the golden chersonese and the way thither-第1章

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The　Golden　Chersonese　and　the　Way　Thither

by　Isabella　L。　Bird　（Mrs。　Bishop）







PREFACE



In　presenting　to　the　public　the　last　installment　of　my　travels　in　the
Far　East；　in　1879；　I　desire　to　offer；　both　to　my　readers　and　critics；　my
grateful　acknowledgments　for　the　kindness　with　which　my　letters　from
Japan　were　received；　and　to　ask　for　an　equally　kind　and　lenient　estimate
of　my　present　volume；　which　has　been　prepared　for　publication　under　the
heavy　shadow　of　the　loss　of　the　beloved　and　only　sister　to　whom　the
letters　of　which　it　consists　were　written；　and　whose　able　and　careful
criticism；　as　well　as　loving　interest；　accompanied　my　former　volumes
through　the　press。

It　is　by　her　wish　that　this　book　has　received　the　title　of　the　〃Golden
Chersonese；〃　a　slightly　ambitious　one；　and　I　must　at　once　explain　that
my　letters　treat　of　only　its　western　portion；　for　the　very　sufficient
reason　that　the　interior　is　unexplored　by　Europeans；　half　of　it　being
actually　so　little　known　that　the　latest　map　gives　only　the　position　of
its　coast…line。　I　hope；　however；　that　my　book　will　be　accepted　as　an
honest　attempt　to　make　a　popular　contribution　to　the　sum　of　knowledge　of
a　beautiful　and　little…traveled　region；　with　which　the　majority　of
educated　people　are　so　little　acquainted　that　it　is　constantly
confounded　with　the　Malay　Archipelago；　but　which　is　practically　under
British　rule；　and　is　probable　destined　to　afford　increasing　employment
to　British　capital　and　enterprise。

The　introductory　chapter；　and　the　explanatory　chapters　on　Sungei　Ujong；
Selangor　and　Perak；　contain　information　of　a　rather　more　solid　character
than　is　given　in　my　sketches　of　travel；　and　are　intended　to　make　the
letters　more　intelligible　and　useful。*　The　map　by　Mr。　Daly　is　the　result
of　the　most　recent　surveys；　and　is　published　here　by　permission　of　the
Royal　Geographical　Society。　
＇*These　chapters　are　based　upon　sundry　reports　and　other　official
papers；　and　I　have　largely　drawn　upon　those　storehouses　of　accurate　and
valuable　information；　Newbold's　〃British　Settlements　in　Malacca；〃　and
Crawfurd's　〃Dictionary　of　the　Indian　Islands。〃＇

As　I　traveled　under　official　auspices；　and　was　entertained　at　the　houses
of　officials　everywhere；　I　feel　it　to　be　due　to　my　entertainers　to　say
that　I　have　carefully　abstained　from　giving　their　views　on　any　subjects
on　which　they　may　have　uttered　them　in　the　ease　of　friendly　intercourse；
except　in　two　or　three　trivial　instances；　in　which　I　have　quoted　them　as
my　authorities。　The　opinions　expressed　are　wholly　my　own；　whether　right
or　wrong；　and　I　accept　the　fullest　responsibility　for　them。

For　the　sketchy　personal　descriptions　which　are　here　and　there　given；　I
am　sure　of　genial　forgiveness　from　my　friends　in　the　Malay　Peninsula；
and　from　them　also　I　doubt　not　that　I　shall　receive　the　most　kindly
allowance；　if；　in　spite　of　carefulness；　I　have　fallen　into　mistakes。

In　writing　to　my　sister　my　first　aim　was　accuracy；　and　my　next　to　make
her　see　what　I　saw；　but　beside　the　remarkably　contradictory　statements
of　the　few　resident　Europeans　and　my　own　observations；　I　had　little　to
help　me；　and　realized　every　day　how　much　truth　there　is　in　the　dictum　of
Socrates〃The　body　is　a　hindrance　to　acquiring　knowledge；　and　sight　and
hearing　are　not　to　be　trusted。〃*　
＇*Phaedo　of　Plato。　Chapter　x。＇

This　volume　is　mainly　composed　of　my　actual　letters；　unaltered；　except
by　various　omissions　and　some　corrections　as　to　matters　of　fact。　The
interest　of　my　visits　to　the　prison　and　execution　ground　of　Canton；　and
of　my　glimpses　of　Anamese　villages；　may；　I　hope；　be　in　some　degree
communicated　to　my　readers；　even　though　Canton　and　Saigon　are　on　the
beaten　track　of　travelers。

I　am　quite　aware　that　〃Letters〃　which　have　not　received　any　literary
dress　are　not　altogether　satisfactory　either　to　author　or　reader；　for
the　author　sacrifices　artistic　arrangement　and　literary　merit；　and　the
reader　is　apt　to　find　himself　involved　among　repetitions；　and　a
multiplicity　of　minor　details；　treated　in　a　fashion　which　he　is　inclined
to　term　〃slipshod；〃　but；　on　the　whole；　I　think　that　descriptions　written
on　the　spot；　even　with　their　disadvantages；　are　the　best　mode　of　making
the　reader　travel　with　the　traveler；　and　share　his　first　impressions　in
their　original　vividness。　With　these　explanatory　remarks　I　add　my　little
volume　to　the　ever…growing　library　of　the　literature　of　travel。


