the golden chersonese and the way thither-第65章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


them；　and　they　make　one　long　for　the　lingering　gold　and　purple　of　more
northern　latitudes。　I　have　really　been　industrious　since　I　came　here；
both　in　writing　to　you；　and　in　〃reading　up〃　the　native　states　in　blue
books；　etc。

I。　L。　B。



LETTER　XIX

The　Chinese　in　Larut〃Monkey　Cups〃Chinese　HospitalityA　Sikh　Belle


BRITISH　RESIDENCY；　LARUT。

I　am　remaining　here　for　another　day　or　two；　so　have　time　to　tell　you　a
little　about　the　surroundings。

Larut　province　is　a　strip　of　land　about　seventy　miles　long；　and　from
twenty…five　to　forty…five　broad。　It　was　little　known；　and　almost
unexplored　till　1848；　when　a　Malay；　while　bathing；　found　some　coarse；
black　sand；　which；　on　being　assayed；　proved　to　be　tin。　He　obtained
twenty　Chinese　coolies；　opened　a　mine　which　turned　out　lucrative；　and
the　Chinese　at　home　hearing　that　money　was　to　be　made；　flocked　into
Larut；　but　after　some　years　took　to　quarreling　about　the　ownership　of
mines；　and　eventually　to　a　war　between　the　two　leading　clans；　which
threatened　to　be　a　war　of　extermination；　and　resulted　in　British
interference；　and　the　appointment　of　a　Resident；　and　then　Chinese
merchants　in　Pinang　made　advances　of　money　and　provisions　to　such　of
their　countrymen　as　were　willing　to　work　the　abandoned　mines。　Very　soon
the　population　increased　to　such　an　extent　that　it　became　necessary　to
choose　sites　for　mining　towns；　granting　one　to　each　faction；　the　Go
Kwan　town　being　called　Taipeng；　and　the　Si　Kwan　town　Kamunting。

American　mining　enterprise　could　hardly　go　ahead　faster。　At　the　end　of
1873　the　population　of　Larut　was　four　thousand；　the　men　of　the　fighting
factions　only。　Eleven　months　later　these　two　mining　towns　contained
nine　thousand　inhabitants；　a　tenth　of　whom　were　shopkeepers；　and　the
district　thirty…three　thousand。　Larut　is　level　from　the　sea…shore　to
the　mountain　range；　twenty　miles　inland；　and　is　very　uninteresting。

We　have　been　in　a　gharrie　to　Kamunting；　a　Chinese　mining　town　of　four
thousand　people；　three　miles　from　here；　approached　through　a　pretty
valley　full　of　pitcher　plants　with　purple　cups　and　lids。　You　can
imagine　the　joy　of　getting　into　my　hands　these　wonderful　nepenthes　or
〃monkey　cups〃　for　the　first　time。　I　gathered　five　in　the　hope　of
finding　one　free　from　insects；　but　the　cups　of　all　were　full　of　dried
flies　and　ants；　looking　much　as　flies　do　when　they　have　been　clutched
for　a　few　days　by　the　hairs　of　the　〃sun…dew。〃　The　lid　has　a　quantity　of
nectar　on　its　under　side　which　attracts　insects；　but　below　the　rolled
rim　of　the　cup；　which　is　slightly　corrugated；　the　interior　is　as　smooth
as　glass；　and　the　betrayed　flies　must　fall　at　once　into　the　water　at
the　bottom　and　be　drowned。　As　these　ingenious　arrangements　are　made　for
their　destruction；　doubtless　the　plant　feeds　upon　their　juices。*　
＇*I　have　since　learned　that　this　is　an　ascertained　fact；　and　that
nepenthes　are　among　the　insectiverous　plants。＇

We　went　first　to　a　very　large　tin　mine　belonging　to　a　rich　and　very
pleasant…looking　Chinaman；　who　received　us　and　took　us　over　it。　The
mine　is　like　a　large　quarry；　with　a　number　of　small　excavations　which
fill　with　water；　and　are　pumped　by　most　ingenious　Chinese　pumps　worked
by　an　endless　chain；　but　there　are　two　powerful　steam　pumps　at　work
also。　　About　four　hundred　lean；　leathery…looking　men　were　working；
swarming　up　out　of　the　holes　like　ants　in　double　columns；　each　man
carrying　a　small　bamboo　tray　holding　about　three　pounds　of　stanniferous
earth；　which　is　deposited　in　a　sluice；　and　a　great　rush　of　water　washes
away　the　sand；　leaving　the　tin　behind；　looking　much　like　〃giant〃
blasting　powder。　The　Chinese　are　as　much　wedded　to　these　bamboo　baskets
as　to　their　pigtails；　but　they　involve　a　great　waste　of　labor。　A　common
hoe　is　the　other　implement　used。　　The　coolies　are　paid　by　piece…work；
and　are　earning　just　now　about　one　shilling　and　sixpence　per　day。
Road…making　and　other　labor　is　performed　by　Klings；　who　get　one
shilling　a　day。

