Malay

Number 15 in a set of 25 cigarette cards entitled 'Picturesque People of the Empire' issued by Ogden's branch of the Imperial Tobacco Co. Ltd. There is a picture on one side with an inscription reading 'Malay', and a description on the other side. The text on the reverse reads: 'The Malays of the coasts of the Straits Settlements and of the Malay States are a seafaring folk who were formerly notorious pirates, and are now peaceful fishermen. They are excellent boat-builders and skilful boatmen. Inland, the Malays usually live in houses raised on piles by the sides of the rivers; groves of coco and betel nut, sugar palms and fruit trees being planted close by. Behind the villages lie extensive rice fields, for rice forms the staple food of the Malays. Their primitive agricultural implements include a plough fashioned from a forked tree and a very rough harrow.'

Collection Information

These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.

The database sometimes uses language taken from historical documents to help research, which may now appear outdated and even offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.

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