Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 15.djvu/333

M A L M A L 313 102^ 12 E. long. It is situated on a small river bearing its name, which separates it into two parts. That on the right bank is occupied by the old Dutch town, and that on the left by the business quarter, which is connected with the former by a small bridge, and is chiefly inhabited by Chinese and native traders. The view of Malacca from t!ie harbour is picturesque and pleasing to the eye. From Flagstaff Hill on the left whose slopes are always of a bright emerald green to St John s Hill on the right, on which stand the ruins of the old " Dutch redoubt," hidden in a mass of wild vegetation, stretches for a distance of about half a mile a row of spacious dwelling houses belong ing to European and wealthy Chinese and Arab residents. These houses are roofed with neat red tiles, and have windows opening to a stone verandah facing the sea, Each house is surrounded by a large " compound," laid out with a flower garden in front and a " plantation " or orchard at the back. Adjoining this European quarter lies a large suburb of native and other dwellings almost concealed in a dense forest of beautiful fruit trees. Behind this we see a prominent green hill, formerly used as a fort, and now as a Chinese burial-ground, and beyond this the horizon is hemmed in by a long chain of the Bruong and Eumbow Hills, while far in the extreme east rises the jagged cone of Mount Ophir, blue as sapphire in the distance. Since the destruction (in 1807) of the old Portuguese fort erected by Albuquerque, the "antiquities" of Malacca are reduced to a mere name. At the foot of Flagstaff Hill, however, are the remains of the massive wall which surrounded the hill, with an arched and carved gateway. On the summit of the hill, where a fine view is had of the harbour and tho Water Islands, are the ruins of the first Christian church planted in Malayan territory, and also a portion of the old convent. At the back of this hill to the right may be noted the barracks, hospital, and convict lines, and passing under some fine "ansana" trees the shady elms of the East we reach the garden of the old Dutch stadthouse, and then a green square, facing which are che court-house and other Government build ings, and the old Dutch church. All these buildings have sloping roofs covered with small square tiles after the Dutch style of architecture of the IGth century. This is quite a unique example of Dutch domestic architecture in the East, and several of the adjoining streets still bear their Dutch designation, as "Keren Straat," "Jonker Straat," &c. The stadthouse is approached by a fine flight of stone steps, forming a covered way to the upper rooms. These are occupied by the governor of the Straits Settlements and the judge during their annual or biennial visits, and those in the lower story are used as Government offices. From the interesting ruins of the Dutch redoubt on St John s Hill an extensive view may be had of the country running around and to the north and south of Malacca. Its general aspect in the immediate vicinity is that of a flat country covered with luxuriant " dusoons " or plantations of fruit trees, and extensive forests of tall timber ; beyond this is an open country, interspersed with extensive plantations of tapioca, which at a distance resemble fields of clover; then follow rice-fields, and marshes or fens, and at the foot of the hills patches of virgin forest, the whole being walled in by a range of blue hills. The climate of Malacca is very healthy, and the thermometer in the shade ranges from 72 to 84 or even 90 Fahr. The population, which is not very large, con sists of Malays of the surrounding countries, of Malacca Portuguese (the mixed descendants of early Portuguese settlers), of Chinese proper and a large number born of Malay mothers. There is also a sprinkling of natives of India and of Arabs. The Malacca Portuguese employ themselves as fishermen, servants, and clerks ; the rest are chiefly engaged in agricultural and commercial pur suits. In consequence of its shallow harbour, Malacca has been com pletely outstripped^ as a seaport by Singapore and Penang, though it still carries on a brisk trade with the surrounding countries in Malacca canes, stuffed birds of beautiful plumage, poultry, and large quantities of the most luscious fruits. The import and export returns, show a large apparent increase in the trade, the imports in 1880 amounting to 3,817,848 (812,308), and the exports to 3,634,640, as against an average of 2,505,175 and 2,577,020 re spectively for 1869-72 ; and, though Malacca has been a drag on the revenue of the colony generally, a marked increase is shown in the principal items of revenue, viz., in land rents, tenths in paddy, tapioca, and fruits, royalty on timber, and survey fees. In 1880 the revenue was 182,323, and the expenditure 174,333, while the income and expenditure of the municipality in the same year were 22,428 and 18,899 respectively. The Government is improving the drainage of the country by clearing its natural water course. The municipality has no debts, and the general progress of the settlement during the year ending 1880 must be regarded as satis factory, with an increase under almost every heading of revenue that bids fair to continue. See (J. A. Cameron, Our Tropical Possessions in Malayan India, and Papers Relating to H. M. Colonial Possessions, 1879-1881. MALACHI. According to the title (Mai. i. 1) the last book of the minor prophets contains the word of Jehovah to Israel by the hand of Malachi. The word <I ?N?P may either be an adjective,, tl angelic," or may signify " the angel (messenger) of Jehovah." In either case it seems a strange (though hardly an impossible) name for a man to bear, ajid from the time ot the Septuagint, which translates " by the hand of His messenger/ it has often been doubted whether Malachi is the real name of the author, or only an epithet assumed by himself, or attached by the collector to a work which he found anonymous (so Ewald), with reference to iii. I. 1 A Hebrew tradition given in the Targum of Jonathan, and approved by Jerome, identifies Malachi wiih Ezra the priest and scribe ; but, though this opinion is ingeniously supported by reference to ii. 7, where the priest and custodian of the law is called the messenger of Jehovah of hosts, it is unlikely that Ezra s name would have been lost had he been the real author. 2 The tradition, however, may at least be taken as imply ing the perception of a real affinity between the prophet and the great restorer of the law. The religious spirit of Malachi s prophecy is that of the prayers of Ezra and Nehemiah. A strong sense of the unique privileges of the children of Jacob, the objects of electing love (i. 2), the children o( the Divine Father (ii. 10)- is combined with an equally strong assurance of Jehovah s righteousness amidst the many miseries that pressed on the unhappy inhabitants of Judcea. At an earlier date the prophet Haggai had taught that the people could not expect Jehovah s blessing while the temple lay in ruins. In Malachi s time the temple was built (i. 10) and the priests waited in their office, but still a curse seemed to rest on the nation s labours (iii i>). To Malachi the reason of thi3 is plain. The "law of Moses" was forgotten (iv. 4 [iii. 22]); let the people return to Jehovah, and He will return to them. It was vain to complain, saying, " Every one that doeth evil is good in the eyes of Jehovah," or "Where is the God of judgment V vain to ask "Wherein shall we return ?" Obedience to the law is the sure path to bless ing (ii 17-iii. 12). 1 Stadc (X. f. ATlichelriss., 1882, p. 303; comp. 1881, p. 14) thinks that the title in Mai. i. 1 is by the same hand as that in Zech. xii. 1, and that both are copied from Zech. ix. 1, under the misconception that N>D was to be construed with the following words. 2 The LXX. rendering of i. 1 gave rise to strange fancies. Jerome and Cyril mention that some supposed the prophet to have been an angel in bodily form; and the Vita Proghetarum of Pseudo-Epiplmmus have a - word-myth" to the effect that his prophecies were regularly confirmed by an angelic apparition. The same book will have it th Malachi was of the tribe of Zebulon, born in a town Sopha or Bopfiera, had his name from his great beauty, and died young.

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