the golden chersonese and the way thither-第57章

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of　Selangor　had　given　place　to　lofty　ranges；　forest　covered；　and　a
white　coral　strand　fringed　with　palms。　It　was　a　lovely　night。　The
north…east　monsoon　was　fresh　and　steady；　and　the　stars　were　glorious。
It　was　very　hot　below；　but　when　I　went　up　on　deck　it　was　cool；　and　in
the　colored　dawn　we　were　just　running　up　to　the　island…group　of　which
Pinang　is　the　chief；　and　reached　the　channel　which　divides　it　from
Leper　Island　just　at　sunrise。　All　these　islands　are　densely　wooded；　and
have　rocky　shores。　　The　high　mountains　of　the　native　State　of　Kedah
close　the　view　to　the　north；　and　on　the　other　side　of　a　very　narrow
channel　are　the　palm　groves　and　sugar　plantations　of　Province
Wellesley。　The　Leper　Island　looked　beautiful　in　the　dewy　morning　with
its　stilted　houses　under　the　cocoa…palms；　and　the　island　of　Pinang；
with　its　lofty　peak；　dense　woods；　and　shores　fringed　with　palms
sheltering　Malay　kampongs；　each　with　its　prahus　drawn　up　on　the　beach；
looked　impressive　enough。

The　fierce　glory　of　a　tropic　sunrise　is　ever　a　new　delight。　　It　is
always　the　sun　of　the　Nineteenth　Psalm；　with　the　prevailing　yellow
color　of　the　eastern　sky　intensifying　in　one　spot；　a　cool；　lingering
freshness；　a　deepening　of　the　yellow　east　into　a　brilliant　rose　color；
till　suddenly；　〃like　a　glory；　the　broad　sun〃　wheels　above　the　horizon；
the　dew…bathed　earth　rejoices；　the　air　is　flooded　with　vitality；　all
things　which　rejoice　in　light　and　heat　come　forth；　night　birds　and
night　prowlers　retire；　and　we　pale　people　hastily　put　up　our　umbrellas
to　avoid　being　shriveled　in　less　than　ten　minutes　from　the　first
appearance　of　the　sun。

〃Pinang；〃　from　the　Pinang　or　areca…palm；　is　the　proper　name　of　the
island；　but　out　of　compliment　to　George　IV；　it　was　called　Prince　of
Wales　Island。　Georgetown　is　the　name　of　the　capital；　but　by　an　odd
freak　we　call　the　town　Penang；　and　spell　it　with　an　e　instead　of　an　i。

There　were　a　great　many　ships　and　junks　at　anchor；　and　the　huge　〃P。　and
O。〃　steamer　Peking；　and　there　was　a　state　of　universal　hurry　and
excitement；　for　a　large　number　of　the　officials　of　the　Colonial
Government　and　of　the　〃protected〃　States　are　here　to　meet　Sir　W。
Robinson；　the　Governor；　who　is　on　his　way　home　on　leave。　There　are
little　studies　of　human　nature　going　on　all　round。　Most　people　have
〃axes　to　grind。〃　There　are　people　pushing　rival　claims；　some　wanting
promotion；　others　leave；　some　frank　and　above…board　in　their　ways；
others　descending　to　mean　acts　to　gain　favor；　or　undermining　the　good
reputation　of　their　neighbors；　everybody　wanting　something；　and
usually；　as　it　seems；　at　the　expense　of　somebody　else！

Mr。　Douglas；　who　had　got　up　his　men　in　most　imposing　costume；　anchored
the　Abdulsamat　close　to　the　Peking；　and　at　once　went　on　board；　with　the
kris　with　the　gold　hilt　and　scabbard　presented　by　the　Sultan　of
Selangor。　In　the　meantime　the　Governor　sent　for　me　to　breakfast　on
board；　and　I　was　obliged　to　go　among　clean；　trim　people　without　having
time　to　change　my　traveling　dress。　On　deck　I　was　introduced　by　the
Governor　to　Mr。　Low；　the　Resident　in　Perak；　who　has　arranged　for　my
transit　thither；　and　to　Mr。　　Maxwell；　the　Assistant　Resident。　I　was　so
glad　that　I　had　no　claims　of　my　own　to　push　when　I　saw　the　many
perturbed　and　anxious　faces。　I　sat　next　Sir　William　Robinson　at
breakfast；　and　found　him　most　kind　and　courteous；　and　he　interested
himself　in　my　impressions　of　the　native　States。　　No　one　could　make　out
the　flags　on　the　Selangor　yacht；　four　squares　placed　diagonally；　two
yellow　and　two　red；　in　one　of　the　red　ones　a　star　and　crescent　in
yellow；　and　on　the　mizzenmast　the　same　flag　with　a　blue　ensign　as　one
of　the　squares！　I　wonder　if　the　faineant　Sultan　who　luxuriates　at
Langat　knows　anything　of　the　sensationalism　of　his　〃yacht。〃

