the golden chersonese and the way thither-第32章

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beneath　the　house　to　smoke　away　the　mosquitoes。　A　baboon；　trained　to
climb　the　cocoa　palms　and　throw　down　the　nuts；　is　an　inmate　of　most　of
the　houses。

The　people　lead　strange　and　uneventful　lives。　The　men　are　not　inclined
to　much　effort　except　in　fishing　or　hunting；　and；　where　they　possess
rice　land；　in　ploughing　for　rice。　　They　are　said　to　be　quiet；
temperate；　jealous；　suspicious；　some　say　treacherous；　and　most　bigoted
Mussulmen。　The　women　are　very　small；　keep　their　dwellings　very　tidy；
and　weave　mats　and　baskets　from　reeds　and　palm　leaves。　They　are　clothed
in　cotton　or　silk　from　the　ankles　to　the　throat；　and　the　men；　even　in
the　undress　of　their　own　homes；　usually　wear　the　sarong；　a　picturesque
tightish　petticoat；　consisting　of　a　wide　piece　of　stuff　kept　on　by　a
very　ingenious　knot。　They　are　not　savages　in　the　ordinary　sense；　for
they　have　a　complete　civilization　of　their　own；　and　their　legal　system
is　derived　from　the　Koran。

They　are　dark　brown；　with　rather　low　foreheads；　dark　and　somewhat
expressionless　eyes；　high　cheek　bones；　flattish　noses　with　broad
nostrils；　and　wide　mouths　with　thick　lips。　　Their　hair　is　black；
straight　and　shining；　and　the　women　dress　it　in　a　plain　knot　at　the
back　of　the　head。　To　my　thinking；　both　sexes　are　decidedly　ugly；　and
there　is　a　coldness　and　aloofness　of　manner　about　them　which　chills　one
even　where　they　are　on　friendly　terms　with　Europeans；　as　the　people
whom　we　visited　were　with　Mrs。　Biggs。

The　women　were　lounging　about　the　houses；　some　cleaning　fish；　others
pounding　rice；　but　they　do　not　care　for　work；　and　the　little　money
which　they　need　for　buying　clothes　they　can　make　by　selling　mats；　or
jungle　fruits。　Their　lower　garment；　or　sarong；　reaching　from　the　waist
to　the　ankles；　is　usually　of　red　cotton　of　a　small　check；　with　stripes
in　the　front；　above　which　is　worn　a　loose　sleeved　garment；　called　a
kabaya；　reaching　to　the　knees；　and　clasped　in　front　with　silver　or
gold；　and　frequently　with　diamond　ornaments。　They　also　wear　gold　or
silver　pins　in　their　hair；　and　the　sarong　is　girt　or　held　up　by　a　clasp
of　enormous　size；　and　often　of　exquisite　workmanship；　in　the　poorer
class　of　silver；　and　in　the　richer　of　gold　jeweled　with　diamonds　and
rubies。　The　sarong　of　the　men　does　not　reach　much　below　the　knee　and
displays　loose　trousers。　They　wear　above　it　a　short…sleeved　jacket；　the
baju；　beautifully　made；　and　often　very　tastefully　decorated　in　fine
needlework；　and　with　small　buttons　on　each　side；　not　for　use；　however。
I　have　seen　one　Malay　who　wore　about　twenty　buttons；　each　one　a　diamond
solitaire！　The　costume　is　completed　by　turbans　or　red　handkerchiefs
tied　round　their　heads。

In　these　forest　kampongs　the　children；　who　are　very　pretty；　are　not
encumbered　by　much　clothing；　specially　the　boys。　　All　the　dwellings　are
picturesque；　and　those　of　the　richer　Malays　are　beautiful。　They　rigidly
exclude　all　ornaments　which　have　〃the　likeness　of　anything　in　heaven　or
earth；〃　but　their　arabesques　are　delicately　carved；　and　the　verses　from
the　Koran；　which　occasionally　run　under　the　eaves；　being　in　the　Arabic
character；　are　decidedly　decorative。　　Their　kampongs　are　small；　and
they　have　little　of　the　gregarious　instinct；　they　are　said　to　live
happily；　and　to　have　a　considerable　amount　of　domestic　affection。
Captain　Shaw　likes　the　Malays；　and　the　verdict　on　them　here　is　that
they　are　chaste；　gentle；　honest　and　hospitable；　but　that　they　tell
lies；　and　that　their　〃honor〃　is　so　sensitive　that　blood　alone　can　wipe
out　some　insults　to　it。　They　seclude　their　women　to　a　great　extent；　and
under　ordinary　circumstances　the　slightest　courtesy　shown　by　a　European
man　to　a　Malay　woman　would　be　a　deadly　insult；　and　at　the　sight　of　a
man　in　the　distance　the　women　hastily　cover　their　faces。

