the golden chersonese and the way thither-第61章

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Sultans　between　whom　no　arrangement　can　be　made；　that　the　revenues　are
badly　raised；　and　the　laws　are　not　executed　with　justice。　〃For　these
reasons；〃　he　says；　〃we　see　that　Perak　is　in　very　great　distress；　and；　in
our　opinion；　the　affairs　of　Perak　cannot　be　settled　except　with　strong；
active　assurance　from　our　friend　the　representative　of　Queen　Victoria；
the　greatest　and　most　noble。。。。We　earnestly　beg　our　friend　to　give
complete　assistance　to　Perak；　and　govern　it；　in　order　that　this　country
may　obtain　safety　and　happiness；　and　that　proper　revenues　may　be　raised；
and　the　laws　administered　with　justice；　and　all　the　inhabitants　of　the
country　may　live　in　comfort。〃＇

So　far；　as　regards　the　Sultanate；　I　have　followed　the　account　given　by
Sir　Benson　Maxwell。　Mr。　Swettenham；　however；　writes　that　Abdullah
failed　to　obtain　complete　recognition　of　himself　as　Sultan；　and　instead
of　fulfilling　the　duties　of　his　position；　devoted　himself　to　opium…
smoking；　cock…fighting；　and　other　vices；　estranging；　by　his　overbearing
manner　and　pride　of　position；　those　who　only　needed　forbearance　to　make
them　his　supporters。　It　may　be　remarked　that　Abdullah　was　not　as
yielding　as　had　been　expected　to　his　English　advisers。

The　Pangkor　Treaty　was　signed　in　January；　1874。　On　November　2d；　1875；
Mr。　Birch；　the　British　Resident；　who　had　arrived　the　evening　before　at
the　village　of　Passir　Salah　to　post　up　orders　and　proclamations
announcing　that　the　whole　kingdom　of　Perak　was　henceforth　to　be
governed　by　English　officers；　was　murdered　as　he　was　preparing　for　the
bath。

On　this　provocation　we　entered　upon　a　〃little　war；〃　Perak　became　known
in　England；　and　the　London　press　began　to　ask　how　it　was　that　colonial
officers　were　suffered　to　make　conquests　and　increase　Imperial
responsibilities　without　the　sanction　of　Parliament。　Lord　Carnarvon
telegraphed　to　Singapore　that　he　could　not　sanction　the　use　of　troops
〃for　annexation　or　any　other　large　political　aims；〃　supplementing　his
telegram　by　a　despatch　stating　that　the　residential　system　had　been
only　sanctioned　provisionally；　as　an　experiment；　and　declaring　that　the
Government　would　not　keep　troops　in　a　country　〃continuing　to　possess　an
independent　jurisdiction；　for　the　purpose　of　enforcing　measures　which
the　natives　did　not　cheerfully　accept。〃

As　the　sequel　to　the　war　and　Mr。　Birch's　murder；　Ismail；　who　had
retained　authority　over　a　part　of　Perak；　was　banished　to　Johore；
Abdullah；　the　Sultan；　and　the　Mentri　of　Larut；　who　was　designated　as　an
〃intriguing　character；〃　were　exiled　to　the　Seychelles；　and　the　Rajah
Muda　Yusuf；　a　prince　who；　by　all　accounts；　was　regarded　as　exceedingly
obnoxious；　was　elevated　to　the　regency；　Perak　at　the　same　time　passing
virtually　under　our　rule。

A　great　mist　of　passion　and　prejudice　envelops　our　dealings　with　the
chiefs　and　people　of　this　State；　both　before　and　after　the　war。　Sir
Benson　Maxwell　in　〃Our　Malay　Conquests；〃　presents　a　formidable
arraignment　against　the　Colonial　authorities；　and　Major　M'Nair；　in　his
book　on　Perak；　justifies　all　their　proceedings。　If　I　may　venture　to
give　an　opinion　upon　so　controverted　a　subject；　it　is；　that　all
Colonial　authorities　in　their　dealings　with　native　races；　all　Residents
and　their　subordinates；　and　all　transactions　between　ourselves　and　the
weak　peoples　of　the　Far　East；　would　be　better　for　having　something　of
〃the　fierce　light　which　beats　upon　a　throne〃　turned　upon　them。　The　good
have　nothing　to　fear；　the　bad　would　be　revealed　in　their　badness；　and
hasty　counsels　and　ambitious　designs　would　be　held　in　check。　Public
opinion　never　reaches　these　equatorial　jungles；　we　are　grossly　ignorant
of　their　inhabitants　and　their　rights；　of　the　manner　in　which　our
interference　originated；　and　how　it　has　been　exercised；　and　unless　some
fresh　disturbance　and　another　〃little　war〃　should　concentrate　our
attention　for　a　moment　on　these　distant　States；　we　are　likely　to　remain
so；　to　their　great　detriment；　and　not　a　little；　in　one　respect　of　the
case　at　least；　to　our　own。

