History of the Indian Archipelago Author:John Crawford Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. MANNERS AND CHARACTER OF THE INDIAN ISLANDERS. , Classification of the subject—Bodily endowments—Indian islanders athletic, but never active.—... more »Defective in personal cleanliness.—Temperate in their diet.—Their indolence occasioned by moral agency, and not constitutional.—Their fortitude.—Intellectualfacultift.—Comparison between those of the Indian islanders and the people of Europe and the continent of Asia.—Are of slow comprehension and narrow judgment.—All their intellectual faculties in general feeble —Are good imitators, and have remarkably delicate earsjbr musical sounds.—Their faculties weak from want of exercise, but not perverted by false impressions.—Moral and social qualities.—Their virtues—Distinguished from the more polished nations of Asia by their freedom from mendacity.—Tlteir probity and candour—Are capable cf attachment and gratitude—Free from the spirit of litigation Not naturally cruel.—ftot irascible.—Seldom use opprobrious language.— Hospitality—Politeness.—Freedom from bigotry.—Weaknesses of the Indian islanders—Extraordinary credulity and superstition—Examples.—Revenge the most prominent vice in the character of the Indian islanders. —Running of mucks.—Disregard of human life.—Indian islanders accused of perfidy and faithlessness—Insecurity of property.—Domestic relations.—Slate of women much more favourable than among the more civilized nation of continental Asia.—Not usually secluded.—Female chastity.— Jealousy.—Anecdotes.—Relation between parent and child. —Fraternal affection.—Friendship a tie unknown to them.—Attachment between chiefs and retainers.—Attachment to their tribe or society.—Attachment to their place of birth. ( ' the interesting and important subject of manners and character, there is much diversity among the differe...« less