_All_ heathens do not worship idols. I will tell you who live in Borneo,
and you will see why there are so few idols there.
Many people have come from Malacca, and settled in Borneo; so the island
is full of Malays. These people have a cunning and cruel look, and no
wonder;--for many of them are PIRATES! It is a common custom in Borneo to
go out in a large boat,--to watch for smaller boats,--to seize them--to
bind the men in chains, and to bring them home as slaves. There are no
seas in the world so dangerous to sail in, as the seas near Borneo, not
only on account of the rocks, but on account of the great number of
pirates. What is the religion of Borneo? It is Mahomedanism. But the
Malays do not follow the laws of Mahomet as the Turks do. They do not
mind the hours of prayer, nor do they attend regularly at the mosque.
This is not surprising, for they do not understand the Koran. Mahomet
wrote in Arabic, and the Malays do not understand Arabic. Why do they not
get the Koran translated? Mahomet did not wish the book to be translated.
Why then do not the Malays learn Arabic? I wonder they do not, but I
suppose they are too idle, and too careless. The boys go to school and
learn to read and write their own easy language--the Malay; and they
learn also to repeat whole chapters of the Koran, but without
understanding a word. Still they think it a great advantage to know these
chapters, because they imagine that by repeating them, they can drive
away evil spirits.
Pages:
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221