Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 2.djvu/313

IN THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. S69 that his mother had gone to the mosque to pray for herself and Jbr him too, — that he did not yet trouble himself with matters of this sort, — ^that it was time enough, and — that he would be more at- tentive as he grew older. The pilgrimage to Mecca is frequently under- taken by the Javanese, and all the other Maho- medan tribes, less on account of piety, than on ac- count of the distinctions and immunities which the reputation of the pilgrimage confers among a simple and untaught people. As, however, an extensive in- tercourse with the world, where there are no fixed principles of morality, and no education, more fre- quently produces depravity and cunning than im- provement or wisdom— the islanders often re- turn worse subjects than they went away, and have been accused of misleading the people, and of be- ing the most active agents in insurrection and re- bellion. The disregard of the Javanese, and of many other of the Mahomedan tribes of the Archipe- lago, for the negative precepts of the Koran, is open and avowed. They entertain an universal passion for intoxicating drugs. They consume not less annually than eighty thousand pounds of opium. Although they are no drunkards, all classes partake of spirituous liquors, or wine, without reserve, when it comes in their way. Among the native chiefs of highest rank, I re-