the golden chersonese and the way thither-第53章

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in　the　sun；　and　the　swarthy；　richly…costumed　throng　on　the　palm…shaded
slopes；　were　a　beautiful　sight。　The　most　interesting　figure　to　me　was
that　of　the　reforming　heir；　the　bigoted　Moslem　in　his　gold…colored
baju；　with　his　swarthy　face；　singular　and　almost　sinister　expression；
and　his　total　lack　of　all　Western　fripperies　of　dress。　I　think　that
there　may　be　trouble　when　he　comes　to　the　throne；　at　least　if　the
present　arrangements　continue。　　He　does　not　look　like　a　man　who　would
be　content　to　be　a　mere　registrar　of　the　edicts　of　〃a　dog　of　an
infidel。〃

The　Sultan　has　a　〃godown〃　containing　great　treasures；　concerning　which
he　leads　an　anxious　lifehoards　of　diamonds　and　rubies；　and　priceless
damascened　krises；　with　scabbards　of　pure　gold　wrought　into　marvelous
devices　and　incrusted　with　precious　stones。　On　Mr。　Douglas's　suggestion
（as　I　understood）　he　sent　a　kris　with　an　elaborate　gold　scabbard　to　the
Governor；　saying：　〃It　is　not　from　the　Sultan　to　the　Governor；　_but　from
a　friend　to　a　friend_。〃　He　seems　anxious　for　Selangor　to　〃get　on。〃　He
is　making　a　road　at　Langat　at　his　own　expense；　and　acting；　doubtless；
under　British　advice；　has　very　cordially　agreed　that　the　odious　system
of　debt　slavery　shall　be　quietly　dropped　from　among　the　institutions　of
Selangor。

When　this　audience　was　over　I　asked　to　be　allowed　to　visit　the　Sultana；
and；　with　Mrs。　Ferney　as　interpreter；　went　to　the　harem；　accompanied　by
the　Rajah　Moussa。　It　is　a　beautiful　house；　of　one　very　large；　lofty
room；　part　of　which　is　divided　into　apartments　by　heavy　silk　curtains。
One　end　of　it　is　occupied　by　a　high　dais　covered　with　fine　mats；　below
which　is　another　dais　covered　with　Persian　carpets。　On　this　the　Sultana
received　us；　the　Rajah　Moussa；　who　is　not　her　son；　and　ourselves
sitting　on　chairs。　If　I　understood　rightly　that　this　prince　is　not　her
son；　I　do　not　see　how　it　is　that　he　can　go　into　the　women's　apartments。
Two　guards　sat　on　the　floor　just　within　the　door；　and　numbers　of　women；
some　of　them　in　white　veils；　followers　of　the　Sultana；　sat　in　rows　also
on　the　floor。

It　must　be　confessed　that　the　〃light　of　the　harem〃　is　not　beautiful。
She　looks　nearly　middle…aged。　She　is　short　and　fat；　with　a　flat　nose；
open　wide　nostrils；　thick　lips；　and　filed　teeth；　much　blackened　by
betel…nut　chewing。　Her　expression　is　pleasant；　and　her　manner　is
prepossessing。　　She　wore　a　rich；　striped；　red　silk　sarong；　and　a　very
short；　green　silk　kabaya　with　diamond　clasps；　but　I　saw　very　little　of
her　dress　or　herself；　because　she　was　almost　enveloped　in　a　pure　white
veil　of　a　fine　woolen　material　spangled　with　gold　stars；　and　she
concealed　so　much　of　her　face　with　it；　in　consequence　of　the　presence
of　the　Rajah　Moussa；　that　I　only　rarely　got　a　glimpse　of　the
magnificent　diamond　solitaires　in　her　ears。　Our　conversation　was　not
brilliant；　and　the　Sultana　looked　to　me　as　if　she　had　attained　nirvana；
and　had　〃neither　ideas　nor　the　consciousness　of　the　absence　of　ideas。〃
We　returned　and　took　leave　of　the　Sultan；　and　after　we　left　I　caught　a
glimpse　of　him　lounging　at　ease　in　a　white　shirt　and　red　sarong；　all
his　gorgeousness　having　disappeared。

After　we　returned　to　the　bungalow　the　Sultan　sent　me　a　gift。　Eight
attendants　dressed　in　pure　white　came　into　the　room　in　single　file；　and
each　bowing　to　the　earth；　sat　down　a　brass　salver；　with　its　contents
covered　with　a　pure　white　cloth。　Again　bowing；　they　uncovered　them；　and
displayed　the　fruitage　of　the　tropics。　There　were　young　cocoa…nuts；
gold…colored　bananas　of　the　kind　which　the　Sultan　eats；　papayas；　and
clusters　of　a　species　of　jambu；　a　pear…shaped　fruit；　beautiful　to　look
at；　each　fruit　looking　as　if　made　of　some　transparent；　polished　white
wax　with　a　pink　flush　on　one　side。　The　Rajah　Moussa　also　arrived　and
took　coffee；　and　the　verandas　were　filled　with　his　followers。　Every
Rajah　goes　about　attended；　and　seems　to　be　esteemed　according　to　the
size　of　his　following。

We　left　this　remote　and　beautiful　place　at　noon；　and　after　a　delightful
cruise　of　five　hours　down　the　Jugra；　and　among　islands　floating　on　a
waveless　sea；　we　reached　dreary；　decayed　Klang　in　the　evening。

