the golden chersonese and the way thither-第30章

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to　break　the　dream　produced　by　the　heated；　steamy；　fragrant　air；　and
the　monotonous　silence。

I　have　very　little　time　for　writing　here；　and　even　that　is　abridged　by
the　night　mosquitoes；　which　muster　their　forces　for　a　desperate　attack
as　soon　as　I　retire　to　the　Stadthaus　for　two　hours　of　quiet　before
dinner；　so　I　must　give　the　features　of　Malacca　mainly　in　outline。
Having　written　this　sentence；　I　am　compelled　to　say　that　the　feature　of
Malacca　is　that　it　is　featureless！　It　is　a　land　where　it　is　〃always
afternoon〃hot；　still；　dreamy。　Existence　stagnates。　Trade　pursues　its
operations　invisibly。　Commerce　hovers　far　off　on　the　shallow　sea。　The
British　and　French　mail　steamers　give　the　port　a　wide　offing。　It　has　no
politics；　little　crime；　rarely　gets　even　two　lines　in　an　English
newspaper；　and　does　nothing　toward　making　contemporary　history。　The
Lieutenant…Governor　has　occupied　the　same　post　for　eleven　years。　A
company　of　soldiers　vegetates　in　quarters　in　a　yet　sleepier　region　than
the　town　itself。　Two　Chinese　steamers　make　it　a　port　of　call；　but；
except　that　they　bring　mails；　their　comings　and　goings　are　of　no
interest　to　the　very　small　English　part　of　the　population。　Lying
basking　in　the　sun；　or　crawling　at　the　heads　of　crawling　oxen　very　like
hairless　buffaloes；　or　leaning　over　the　bridge　looking　at　nothing；　the
Malays　spend　their　time　when　they　come　into　the　town；　their　very
movements　making　the　lack　of　movement　more　perceptible。

The　half…breed　descendants　of　the　Portuguese；　who　kept　up　a　splendid
pomp　of　rule　in　the　days　of　Francis　Xavier；　seem　to　take　an　endless
siesta　behind　their　closely　covered　windows。　I　have　never　seen　an
Englishman　out　of　doors　except　Mr。　Hayward；　the　active　superintendent
of　military　police；　or　Mr。　Biggs；　who　preserves　his　health　and　energies
by　systematic　constitutionals。　Portuguese　and　Dutch　rule　have　passed
away；　leaving；　as　their　chief　monumentsthe　first；　a　ruined　cathedral；
and　a　race　of　half…breeds；　and　the　last；　the　Stadthaus　and　a　flat…faced
meeting…house。　A　heavy　shower；　like　a　〃thunder…plump；〃　takes　up　a　part
of　the　afternoon；　after　which　the　Governor's　carriage；　with　servants　in
scarlet　liveries；　rolls　slowly　out　of　Malacca；　and　through　the
sago…palms　and　back　again。　If　aught　else　which　is　European　breaks　the
monotony　of　the　day　I　am　not　aware　of　it。　The　streets　have　no
particular　features；　though　one　cannot　but　be　aware　that　a　narrow
stream　full　of　boats；　and　spanned　by　a　handsome　bridge；　divides　the
town　into　two　portions；　and　that　a　handsome　clock…tower　（both　tower　and
bridge　erected　by　some　wealthy　Chinese　merchants）　is　a　salient　object
below　the　Stadthaus。　Trees；　trailers；　fruits；　smother　the　houses；　and
blossom　and　fruit　all　the　year　round；　old　leaves；　young　leaves；　buds；
blossom；　and　fruit；　all　appearing　at　once。　The　mercury　rarely　falls
below　79　degrees　or　rises　above　84　degrees。　The　softest　and　least
perceptible　of　land　and　sea　breezes　blow　alternately　at　stated　hours。
The　nights　are　very　still。　The　days　are　a　tepid　dream。　Since　I　arrived
not　a　leaf　has　stirred；　not　a　bird　has　sung；　the　tides　ebb　and　flow　in
listless　and　soundless　ripples。　Far　off；　on　the　shallow　sea；　phantom
ships　hover　and　are　gone；　and　on　an　indefinite　horizon　a　blurred　ocean
blends　with　a　blurred　sky。　On　Mount　Ophir　heavy　cloud…masses　lie　always
motionless。　The　still；　heavy；　fragrant　nights　pass　with　no　other　sounds
than　the　aggressive　hum　of　mosquitoes　and　the　challenge　of　the
sentries。　But　through　the　stormy　days　and　the　heavy　nights　Nature　is
always　busy　in　producing　a　rapidity　and　profusion　of　growth　which　would
turn　Malacca　into　a　jungle　were　it　not　for　axe　and　billhook；　but　her
work　does　not　jar　upon　the　general　silence。　Yet　with　all　this
indefiniteness；　dreaminess；　featurelessness；　indolence；　and　silence；　of
which　I　have　attempted　to　convey　an　idea；　Malacca　is　very　fascinating；
and　no　city　in　the　world；　except　Canton；　will　leave　so　vivid　an
impression　upon　me；　though　it　may　be　but　of　a　fragrant　tropic　dream　and
nothing　more。

