the golden chersonese and the way thither-第36章

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Menangkabau；　and　after　a　prolonged　conflict　this　prince　became
sovereign　of　the　little　States　of　Sungei　Ujong；　Rumbow；　Johol；　and　Sri
Menanti；　the　chiefs　of　these　States　constituting　his　Council　of　State。
This　dynasty　came　to　an　end　in　1832；　and　intrigues　and　discord
prevailed　for　many　years；　till　the　Datu　Klana　of　Sungei　Ujong；　troubled
by　a　hostile　neighbor　in　Rumbow　and　a　hostile　subject　or　rival　at　home；
conceived　the　bright　idea　of　supporting　his　somewhat　shaky　throne　by
British　protection。

After　some　curious　negotiations；　he　succeeded　in　obtaining　both　a
Resident　and　the　English　flag　to　protect　his　little　fortunes；　but　it　is
obvious　that　his　calling　in　foreign　intervention　was　not　likely　to　make
him　popular　with　his　independent　neighbors　or　disaffected　subjects；　and
the　troubles　culminated　in　a　〃little　war；〃　in　which　the　attacking　force
was　composed　of　a　few　English　soldiers；　Malay　military　police；　and　a
body　of　about　eighty　so…called　Arabs；　enlisted　in　Singapore　and　taken
to　the　scene　of　action　by　Mr。　Fontaine。　The　〃enemy〃　was　seldom　obvious；
but　during　the　war　it　inflicted　a　loss　upon　us　of　eight　killed　and
twenty…three　wounded。　We　took　various　stockades；　shot　from　sixty　to
eighty　Malays；　burned　a　good　deal　of　what　was　combustible；　and　gave
stability　to　the　shaky　rule　of　the　Datu　Klana；　Syed　Abdulrahman。　Of
this　prince；　who　owed　his　firm　seat　on　the　throne　to　British
intervention；　the　Resident　wrote　in　1880：〃Loyal　to　his　engagements；
he　had　gained　the　good　will　of　the　British　Government。
Straightforward；　honest；　and　truly　charitable；　he　had　gained　the　love
and　respect　of　almost　everyone　in　Sungei　Ujong；　Chinese　as　well　as
Malay；　and　if　he　had　a　fault　he　erred　on　the　side　of　a　weak　belief　in
the　goodness　of　human　nature；　and　often　suffered　in　consequence。〃　This
was　Captain　Murray's　verdict　after　nearly　five　years'　experience。

The　population　of　this　tiny　State；　which　in　1832　consisted　of　three
thousand　two　hundred　Malays　and　four　hundred　Chinese；　at　the　time　of　my
visit　had　risen　to　twelve　thousand；　composed　of　three　Europeans；　a　few
Klings；　two　thousand　Malays；　and　ten　thousand　Chinese。　It　exports　tin
in　large　quantities；　gutta…percha　collected　in　the　interior　by　the
aborigines；　coffee；　which　promises　to　become　an　important　production；
buffalo　hides；　gum　dammar；　and　gharroo。　In　1879　the　exports　amounted　to
81；976　pounds；　81；451　pounds　being　the　value　of　tin。　Its　imports　are
little　more　than　half　this　amount。　Rice　heads　the　list　with　an　import
of　18；150　pounds　worth；　and　opium　comes　next；　valued　at　14；448　pounds。
The　third　import　in　value　is　oil；　the　next　Chinese　tobacco；　the　next
sugar；　the　next　salt　fish；　and　the　next　pigs！　The　Chinese；　of　course；
consume　most　of　what　is　imported；　being　in　a　majority　of　five　to　one；
and　here　as　elsewhere　they　carry　with　them　their　rigid　conservatism　in
dress；　mode　of　living；　food；　and　amusements；　and　have　a　well…organized
and　independent　system　of　communication　with　China。　It　is　the　Chinese
merchant；　not　the　British；　who　benefits　by　the　rapidly　augmenting
Chinese　population。　Thus　in　the　import　list　the　Chinese　tobacco；　pigs；
lard；　onions；　beans；　vermicelli；　salted　vegetables；　tea；　crackers；
joss…sticks；　matches；　Chinese　candles；　Chinese　clothing；　Chinese
umbrellas；　and　several　other　small　items；　are　all　imported　from　China。