I。　L。　B。



LETTER　XV

Tiger　MosquitoesInsect　TormentsA　Hadji's　FateMalay　CustomOaths
and　LiesA　False　Alarm


THE　RESIDENCY；　KLANG；　February　7。

I　have　had　two　days　of　supposed　quiet　here　after　the　charming
expedition　to　Langat。　The　climate　seems　very　healthy。　The　mercury　has
been　87　degrees　daily；　but　then　it　falls　to　74　degrees　at　night。　The
barometer；　as　is　usual　so　near　the　equator；　varies　only　a　few　tenths　of
an　inch　during　the　year。　The　rainfall　is　about　130　inches　annually。　　It
is　most　abundant　in　January；　February　and　March；　and　at　the　change　of
the　monsoon；　and　there　is　enough　all　the　year　round　to　keep　vegetation
in　beauty。　Here；　on　uninteresting　cleared　land　with　a　featureless
foreground　and　level　mangrove　swamps　for　the　middle　distance；　it　must
be　terribly　monotonous　to　have　no　change　of　seasons；　no　hope　of　the
mercury　falling　below　80　degrees　in　the　daytime；　or　of　a　bracing　wind；
or　of　any　marked　climatic　changes　for　better　or　worse　all　life　through。

The　mosquitoes　are　awful；　but　after　a　few　months　of　more　or　less
suffering　the　people　who　live　here　become　inoculated　by　the　poison；　and
are　more　bothered　than　hurt　by　the　bites。　I　am　almost　succumbing　to
them。　The　ordinary　pests　are　bad　enough；　for　just　when　the　evenings
become　cool；　and　sitting　on　the　veranda　would　be　enjoyable；　they　begin
their　foray；　and　specially　attack　the　feet　and　ankles；　but　the　tiger
mosquitoes　of　this　region　bite　all　day；　and　they　do　embitter　life。　In
the　evening　all　the　gentlemen　put　on　sarongs　over　their　trousers　to
protect　themselves；　and　ladies　are　provided　with　sarongs　which　we　draw
over　our　feet　and　dresses；　but　these　wretches　bite　through　two　〃ply〃　of
silk　or　cotton；　and；　in　spite　of　all　precautions；　I　am　dreadfully
bitten　on　my　ankles；　feet；　and　arms；　which　are　so　swollen　that　I　can
hardly　draw　on　my　sleeves；　and　for　two　days　stockings　have　been　an
impossibility；　and　I　have　had　to　sew　up　my　feet　daily　in　linen！　The
swellings　from　the　bites　have　become　confluent；　and　are　scarlet　with
inflammation。　It　is　truly　humiliating　that　〃the　crown　of　things〃　cannot
defend　himself　against　these　minute　enemies；　and　should　be　made　as
miserable　as　I　am　just　now。

But　it　is　a　most　healthy　climate；　and　when　I　write　of　mosquitoes；　land
leeches；　centipedes　and　snakes；　I　have　said　my　say　as　to　its　evils。　I
will　now　confess　that　I　was　bitten　by　a　centipede　in　my　bath…house　in
Sungei　Ujong；　but　I　at　once　cut　the　bite　deeply　with　a　penknife；
squeezed　it；　and　poured　ammonia　recklessly　over　it；　and　in　a　few　hours
the　pain　and　swelling　went　off。

I　had　been　to　the　fort；　the　large　barrack　of　the　military　police；　and
Mr。　Syers　showed　me　many　things。　In　the　first　place；　a　snake　about
eight　feet　long　was　let　out　and　killed。　The　Malays　call　this　a
〃two…headed〃　snake；　and　there　is　enough　to　give　rise　to　the　ignorant
statement；　for　after　the　proper　head　was　dead　the　tail　stood　up　and
moved　forward。　The　skin　of　this　reptile　was　marked　throughout　with
broad　bands　of　black　and　white　alternately。　There　was　an　ill…favored
skull　of　a　crocodile　hanging　up　to　dry；　with　teeth　three　inches　long。
One　day　lately　a　poor　Hadji　was　carried　off　by　one；　and　shortly
afterwards　this　monster　was　caught；　and　on　opening　it　they　found　the
skull　of　the　Hadji；　part　of　his　body；　a　bit　of　his　clothing；　and　part
of　a　goat。　I　brought　away　as　spoils　tiger's　teeth　and　claws；
crocodile's　teeth；　bear's　teeth；　etc。

I　went　also　to　the　Government　offices。　The　skin　of　a　superb　tiger；
which　was　killed　close　to　Klang　after　it　had　devoured　six　men；
decorated　the　entrance。　I　heard　two　cases　tried　before　the　Resident。
The　first　criminal　was　a　Malay；　who　was　〃in　trouble〃　for　the　very
British　crime　of　nearly　beating　his　wife　to　death。　She　said　she　did　not
want　to　prosecute　him；　but　to　get　a　divorce。　She　was　told　to　apply　to
the　Imaum；　and　the　man　was　bound　over　to　keep　the　peace　for　six　months。
The　next　case　was　a　very　common　one　here；　and　the　court　was　crowded
with　Chinese　onlookers。　A　Chinaman　had　bought　a　girl　（very　nice…l