the golden chersonese and the way thither-第56章

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and　in　front　of　the　police　station　a　number　of　forlorn…looking　Malays
are　sitting　motionless　hour　after　hour。　The　Chinese　have　a　row　of　shops
above　the　river　bank；　and　even　on　this　deadly…looking　shore　they
display　some　purpose　and　energy。　Mrs。　Daly　and　I　are　sitting　in　Mr。
Hawley's　side　veranda　with　the　bubbling　swamp　below　us。　She　reads　a
dull　novel；　I　watch　the　dead　life；　pen　in　hand；　and　think　how　I　can
convey　any　impression　of　it　to　you。　The　Resident　has　gone　snipe…
shooting　to　replenish　our　larder。　A　boat　now　and　then　crosses　from　the
Perak　side；　a　sauntering　Malay　occasionally　joins　the　squatting　group；
a　fishing　hawk　now　and　then　swoops　down　upon　a　fish；　a　policeman
occasionally　rouses　up　the　wretch　in　the　cage；　and　so　the　torrid　hours
pass。

I　take　this　up　again　as　the　dew　falls；　and　the　sea　takes　on　the
coloring　of　a　dying　dolphin。　The　Resident　returned　with　a　good　bag　of
snipe；　and　with　Rajah　Odoot；　a　gentle；　timid…looking　man；　and　another
Rajah　with　an　uncomfortable；　puzzled　face；　took　his　place　at　a　table；　a
policeman　with　a　brace　of　loaded　revolvers　standing　behind　him。
Policemen　filed　in；　one　or　two　cases　were　tried　and　dismissed；　the
Malay　witnesses　trembling　from　head　to　foot；　and　then　the　wretch　from
the　cage　was　brought　in　looking　hardly　human；　as；　from　under　his
shaggy；　unshaven　hair　and　unplaited　pigtail　which　hung　over　his　chest；
he　cast　furtive；　frightened　glances　at　the　array　before　him。　He　was
charged　with　being　a　waif。　A　Malay　had　picked　him　up　at　sea　in　a　boat；
of　which　he　could　give　no　account；　neither　of　himself。　So　he　is
supposed　to　have　been　implicated　in　the　murder　of　Mr。　Lloyd；　and　we　are
bringing　him；　heavily　ironed；　and　his　boat　up　to　Pinang。　I　wonder　how
many　of　the　feelings　which　we　call　human　exist　in　the　lowest　order　of
Orientals！　It　is　certain　that　many　of　them　only　regard　kindness　as　a
confession　of　weakness。　The　Chinese　seem　specially　inscrutable；　no　one
seems　really　to　understand　them。　Even　the　Canton　missionaries　said　that
they　knew　nearly　nothing　of　them　and　their　feelings。　This　wretched
criminal；　with　his　possible　association　with　a　brutal　murder；　is　a　most
piteous　object　on　deck；　and　comes　between　me　and　the　enjoyment　of　this
entrancing　evening。

We　reembarked　late　in　the　afternoon；　and　with　the　flood…tide　in　our
favor　have　left　Selangor　behind。　It　has　impressed　me　unfavorably　as
compared　with　Sungei　Ujong。　Of　Kwalor　Lumpor　I　cannot　give　any　opinion；
but　I　have　seen　no　signs　of　progress　or　life　anywhere　else。　The　people
of　the　State　are　harassed　by　vexatious　imposts　which　yield　very　little；
cost　a　great　deal　to　collect；　repress　industry；　and　drive　away
population。　Among　such　are　taxes　on　individuals　moving　about　the
country　up　or　down　the　rivers；　cutting　wood　or　in　boats；　oppressively
heavy　export　duties　on　certain　kinds　of　produce；　and　ad　valorem　duties
on　all　articles　of　import　and　export　not　otherwise　specially　taxed。　The
costs　of　litigation　are　enormous；　and　the　legal　expenses　to　litigants
are　as　great　as　in　settlements　where　with　the　same　money　every
advantage　can　be　obtained。　The　stamps　on　all　legal　documents　are　also
oppressive。　The　various　departments　are　said　to　be　in　a　state　of
〃hugger…mugger。〃

With　all　this　there　is　a　good　deal　of　display　of　military　power　on　a
small　scale；　and　of　such　over…aweing　implements　as　bayonets　and
revolvers；　together　with　marching　and　counter…marching；　body…guards　and
guards　of　honor。　There　must　surely　be　a　want　of　the　right　kind　of　vigor
in　the　administration；　and　a　〃laisser　aller〃　on　the　part　of　some　of　the
minor　officials；　the　result　of　which　is　that　the　great　capabilities　of
the　State　are　not　developed；　and　its　resources　seem　very　little　known。
There　has　not　been　any　disturbance　in　Selangor　since　1874；　and　as
neither　the　Sultan；　the　Malays；　nor　the　Chinese　have　ever　raised
objections　of　any　serious　kind　to　the　proposals　of　the　British
advisers；　the　〃far　back〃　state　of　things　is　very　singular。