Yesterday　Mrs。　Biggs　took　me　a　drive　through　Malacca　and　its　forest
environs。　It　was　delightful；　every　hour　adds　to　the　fascination　which
this　place　has　for　me。　I　thought　my　tropic　dreams　were　over；　when　seven
years　ago　I　saw　the　summit　peaks　of　Oahu　sink　sunset　flushed　into　a
golden　sea；　but　I　am　dreaming　it　again。　The　road　crosses　the　bridge
over　the　narrow　stream；　which　is；　in　fact；　the　roadway　of　a　colored　and
highly　picturesque　street；　and　at　once　enters　the　main　street　of
Malacca；　which　is　parallel　to　the　sea。　　On　the　sea　side　each　house
consists　of　three　or　four　divisions；　one　behind　the　other；　each　roof
being　covered　with　red　tiles。　The　rearmost　division　is　usually　built
over　the　sea；　on　piles。　In　the　middle　of　each　of　the　three　front
divisions　there　is　a　courtyard。　The　room　through　which　you　enter　from
the　street　always　has　an　open　door；　through　which　you　see　houses
showing　a　high　degree　of　material　civilization；　lofty　rooms；　handsome
altars　opposite　the　doors；　massive；　carved　ebony　tables；　and　carved
ebony　chairs　with　marble　seats　and　backs　standing　against　the　walls；
hanging　pictures　of　the　kind　called　in　Japan　kakemono；　and　rich　bronzes
and　fine　pieces　of　porcelain　on　ebony　brackets。　At　night；　when　these
rooms　are　lighted　up　with　eight　or　ten　massive　lamps；　the　appearance　is
splendid。　These　are　the　houses　of　Chinese　merchants　of　the　middle
class。

And　now　I　must　divulge　the　singular　fact　that　Malacca　is　to　most
intents　and　purposes　a　Chinese　city。　The　Dutch；　as　I　wrote；　have
scarcely　left　a　trace。　The　Portuguese；　indolent；　for　thc　most　part
poor；　and　lowered　by　native　marriages；　are　without　influence；　a　most
truly　stagnant　population；　hardly　to　be　taken　into　account。　Their　poor…
looking　houses　resemble　those　of　Lisbon。　The　English；　except　in　so　far
as　relates　to　the　administration　of　government；　are　nowhere；　though　it
is　under　our　equitable　rule　that　the　queerly　mixed　population　of
Chinese；　Portuguese；　half…breeds；　Malays；　Confucianists；　Buddhists；
Tauists；　Romanists；　and　Mohammedans　〃enjoy　great　quietness。〃*　
＇*By　the　census　of　1881　the　resident　European　population　of　the
Settlement　of　Malacca　consists　of　23　males　and　9　females；　a　〃grand〃
total　of　32！　The　Eurasian　population；　mainly　of　Portuguese　mixed　blood；
is　2；213。　The　Chinese　numbers　19；741；　4；020　being　females。　The　Malay
population　is　67；488；　the　females　being　2；000　in　excess　of　the　males；
the　Tamils　or　Klings　are　1；781；　the　Arabs　227；　the　Aborigines　of　the
Peninsula　308；　the　Javanese　399；　the　Boyanese　212；　and　the　Jawi…Pekans
867。　Besides　these　there　are　stray　Achinese；　Africans；　Anamese；
Bengalis；　Bugis；　Dyaks；　Manilamen；　Siamese；　and　Singhalese；　numbering
174。　The　total　population　of　the　territory　is　93；579；　viz。；　52；059　males
and　41；520　females；　an　increase　in　ten　years　of　15；823。　The　decrease　in
the　number　of　resident　Europeans　is　31。9　per　cent。　In　〃natives　of　India〃
42　per　cent。；　and　in　〃other　nationalities〃　48。9　per　cent。　On　the　other
hand　the　Chinese　population　has　increased　by　6；259　or　46。4　per　cent。；
and　the　Malays　by　11；264；　or　19。3　per　cent。　The　town　of　Malacca　contains
5；538　houses；　and　the　country　districts　11；177。　The　area　of　the
settlement　is　640　square　miles；　and　the　density　of　the　population　146　to
the　square　mile；　only　twelve　of　the　population　are　lunatics。＇

Of　the　population　of　the　town　the　majority　are　said　to　be　Chinese；　and
still　their　crowded　junks　are　rolling　down　on　the　north…east　monsoon。
As　I　remarked　before；　the　coasting　trade　of　the　Straits　of　Malacca　is
in　their　hands；　and　to　such　an　extent　have　they　absorbed　the　trade　of
this　colony；　that　I　am　told　there　is　not　a　resident　British　merchant　in
Malacca。　And　it　is　not；　as　elsewhere；　that　they　come；　make　money；　and
then　return　to　settle　in　China；　but　they　come　here　with　their　wives　and
families；　buy　or　build　these　handsome　houses；　as　well　as　large
bungalows　in　the　neighboring　cocoa…groves；　own　most　of　the　plantations
up　the　country；　and　have　obtained　the　finest　site　on　the　hill　behind
the　town　for　their　stately　tombs。　Every　afternoon　their　carriages　roll
out　into　the　country；　conveying　them　to　their　substantial　bungalows