Mr。　Douglas　took　me　back　to　the　launch　in　fierce　blazing　heat；　which
smote　me　just　as　I　put　down　my　umbrella　in　order　to　climb　up　her　side；
and　caused　me　to　fall　forward　with　a　sort　of　vertigo　and　an　icy　chill；
but　as　soon　as　I　arrived　here　I　poured　deluges　of　cold　water　on　my
head；　and　lay　down　with　an　iced　bandage　on；　and　am　now　much　better。　　In
nine　months　of　tropical　traveling；　and　exposure　on　horseback　without　an
umbrella　to　the　full　force　of　the　sun；　I　have　never　been　affected
before。　I　wear　a　white　straw　hat　with　the　sides　and　low　crown　thickly
wadded。　I　also　have　a　strip　four　inches　broad　of　three　thicknesses　of
wadding；　sewn　into　the　middle　of　the　back　of　my　jacket；　and　usually
wear　in　addition　a　coarse　towel　wrung　out　in　water；　folded　on　the　top
of　my　head；　and　hanging　down　the　back　of　my　neck。

Soon　after　I　came　into　the　salon　Mr。　Wood；　the　Puisne　Judge；　a　very
genial；　elderly　man；　called　and　took　me　to　his　house；　where　I　found　a
very　pleasant　party；　Sir　Thomas　Sidgreaves；　the　Chief　Justice；　Mr。
Maxwell；　the　Assistant　Resident　in　Perak；　Mr。　Walker；　appointed　to　the
（acting）　command　of　the　Sikh　force　in　Perak；　and　Mr。　Kinnersley；　a
Pinang　magistrate；　with　Mr。　Isemonger；　the　police　magistrate　of　the
adjacent　Province　Wellesley。　With　an　alteration　in　the　names　of　places
and　people；　the　conversation　was　just　what　I　have　heard　in　all　British
official　circles　from　Prince　Edward　Island　to　Singapore；　who　was　likely
to　go　home　on　leave；　who　might　get　a　step；　whether　the　Governor　would
return；　what　new　appointments　were　likely　to　be　created；　etc。；　the
interest　in　all　these　matters　being　intensified　by　the　recent　visit　of
Sir　W。　Robinson。　It　was　all　pleasant　and　interesting　to　me。

This　evening　the　moonlight　from　the　window　was　entrancingly　beautiful；
the　shadows　of　promontory　behind　promontory　lying　blackly　on　the　silver
water　amidst　the　scents　and　silences　of　the　purple　night。

As　one　lands　on　Pinang　one　is　impressed　even　before　reaching　the　shore
by　the　blaze　of　color　in　the　costumes　of　the　crowds　which　throng　the
jetty。　There　are　over　fifteen　thousand　Klings；　Chuliahs；　and　other
natives　of　India　on　the　island；　and　with　their　handsome　but　not　very
intellectual　faces；　their　Turkey…red　turbans　and　loin…cloths；　or　the
soft；　white　muslins　in　which　both　men　and　women　drape　themselves；　each
one　might　be　an　artist's　model。　The　Kling　women　here　are　beautiful　and
exquisitely　draped；　but　the　form　of　the　cartilage　of　the　nose　and　ears
is　destroyed　by　heavy　rings。　There　are　many　Arabs；　too；　who　are　wealthy
merchants　and　bankers。　One　of　them；　Noureddin；　is　the　millionaire　of
Pinang；　and　is　said　to　own　landed　property　here　to　the　extent　of
400；000　pounds。　There　are　more　than　twenty…one　thousand　Malays　on　the
island；　and　though　their　kampongs　are　mostly　scattered　among　the　palm…
groves；　their　red　sarongs　and　white　bajus　are　seen　in　numbers　in　the
streets；　but　I　have　not　seen　one　Malay　woman。　There　are　about　six
hundred　and　twelve　Europeans　in　the　town　and　on　Pinang；　but　they　make
little　show；　though　their　large　massive　bungalows；　under　the　shade　of
great　bread…fruit　and　tamarind…trees；　give　one　the　idea　of　wealth　and
solidity。

The　sight　of　the　Asiatics　who　have　crowded　into　Georgetown　is　a
wonderful　one；　Chinese；　Burmese；　Javanese；　Arabs；　Malays；　Sikhs；
Madrassees；　Klings；　Chuliahs；　and　Parsees；　and　still　they　come　in　junks
and　steamers　and　strange　Arabian　craft；　and　all　get　a　living；　depend
slavishly　on　no　one；　never　lapse　into　pauperism；　retain　their　own
dress；　customs；　and　religion；　and　are　orderly。　One　asks　what　is
bringing　this　swarthy；　motley　crowd　from　all　Asian　lands；　from　the　Red
to　the　Yellow　Sea；　from　Mecca　to　Canton；　and　one　of　my　Kling　boatmen
answers　the　question；　〃Empress　goodcoolie　get　money；　keep　it。〃　This
being　interpreted　is；　that　all　these　people　enjoy　absolute　security　of
life　and　property　under　our　flag；　that　they　are　certain　of　even…handed
justice　in　our　colonial　courts；　and　that　〃the　roll　of　the　British　drum〃
and　the　presence　of　a　British　iron…clad　mean　to　them　simply　that
security　which　is　represented　to　us　by　an　efficient　police　force。　It　is
so　strange　to　see　that　other　European　countries　are　almost　nowhere　in
this　strange　Far　East。　Possibly　many　of　the　Chinese　have　heard　of
Russia；　but　Russia；　France；　Germany；　and　America；　the　whole　lot　of　the
〃Great　Powers〃　are　represented　chiefly　by　a　few　se