I。　L。　B。

FEBRUARY；　1883







INTRODUCTORY　CHAPTER

The　Aurea　ChersonesusThe　Conquest　of　MalaccaThe　Straits　
SettlementsThe　Configuration　of　the　PeninsulaA　Terra　Incognita
The　MonsoonsProducts　of　the　PeninsulaThe　Great　VampireBeasts　
and　ReptilesMalignant　and　Harmless　InsectsLand　and　Water　Birds
Traditions　of　Malay　ImmigrationWild　and　Civilized　RacesKafirs
The　Samangs　and　Orang…outangCharacteristics　of　the　Jakuns
Babas　and　SinkehsThe　Malay　PhysiognomyLanguage　andLiterature
Malay　Poetry　and　MusicMalay　AstronomyEducation　and　LawMalay　
SportsDomestic　HabitsWeaponsSlavery　and　Debt　Bondage
Government〃No　Information〃


Canton　and　Saigon；　and　whatever　else　is　comprised　in　the　second　half　of
my　title；　are　on　one　of　the　best　beaten　tracks　of　travelers；　and　need
no　introductory　remarks。

But　the　Golden　Chersonese　is　still　somewhat　of　a　terra　incognita；　there
is　no　point　on　its　mainland　at　which　European　steamers　call；　and　the
usual　conception　of　it　is　as　a　vast　and　malarious　equatorial　jungle；
sparsely　peopled　by　a　race　of　semi…civilized　and　treacherous
Mohammedans。　In　fact；　it　is　as　little　known　to　most　people　as　it　was　to
myself　before　I　visited　it；　and　as　reliable　information　concerning　it
exists　mainly　in　valuable　volumes　now　out　of　print；　or　scattered
through　blue　books　and　the　Transactions　of　the　Asiatic　Society　of
Singapore；　I　make　no　apology　for　prefacing　my　letters　from　the　Malay
Peninsula　with　as　many　brief　preliminary　statements　as　shall　serve　to
make　them　intelligible；　requesting　those　of　my　readers　who　are　familiar
with　the　subject　to　skip　this　chapter　altogether。

The　Aurea　Chersonesus　of　Ptolemy；　the　〃Golden　Chersonese〃　of　Milton；
the　Malay　Peninsula　of　our　day；　has　no　legitimate　claim　to　an　ancient
history。　The　controversy　respecting　the　identity　of　its　Mount　Ophir
with　the　Ophir　of　Solomon　has　been　〃threshed　out〃　without　much　result；
and　the　supposed　allusion　to　the　Malacca　Straits　by　Pliny　is　too　vague
to　be　interesting。

The　region　may　be　said　to　have　been　rediscovered　in　1513　by　the
Portuguese；　and　the　first　definite　statement　concerning　it　appears　to
be　in　a　letter　from　Emanuel；　King　of　Portugal；　to　the　Pope。　In　the
antique　and　exaggerated　language　of　the　day；　he　relates　that　his
general；　the　famous　Albuquerque；　after　surprising　conquests　in　India；
had　sailed　to　the　Aurea　Chersonesus；　called　by　its　inhabitants　Malacca。
He　had　captured　the　city　of　Malacca；　sacked　it；　slaughtered　the　Moors
（Mohammedans）　who　defended　it；　destroyed　its　twenty…five　thousand
houses　abounding　in　gold；　pearls；　precious　stones；　and　spices；　and　on
its　site　had　built　a　fortress　with　walls　fifteen　feet　thick；　out　of　the
ruins　of　its　mosques。　　The　king；　who　fought　upon　an　elephant；　was　badly
wounded　and　fled。　Further；　on　hearing　of　the　victory；　the　King　of　Siam；
from　whom　Malacca　had　been　〃usurped　by　the　Moors；〃　sent　to　the
conqueror　a　cup　of　gold；　a　carbuncle；　and　a　sword　inlaid　with　gold。
This　conquest　was　vaunted　of　as　a　great　triumph　of　the　Cross　over　the
Crescent；　and　as　its　result；　by　the　year　1600　nearly　the　whole　commerce
of　the　Straits　had　fallen　into　the　hands　of　the　Portuguese。

Of　the　remaining　〃Moorish〃；　or　Malay　kingdoms；　Acheen；　in　Sumatra；　was
the　most　powerful；　so　powerful；　indeed；　that　its　king　was　able　to
besiege　the　great　stronghold　of　Malacca　more　than　once　with　a　fleet；
according　to　the　annalist；　of　〃more　than　five　hundred　sail；　one　hundred
of　which　were　of　greater　size　than　any　then　constructed　in　Europe；　and
the　warriors　or　mariners　that　it　bore　amounted　to　sixty　thousand；
commanded　by　the　king　in　person。〃　The　first　mention　of　Johore；　or　Jhor；
and　Perak　occurs　about　the　same　time；　Perak　being　represented　as　a　very
powerful　and　wealthy　State。