There　is　a　large　mosque　with　a　minaret　just　on　the　outskirts　of
Malacca；　and　we　passed　several　smaller　ones　in　the　space　of　three
miles。　Scarcely　any　kampong　is　so　small　as　not　to　have　a　mosque。　The
Malays　are　bigoted；　and　for　the　most　part　ignorant　and　fanatical
Mohammedans；　and　I　firmly　believe　that　the　Englishman　whom　they　respect
most　is　only　a　little　removed　from　being　〃a　dog　of　an　infidel。〃　They
are　really　ruled　by　the　law　of　the　Koran；　and　except　when　the　Imaum；
who　interprets　the　law；　decides　（which　is　very　rarely　the　case）
contrary　to　equity；　the　British　magistrate　confirms　his　decision。　In
fact；　Mohammedan　law　and　custom　rule　in　civil　cases；　and　the　Imaum　of
the　mosque　assists　the　judge　with　his　advice。　The　Malays　highly
appreciate　the　manner　in　which　law　is　administered　under　English　rule；
and　the　security　they　enjoy　in　their　persons　and　property；　so　that　they
can　acquire　property　without　risk；　and　accumulate　and　wear　the
costliest　jewels　even　in　the　streets　of　Malacca　without　fear　of　robbery
or　spoliation。　This　is　by　no　means　to　write　that　the　Malays　love　us；
for　I　doubt　whether　the　entente　cordiale　between　any　of　the
dark…skinned　Oriental　races　and　ourselves　is　more　than　skin　deep。　It　is
possible　that　they　prefer　being　equitably　taxed　by　us；　with　the
security　which　our　rule　brings；　to　being　plundered　by　native　princes；
but　we　do　not　understand　them；　or　they　us；　and　where　they　happen　to　be
Mohammedans；　there　is　a　gulf　of　contempt　and　dislike　on　their　part
which　is　rarely　bridged　by　amenities　on　ours。　　The　pilgrimage　to　Mecca
is　the　great　object　of　ambition。　　Many　Malays；　in　spite　of　its　expense
and　difficulties；　make　it　twice；　and　even　three　times。　We　passed　three
women　clothed　in　white　from　head　to　foot；　their　drapery　veiling　them
closely；　leaving　holes　for　their　eyes。　These　had　just　returned　from
Mecca。　The　picturesqueness　of　the　drive　home　was　much　heightened　by　the
darkness；　and　the　brilliancy　of　the　fires　underneath　the　Malay　houses。
The　great　gray　buffalo　which　they　use　for　various　purposesand　which；
though　I　have　written　gray；　is　as　often　pinkhas　a　very　thin　and
sensitive　skin；　and　is　almost　maddened　by　mosquitoes；　and　we　frequently
passed　fires　lighted　in　the　jungle；　with　these　singular　beasts　standing
or　lying　close　to　them　in　the　smoke　on　the　leeward　side；　while　Malays
in　red　sarongs　and　handkerchiefs；　and　pretty　brown　children　scarcely
clothed　at　all；　lounged　in　the　firelight。　Then　Chinese　lamps　and
lanterns；　and　the　sound　of　what　passes　for　music；　then　the　refinement
and　brightness　of　the　Government　bungalow；　and　at　ten　o'clock　my　chair
with　three　bearers；　and　the　solitude　of　the　lonely　Stadthaus。

I。　L。　B。



LETTER　X

Malacca　MediaevalismTiger　StoriesThe　Chinese　CarnivalGold　and
GemsA　Weight　of　SplendorNew…Year　RejoicingsSyed　AbdulrahmanA
Mohammedan　PrincessA　Haunted　CityFrancis　XavierThe　Reward　of
〃Pluck〃Projects　of　Travel


STADTHAUS；　MALACCA；　January　23。

Malacca　fascinates　me　more　and　more　daily。　There　is；　among　other
things；　a　mediaevalism　about　it。　The　noise　of　the　modern　world　reaches
it　only　in　the　faintest　echoes；　its　sleep　is　almost　dreamless；　its
sensations　seem　to　come　out　of　books　read　in　childhood。　Thus；　the
splendid　corpse　of　a　royal　tiger　has　been　brought　in　in　a　bullock…cart；
the　driver　claiming　the　reward　of　fifteen　dollars；　and　its　claws　were
given　to　me。　It　was　trapped　only　six　miles　off；　and　its　beautiful
feline　body　had　not　had　time　to　stiffen。　　Even　when　dead；　with　its
fierce　head　and　cruel　paws　hanging　over　the　end　of　the　cart；　it　was　not
an　object　to　be　disrespected。　The　same　reward　is　offered　for　a
rhinoceros；　five　dollars　for　a　crocodile　（alligator？）　and　five　dollars
for　a　boa…constrictor　or　python。　Lately；　at　five　in　the　morning；　a
black　tiger　（panther？）　came　down　the　principal　street　of　Malacca；　tore
a　Chinamen　in　pieces；　and　then；　scared　by　a　posse　of　police　in　pursuit；
jumped　through　a　window　into　a　house。　Every　door　in　the　city　was
barred；　as　the　rumor　spread　like　wildfire。　The　policemen　very　boldly
entered　the　house；　but　the　animal　pinned　the　Malay　corporal　to　the
wall。　The　second　policeman；　a　white　man；　alas！　ran　away。　The　third；　a
Malay；　at　the　risk　of　his　life；　went　close　up　to　the　tiger；　shot　him；
and　beat　him　over　the　head　with　the　butt　of　his　rifle；　which　made　the
beast　let　go　the　corporal　and　turn　on　him；　but　fortunately　he　had
scarcely　got　ho