Sĕndîran."

13. From a literary point of view it will doubtless tend to settle the language and to give an uniformity to the various dialects of Malay, an object which the original projectors claim to have had in view. Its influence can scarcely fail to be considerable on the written language.

11. The "Jawi Peranakkan's" agents are numerous, and hold their agencies in London, Penang, Malacca, Klang, Kwala Kangsa, Johor, Děli, Padang, Batavia, and Sarawak.

15. In order to give an idea of the actual character of the Paper, and the manner in which it is edited here, a short resumé follows of the contents of a late number of the "Jawi Peranakkan," bearing date the 12th of January, 1880.

16. It is a small paper arranged in columns very much in the style of English newspapers. It commences by quoting the present state of the market, devotes a column or so to advertisements, by which, however, it is said not to make more than $60 per annum, and proceeds to give in full a Government Circular (English and Malay) detailing the management of the Malay College at Telok Blanga, and exhorting Malay Rajas and others to make more use of the College.

17. Of the next para., a translation is appended, which reads as follows:-

"The Hěkayat Abdullah has been re-printed by the members of the Asiatic Society, and is exceedingly clearly done; whoever now wishes to buy it can obtain it from the officer in charge of the library at the Museum adjoining the Raffles' Institution."

18. The paper then touches on the recent death of the Datoh Klâna of Sungei Ujong while on his return from a pilgrimage to Mecca. It appears that the Datoh, having accomplished his pilgrimage and having lost four of his followers, was returning to Jeddah when he was overtaken by death at a resting place near the latter town.