They carried on a great trade with China, Hindoostan, and Siam, and their maritime code was regulated and confirmed, as early as 1276, by Mohammed Shah." "How is it that they have come to such grief, Doctor ?" "Principally by the fact that they had the feudal, or you may call it the tribal, system.

Each petty chief and his followers made war on his neighbors if he was strong enough; and as some tribes conquered others, the empire became split up into an indefinite number of clans, whose chiefs paid but a very nominal allegiance to the sultan.

So islands broke off from the empire until it had practically ceased to exist, and the Malays were a people united only by similar customs and language, but in no other respect, and were, therefore, able to offer but slight resistance on the arrival of the Dutch and Portuguese in these regions.
Still, the upper classes preserve the memory of their former greatness.
The people are intelligent, and most of the trade in this part of the world is carried on by them.

They are enterprising, and ready to emigrate if they see a chance of improving their fortunes.

You know we saw many of them at the Cape when we touched there.