Having　been　debited　with　a　debt　of　10；000　pounds　for　war　expenses；　to
be　paid　off　by　installments；　the　finances　were　much　hampered；　and　the
execution　of　road…making　and　other　useful　work　has　been　delayed。　This
war　debt；　heavy　as　it　was；　was　exclusive　of　6；000　pounds　previously
paid　off；　and　of　heavy　disbursements　made　to　supply　food　and　forage　for
the　British　soldiers　who　were　quartered　in　Sungei　Ujong　for　a
considerable　time。　Apart　from　this　harassing　debt；　the　expenses　are
pre…eminently　for　〃establishments；〃　the　construction　of　roads　and
bridges；　and　pensions　to　Rajahs　whose　former　sources　of　revenue　have
been　interfered　with　or　abolished。　The　sources　of　revenue　are　to　some
extent　remarkable；　and　it　is　possible　that　some　of　them　might　be
altogether　abolished　if　public　attention　became　focussed　upon　them。
Export　duties　are　levied　only　on　tin；　the　great　product　of　Sungei
Ujong；　and　gutta…percha。　The　chief　import　duty　is　on　opium；　and　in　1879
this　produced　4；182　pounds；　or　about　one…fourth　of　the　whole　revenue。
Besides　this　fruitful　and　growing　source　of　income；　3；074　pounds　was
raised　in　1879　under　the　head　〃Farms；〃　a　most　innocuous　designation　of
a　system　which　has　nothing　to　do　with　the　〃kindly　fruits　of　the　earth〃
at　all；　but　with　spirits；　gambling；　oil；　salt；　opium；　and　a　lottery！　In
other　words；　the　〃farms〃　are　so　many　monopolies；　sold　at　intervals　to
the　highest　bidder；　the　〃gambling　farm〃　being　the　most　lucrative　of　the
lot　to　the　Government；　and　of　course　to　the　〃farmer〃！

The　prison　expenses　are　happily　small；　and　the　hospital　expenses　also；
owing　mainly　in　the　former　case　to　the　efforts　of　the　〃Capitans　China；〃
who　are　responsible　for　their　countrymen；　and　in　the　latter　to　the
extreme　healthiness　of　the　climate。　The　military　police　force　now
consists　of　a　European　superintendent；　ninety…four　constables；　paid
45s。　per　month；　and　twelve　officers；　all　Malays；　but　as　it　is　Malay
nature　to　desire　a　change；　and　it　is　found　impossible　to　retain　the　men
for　any　lengthened　periods；　it　is　proposed　to　employ　Sikhs；　as　in
Perak。

Sungei　Ujong；　like　the　other　States　of　the　Peninsula；　is　almost
entirely　covered　with　forests；　now　being　cleared　to　some　extent　by
tapioca；　gambier；　and　coffee…planters。　Its　jungles　are　magnificent；　its
hill　scenery　very　beautiful；　and　its　climate　singularly　healthy。
Pepper；　coffee；　tapioca；　cinchona；　and　ipecacuanha；　are　being　tried
successfully；　burnt　earth；　of　which　the　natives　have　a　great　opinion；
and　leaf　mould　being　used　in　the　absence　of　other　manure。

The　rainfall　is　supposed　to　average　100　inches　a　year；　and　since
thermometrical　observations　have　been　taken　the　mercury　has　varied　from
68　degrees　to　92　degrees。　From　the　mangrove　swamps　at　the　mouths　of
turbid；　sluggish　rivers；　where　numberless　alligators　dwell　in　congenial
slime；　the　State　gradually　rises　inland；　passing　through　all　the
imaginable　wealth　of　tropical　vegetation　and　produce　till　it　becomes
hilly；　if　not　mountainous。　Sparkling　streams　dash　through　limestone
fissures；　the　air　is　clear；　and　the　nights　are　fresh　and　cool。　Its
mineral　wealth　lies　in　its　tin　mines；　which　have　been　worked　mainly　by
Chinamen　for　a　great　number　of　years。

The　British　Resident；　who　was　called　in　to　act　as　adviser；　is
practically　the　ruler　of　this　little　State；　and　the　arrangement　seems
to　give　tolerable　satisfaction。　At　all　events　it　has　secured　to　Sungei
Ujong　since　the　war　an　amount　of　internal　tranquillity　which　is　not
possessed　by　the　adjacent　States　which　are　still　under　native　rule；
though　probably　the　dread　of　British　intervention　and　of　being　reduced
to　mere　nominal　sovereignty；　being　〃pensioned　off〃　in　fact；　keeps　the
Rajahs　from　indulging　in　the　feuds　and　exactions　of　former　years。　Since
my　visit　the　Datu　Klana　died　of　dysentery　near　Jeddah　in　Arabia　in
returning　from　a　pilgrimage　to　Mecca；　and　three　out　of　six　of　his
followers　perished　of　the　same　disease。　The　succession　was　quietly
arranged；　but　the　hope　that　the　State　to　which　its　late　ruler　was
intensely；　even　patriotically　attached　might　remain　prosperous　under
the　new　Rajah；　has　not　been　altogether　fulfilled。　Affairs　are　certainly
not　as　satisfactory　as　they　were；　judging　from　recent　official
statements。　The　import　of　opium　has　largely　increased。　Rice　planting
had　failed　owing　to　the　mortality　and　sickness　among　the　buffaloes　used
in　ploughing；　the　scanty　crop　was　nearly　destroyed　by　rats；　and　the
Malays　had　shown　a　〃determined　opposition〃　to　taking　out　titles　to
their　lands。

The　new　Datu　Klana　is　very　unpopular；　and　so　remarkably　weak　in
character　as　not　to　be　able　to　bring　any　influence　to　bear　upon　the
settlement　of　any　difficult　question。　The　Datu　Bandar　（alluded　to　in　my
letter）　is　entirely　opposed　to　progress　of　every　kind；　and；　having　a
great　deal　of　influence；　obstructs　the　present　Resident　in　every