A grammar of the Malayan language, with an introduction and praxis..

X INTRODUCTION.
principle of trade wind or monsoon it is to be justified, I am una-
ble to determine ; nor is the consideration of equal moment with
that of ascertaining the region to which the distinction is applied.
The earliest notice of it is to be found in the asia of de bar-
Ros, sixth Book of the second Decade, where we are told that
" previously to the founding of the city of Malacca, that of
Singa-pura was resorted to by the navigators of the western seas
of India, as well as by those of countries lying to the eastward
of it, such as Siam, China, Chiampa, Cumboju, and the many
thousand islands scattered over the eastern ocean. On these two
regions of the globe the natives (of the eastern part) bestow the
appellation of de-hawah arigin and atas aiigin, signifying below
the wind and above the wind, or Western and Eastern. For as
the principal navigation in these seas is either from the Bay of
Bengal, on the one side, or from the great gulf which extends
itself towards the coasts of China and far to the northward, on
the other, they with reason considered that quarter in which the
sun rises, the upper, and that in which he sets the nether side
with respect to the situation of Singa-pilra." Unfortunately
however for this plausible solution it happens that the Portu-
guese historian, who was not locally acquainted with the coun-
try, has misconceived the relative circumstances, which are
exactly the reverse of what he has stated, the leeward people
being situated, not towards the setting but the rising sun. By
VALENTYN, the elaborate Dutch oriental historian, who com-
posed his great work on the spot, we are informed (v. deel,
Beschryvinge van Malakha, p. 310) that " the Malays are
commonly named orang de-buwah aiigin, leeward people or
eastcrlings, and the inhabitants of the western countries, espe-
citilly the Arabians, drang atas aiigin, windward people or Aves-
terlings ;"