When　the　changes　in　Perak　were　completed；　Mr。　Hugh　Low；　formerly
administrator　of　the　Government　of　Labuan；　was　appointed　Resident；　and
Mr。　W。　E。　Maxwell；　who　had　had　considerable　experience　in　Malay
affairs；　Assistant　Resident。　Both　these　gentlemen　speak　the　Malay
tongue　readily　and　idiomatically；　and　Mr。　Maxwell　is　an　accomplished
Malay　scholar。　Of　both　the　superior　and　subordinate　it　may　truly　be
said　that；　by　tact；　firmness；　patience；　and　a　uniformly　just　regard　for
both　Malay　and　Chinese　interests；　they　have　not　only　pacified　the
State；　but　have　conciliated　the　Rajahs；　and　in　the　main　have　reconciled
the　people　to　the　new　order　of　things。



LETTER　XVIII

Province　WellesleyWater　BuffaloesA　Glorious　NightPerak
OfficialsA　〃Dismal　Swamp〃Elephants　at　HomeAn　Epigrammatic
DescriptionThe　British　Residency　at　TaipengSultan　Abdulla's　BoysA
Chinese　Mining　TownThe　〃Armed　Police〃An　Alligator's　VictimMajor
SwinburneA　Larut　Dinner　PartyA　Morning　Hymn


BRITISH　RESIDENCY；　LARUT；　February　11。

I　left　Mr。　Justice　Wood's　yesterday；　and　his　servant　dispatched　me　from
the　jetty　in　a　large　boat　with　an　attap　awning　and　six　Kling　rowers；
whose　oars　worked　in　nooses　of　rope。　The　narrow　Strait　was　very　calm；
and　the　hot；　fiery　light　of　the　tropic　evening　resting　upon　it；　made　it
look　like　oil　rather　than　water。　In　half　an　hour　I　landed　on　the　other
side　in　the　prosperous　Province　Wellesley；　under　a　row　of　magnificent
casuarina　trees；　with　gray；　feathery　foliage　drooping　over　a　beach　of
corals　and；　behind　which　are　the　solemn　glades　of　cocoa…nut　groves。　On
the　little　jetty　a　Sikh　policeman　waited　for　me；　and　presently　Mrs。
Isemonger；　wife　of　the　police　magistrate　of　the　Province；　met　me　on　the
bright；　green　lawn　studded　with　clumps　of　alamanda；　which　surrounds
their　lovely；　palm…shaded　bungalow。

Though　the　shadows　were　falling；　Mr。　Isemonger　took　me　to　see　something
of　the　back　country　in　a　trap　with　a　fiery　Sumatra　pony。　There　are
miles　of　cocoa…nut　plantations　belonging　to　Chinamen　all　along　the
coast；　with　the　trees　in　straight　lines　forming　long；　broad　avenues；
which　have　a　certain　gloomy　grandeur　about　them。　Then　come　sugarcane
and　padi；　and　then　palm　plantations　again。

The　cocoa…nut　palm　grows　best　near　salt　water；　no　matter　how　loose　and
sandy　the　soil　is；　and　in　these　congenial　circumstances　needs　neither
manure　nor　care　of　any　kind。　It　bends　lovingly　toward　the　sea；　and
drops　its　ripe　fruit　into　it。　But　if　it　is　planted　more　than　two
hundred　yards　from　the　beach；　it　needs　either　rich　or　well…manured
soil；　or　the　proximity　of　human　habitations。　It　begins　to　bear　fruit
between　its　fourth　and　tenth　years；　according　to　soil；　and　a
well…placed；　generous　tree　bears　from　one　hundred　and　forty　to　one
hundred　and　fifty　nuts　a　year。　　They　are　of　wonderfully　slow　growth。　It
is　three　months　from　the　time　the　blossom　appears　before　the　fruit
sets；　then　it　takes　six　months　to　grow；　and　three　months　more　to　ripen；
and　after　that　will　hang　two　months　on　the　tree　before　it
fallsfourteen　months　from　the　first　appearance　of　the　flower！

It　is　certainly　not　beautiful　as　grown　in　Province　Wellesley；　and　I　am
becoming　faithless　to　my　allegiance　to　it　in　this　region　of　areca　and
other　more　graceful　palms。

In　returning　we　saw　many　Malay　kampongs　under　the　palms；　each　with　a
fire　lighted　underneath　it；　and　there　were　many　other　fires　for　the
water…buffaloes；　with　groups　of　these　uncouth　brutes　gathered
invariably　on　the　leeward　side；　glad　to　be　smoked　rather　than　bitten　by
the　mosquitoes。　　These　huge；　thin…skinned　animals　have　a　strange
antipathy　to　white　people。　They　are　petted　and　caressed　by　the　Malays；
and　even　small　boys　can　do　anything　with　them；　and　can　ride　upon　their
backs；　but　constantly　when　they　see　white　people　they　raise　their
muzzles；　and　if　there　be　room　charge　them　madly。　A　buffalo　is
enormously　strong；　but　he　objects　to　the　sun；　and　likes　to　bathe　in
rivers；　and　plaster　himself　with　mud；　and　his　tastes　are　much　humored
by　his　owners。　A　buffalo　has　often　been　known　to　vanquish　a　tiger　when
both　have　had　fair　play。　Most　of　the　drive　back　was　accomplished　by
nearly　incessant　flashes