Mr。　Syers；　the　superintendent　of　military　police；　appears　a　thoroughly
efficient　man；　as　sensible　in　his　views　of　what　would　conduce　to　the
advancement　of　the　State　as　he　is　conscientious　and　careful　in　all
matters　of　detail　which　concern　his　rather　complicated　position。　He　is
a　student　of　the　people　and　of　the　country；　speaks　Malay　fluently；　and
for　a　European　seems　to　have　a　sympathetic　understanding　of　the　Malays；
is　studying　the　Chinese　and　their　language；　as　well　as　the　flora；
fauna；　and　geology　of　the　country；　and　is　altogether　unpretending。　I
have　formed　a　very　high　opinion　of　him　and　should　rely　implicitly　on
anything　which　he　told　me　as　a　fact。　This　is　a　great　blessing；　for
conflicting　statements　on　every　subject；　and　the　difficulty　of
estimating　which　one　comes　probably　nearest　the　truth；　are　among　the
great　woes　of　traveling！

I。　L。　B。



LETTER　XVII

The　DindingsThe　Tragedy　on　Pulu　PangkorA　Tropic　SunriseSir　W。
Robinson's　Departure〃A　Touch　of　the　Sun〃Kling　BeautyA　Question
and　AnswerThe　Bazaars　of　GeorgetownThe　Chinaman　Goes　AheadThe
Products　of　PinangPepper…Planting


HOTEL　DE　L'EUROPE；　PINANG；　February　9。

In　the　evening　we　reached　the　Dindings；　a　lovely　group　of　small　islands
ceded　to　England　by　the　Pangkor　Treaty；　and　just　now　in　the　height　of
an　unenviable　notoriety。　The　sun　was　low　and　the　great　heat　past；　the
breeze　had　died　away；　and　in　the　dewy　stillness　the　largest　of　the
islands　looked　unspeakably　lovely　as　it　lay　in　the　golden　light　between
us　and　the　sun；　forest…covered　to　its　steep　summit；　its　rocky
promontories　running　out　into　calm；　deep；　green　water；　and　forming
almost　land…locked　bays；　margined　by　shores　of　white　coral　sand　backed
by　dense　groves　of　cocoa…palms　whose　curving　shadows　lay　dark　upon　the
glassy　sea。　Here　and　there　a　Malay　house　in　the　shade　indicated　man　and
his　doings；　but　it　was　all　silent。

On　a　high；　steep　point　there　is　a　small　clearing　on　which　stands　a　mat
bungalow　with　an　attap　roof；　and　below　this　there　is　a　mat　police
station；　but　it　was　all　desolate；　nothing　stirred；　and　though　we　had
intended　to　spend　the　early　hours　of　the　night　at　the　Dindings；　we　only
lay　a　short　time　in　the　deep　shadow　upon　the　clear　green　water；
watching　scarlet　fish　playing　in　the　coral　forests；　and　the　exquisite
beauty　of　the　island　with　its　dense　foliage　in　dark　relief　against　the
cool　lemon　sky。　Peace　brooded　over　the　quiet　shores；　heavy　aromatic
odors　of　night…blooming　plants　wrapped　us　round；　the　sun　sank　suddenly；
the　air　became　cool；　it　was　a　dream　of　tropic　beauty。

〃Chalakar！　Bondo！〃　Those　jarring　sounds　seemed　to　have　something
linking　them　with　the　tragedy　of　which　the　peaceful…looking　bungalow
was　lately　the　scene；　and　of　which　you　have　doubtless　read。　A　Chinese
gang　swooped　down　upon　the　house　from　behind；　beating　gongs　and
shouting。　　Captain　Lloyd　got　up　to　see　what　was　the　matter；　and　was
felled　by　a　hatchet；　calling　out　to　his　wife　for　his　revolver。　This　had
been　abstracted；　and　the　locks　had　been　taken　off　his　fowling…pieces。
The　ayah　fled　to　the　jungle　in　the　confusion；　taking　with　her　the　three
children；　the　youngest　only　four　weeks　old。　The　wretches　then
fractured；　Mrs。　Lloyd's　skull　with　the　hatchet；　and　having　stunned　Mrs。
Innes；　who　was　visiting　her；　they　pushed　the　senseless　bodies　under　the
bed；　and　were　preparing　to　set　fire　to　it　when　something　made　them
depart。

No　more　is　likely　to　be　known。　The　police　must　either　have　been
cowardly　or　treacherous。　The　Pyah　Pekket　called　the　next　day　and
brought　the　frightfully　mangled　corpse；　Mrs。　　Lloyd；　whose　reason　was
overturned；　and　Mrs。　Innes；　on　here。　It　is　supposed　that　the　Chinese
secret　societies　have　frustrated　justice。　A　wretch　is　to　be　hanged　here
for　the　crime　this　morning　on　his　own　confession；　but　it　is　believed
that　he　was　doomed　to　sacrifice　himself　by　one　of　these　societies；　in
order　to　screen　the　real　murderers。　The　contrast　was　awful　between　the
island　looking　so　lovely　in　the　evening　light；　and　this　horrid　deed
which　has　desolated　it。

The　mainland　approaches　close　to　the　Dindings；　but　the　mangrove　swamps
of　Selangor　had　given　place　to　lofty　ranges；　forest　covered；　and　a
white　coral　strand　fringed　with　palm