Nuhou, Volume I, Number 14, 3 February 1874 — The Story of Laksamana [ARTICLE]

The Story of Laksamana

Whieli we pub]ish in oui riative columps secniB to intcrest very mueh oui' native readers/ It is a story relating to the heroic age of the Malay people, and is based upon the scattered traditions, songs aiid legebds of the Malay Arel)ipelago. It illustrates tlie mosfc rcmarkable liero of the red race, who, on accouht of hi« great esploits and lame, a name to eniinent power and distinction among the Malays, even as the name of i:a>sar is associated in the European miiid with impenal powei*. The great exploits of Laksamana, some no doubt fabulous, and somo historic, arc so varied, striking and interesting, that we don ! t iiiink there is in all the range of history, or romance, a hero to whom is attributed so marvellous a carecr. Ile is elaimed by Malays to have thc blood 01 Alexander the Great in his veins. Uq.ls esposed in in{ancy like Ivomulus-—he is • nurtured by the orangutans—thc sight of a beautiful girl leads him to humanity ; he makes wonder[ul progtess in knowledge ; he beeomes a tcrrible knight errant against evil doers r and a grand robber also ; he is faithful to a love ; he performs marvels amqng wild beasts, pirates and giants; and yet his >vhole conduct illustrates a noblc lieroic virtue, whieh has cvcr been highly appreciated by the Malay people, and we are now happy to know that the Ilawaiian people takc delighfc in this Malay; lieroj whose chief andjiiost distinguishing virtue is continence, and whosc glorious life presents not a single incident of impure eonducty or of meretricious interest.

sii is sometimes ia plea*ant efiusion of soul when we are warmed by wine, or the eontagion of mulual enihuslasm ; but you must not trust to it, eiiher sentimei s tal or religious gush,—espeeially 1 the latter. In ihese days, when it ls lashionable! to bc svithin t!ic \n\k\ —the toadies and hypo : critcs. erowd the seats- lt was not so m the days of lle eataeombs ;—theu thc neophyte coniinedhls gush; :o works ol' mercy—with brave C}es lkeJ j on llie of an axe, or a brand, or a, wild beast? Kow thi cyes of t]ie neophyte are Hxcu on a better elianee to get uiwn society, or to | dry goods, Aiul so there is a geod deal of| religioiiB gush in these tliat it won't do to ! 4 too far. Uut it very pretty to u-* of drill sergeants"beating up fbr' u"its, II it wou!d promote real kuid«ess, lib-| \ ili y of spiritj aud some warm human l>rother-1 >od, we wonld too r —we wouuL ;