Page 28 - Malaysia by John Russel Denyes

traits of original Malayan heathenism elsewhere
lost. Intellectually, morally, and socially the
Dyak is perhaps superior to the typical Malay, as
he also exceeds him in stature and often in good
looks/'
*'The Dyaks are also less restrained and given
to more physical exercise than the Malay proper.
The paddle, the blow-gun, the spear, bamboo
bridges, cloth weaving, and metal work represent
some of the out-crops of Dyak genius. The Dyaks
plant some rice, but support themselves largely
by hunting, fishing, and gathering jungle fruits.
Headhunting and cannibalism, for which the
Dyaks were once so famous, are rapidly disap-
pearing."

The People Three races of people live in Java,
of Java though they are all of Malayan stock.
The Sundanese live in the western
part and number about twelve millions, the Java-
nese occupy the central part and number about
twenty-one millions, and the Madurese have the
extreme eastern end and the island of Madura
and number about two millions. There is little
difference in the appearance of these peoples. The
Javanese are slightly taller than the other two
and their features are finer and show more rela-
tion to the British India influences of early days.
Early missionaries of the Buddhist and Brahm-
in faiths coming from India had a profound in-
fluence upon the civilization of the Javanese,
molding in a good measure their religious life,
their political development, their language, and
their literature. Buddhism was probably intro-
duced before the Christian era, but by 414 A. D.,
when Fa Hien, the Chinese Buddhist, visited Java,
he wrote that little Buddhism could be found.
During the Buddhist period were built many beau-
tiful temples, the one remaining practically intact
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