The　tin　is　smelted　during　the　night　in　a　very　rude　furnace；　with　most
ingenious　Chinese　bellows；　is　then　run　into　moulds　made　of　sand；　and
turned　out　as　slabs　weighing　66　lbs。　each。　The　export　duty　on　tin　is
the　chief　source　of　revenue。　Close　to　the　smelting　furnaces　there　are
airy　sheds　with　platforms　along　each　side；　divided　into　as　many　beds　as
there　are　Chinamen。　A　bed　consists　only　of　a　mat　and　a　mosquito…net。
There　are　all　the　usual　joss　arrangements；　and　time　is　measured　by　the
burning　of　joss…sticks。　Several　rain…cloaks；　made　of　palm　leaves；　were
hanging　up。　These；　and　nearly　all　the　other　articles　consumed　by　this
large　population　are　imported　from　China。

Our　Chinese　host　then　took　us　to　some　rooms　which　he　had　built　for　a
cool　retreat；　to　which；　in　anticipation　of　our　visit；　he　had　conveyed
champagne；　sherry；　and　bitter　beer！　　His　look　of　incredulity　when　we
said　that　we　preferred　tea；　was　most　amusing；　but　on　our　persisting；　he
produced　delicious　tea　with　Chinese　sweetmeats；　and　Huntley　and
Palmer's　cocoa…nut　biscuits。　He　then　insisted　on　taking　our　hired
gharrie　and　scrubby　pony　and　sending　us　on　in　his　buggy　with　a　fine
Australian　horse；　but　Mr。　Maxwell　says　that　this　was　as　much　from
policy　as　courtesy；　as　it　gives　him　importance　to　be　on　obviously
friendly　terms　with　the　Resident。

We　went　on　to　Kamunting；　a　forlorn　town；　mainly　built　of　attap；　with
roads　and　ditches　needing　much　improvement；　and　I　bargained　for　some
Chinese　purses　and　visited　a　gambling　saloon；　the　place　in　which　one
sees　the　peculiar　expression　of　the　Chinese　face　at　its　fullest
development。　There　is　nothing　very　shocking　about　it；　nothing　more　than
an　intensified　love　of　gain　without　a　mask。　Each　coolie　takes　his　pipe
of　opium　after　his　day's　work；　and　each　has　a　pot　of　tea　kept　always
hot　in　a　thickly　wadded　basket；　a　luxury　which　no　Chinaman　seems　able
to　do　without。

We　called　at　a　Sikh　guard…house；　and　the　magnificent　sergeant　took　me
to　see　his　wife；　the　woman　of　the　regiment；　who　is　so　rigidly　secluded
that　not　even　the　commanding　officer　nor　Mr。　Maxwell　have　seen　her。　She
is　very　beautiful；　and　has　an　exquisite　figure；　but　was　overloaded　with
jewelry。　She　wore　a　large　nose…jewel；　seven　rings　of　large　size
weighing　down　her　finely　formed　ears；　four　necklaces；　and　silver
bangles　on　each　arm　from　the　wrist　to　the　elbow；　besides　some　on　her
beautiful　ankles。　　She　had　an　infant　boy；　the　child　of　the　regiment；　in
her　arms；　clothed　only　in　a　silver　hoop；　and　the　father　took　him　and
presented　him　to　me　with　much　pride。　It　was　a　pleasant　family　group。

The　few　days　here　have　been　a　real　rest；　I　have　been　so　much　alone。
There　are　no　women　to　twitter；　and　when　Mr。　　Maxwell　is　not　at　work　he
talks　of　things　that　are　worth　talking　about。　The　climate；　too；　is
bracing　and　wholesome；　and　the　boisterous　afternoon　wind；　which　sweeps
letters　and　papers　irreverently　away；　keeps　off　the　mosquitoes。

I。　L。　B。



LETTER　XX

Novel　CircumstancesThe　Excitements　of　the　JungleEternal
SummerThe　Sensitive　PlantThe　Lotus　Lake　of　Matang
Elephant　UglinessA　Malay　MahoutA　Novel　Experience
Domestic　PetsMalay　Hospitality…Land　Leeches〃A　Fearful
Joy〃The　End　of　My　First　Elephant　RideKwala　Kangsa


BRITISH　RESIDENCY；　KWALA　KANGSA；　February　16。

This　is　rather　exciting；　for　I　have　had　an　unusual　journey；　and　my
circumstances　are　unusual；　for　Mr。　Low；　the　Resident；　has　not　returned；
and　I　am　not　only　alone　in　his　bungalow　in　the　heart　of　the　jungle；　but
so　far　as　I　can　learn　I　am　the　only　European　in　the　region。

　　　　　〃Of　all　my　wild　adventures　past
　　　　　This　frantic　feat　will　prove　the　last；〃

for　in　a　fortnight　I　propose　to　be　at　Pinang　on　my　way　to　conventional
Ceylon；　and　the　beloved　〃wilds〃　will　be　left　behind。

At　4：30　this　morning　Mr。　Maxwell's　energetic　voice　roused　me；　and　I　got
up；　feeling　for　the　first　time　in　Larut　very　tired　from　the　unwonted
dissipation　of　another　〃dinner　party；〃　and　from　having　been　kept　awake
late　by　the　frantic　rushes　of　the　lemur　and　the　noise　of　the　〃trumpeter
beetle；〃　besides　being　awoke　in　a　fright　at　2　A。M。；　by　the　noise　made
in　changing　guard；　from　a　dream　that　the　Sikhs　had　mutinied　and　were
about　to　massacre　the　Europea