the golden chersonese and the way thither-第70章

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it；　an　untamed　siamang；　which　lives　on　the　roof；　but　has　mustered　up
courage　to…day　to　come　down　into　the　veranda；　has　jumped　like　a　demon
on　the　retriever's　back；　and　riding　astride；　is　beating　him　with　a
ruler；　and　jolly；　wicked　Mahmoud；　having　taken　the　cushions　out　of　the
chairs；　has　laid　them　in　a　row；　has　pulled　a　table　cover　off　the　table；
and　having　rolled　it　up　for　a　pillow；　is　now　lying　down　in　an　easy；
careless　attitude；　occasionally　helping　himself　to　a　piece　of
pine…apple。　When　they　are　angry　they　make　a　fearful　noise；　and　if　you
hinder　them　from　putting　their　hands　into　your　plate　they　shriek　with
rage　like　children；　and　utter　much　the　same　sound　as　the　Ainos　do　when
displeased。　They　seem　frightfully　jealous　of　the　sweet　little　wah…wah
Eblis。　Mahmoud　beats　it　and　teases　it　whenever　it　is　not　with　me；　he
takes　its　food；　and　when　it　screams　with　rage　he　laughs　and　shows　his
white　teeth。　　He　upset　all　the　chairs　in　the　veranda　this　morning；　and
when　I　attempted　to　scold　him　he　took　a　banana　which　he　was　peeling　and
threw　it　at　me。　I　am　sure　that　he　would　have　a　great　deal　of　rough　wit
if　he　could　speak　our　tongue。

The　night　I　came；　Mr。　Low's　clerk；　a　Singhalese；　came　to　arrange　an
expedition；　and　early　the　next　morning；　after　I　had　breakfasted　with
the　apes；　he　arrived；　bringing　the　Royal　Elephant；　as　well…broken　and
stately　an　animal　as　I　should　wish　to　ride。　He　is　such　a　height　（they
say　ten　feet！）　that；　though　he　lay　down　to　be　mounted；　a　good…sized
ladder　was　needed　for　the　climb　upon　his　back。　Assam　put　pillows　and　a
good　lunch　into　the　baskets；　and　as　the　day　was　glorious　from　sunrise
to　sunset　I　had　an　altogether　delightful　expedition。

We　turned　at　once　into　the　jungle；　and　rode　through　it　for　seven　hours
on　the　left　bank　of　the　Perak　river。　The　loveliness　was　intoxicating。
The　trees　were　lofty　and　magnificent；　there　were　very　many　such　as　I
have　not　seen　before。　Many　run　up　a　hundred　feet　or　more　before　they
branch。　The　twilight　was　green　and　dim；　and　ofttimes　amidst　the　wealth
of　vegetation　not　a　flower　was　to　be　seen。　But　as　often；　through　rifts
in　the　leafage　far　aloft；　there　were　glimpses　of　the　sunny；　heavenly
blue　sky；　and　now　and　then　there　were　openings　where　trees　had　fallen；
and　the　glorious　tropical　sunshine　streamed　in　on　gaudy　blossoms　of
huge　trees；　and　on　pure　white　orchids；　and　canary…colored　clusters
borne　by　lianas；　on　sun…birds；　iridescent　and　gorgeous　in　the　sunlight；
and　on　butterflies；　some　all　golden；　others　amber　and　black；　and　amber
and　blue；　some　with　velvety　bands　of　violet　and　green；　others
altogether　velvety　black　with　spots　of　vermilion　or　emerald…green；　the
under　side　of　the　wings　corresponding　to　the　spot；　while　sometimes　a
shoal　of　turquoise…blue　or　wholly　canary…colored　sprites　fluttered　in
the　sunbeams；　the　flash　of　sun…birds　and　the　flutter　of　butterflies
giving　one　an　idea　of　the　joy　which　possibly　was　intended　to　be　the
heritage　of　all　animated　existence。　In　these　openings　I　was　glad　for
the　moment　to　be　neither　an　ornithologist　nor　an　entomologist；　so　that
I　might　leave　everyone　of　these　daintily　colored　creatures　to　the
enjoyment　of　its　life　and　beauty。

It　was　not　the　trees　and　lianas　only　that　were　beautiful　in　these　sunny
openings；　but　the　ferns；　mosses；　orchids；　and　selaginellas；　with　the
crimson…tipped　dracaena；　and　the　crimson…veined　caladium；　and　the　great
red　nepenthe　with　purple　blotches　on　its　nearly　diaphanous　pitchers；
and　another　pitcher…plant　of　an　epiphytal　habit；　with　pea…green
pitchers　scrambling　to　a　great　height　over　the　branches　of　the　smaller
trees。　The　beautiful　tree…ferns　themselves　were　loaded　with　other
ferns；　orchids；　and　mosses；　every　fallen　tree　was　draped　with　fresh
green　forms；　every　swampy　bit　was　the　home　of　mottled　aroids；　film
ferns；　and　foliage　plants；　mostly　green　and　gold；　while　in　some　places
there　were　ginger…worts　with　noble　shining　leaves　fully　six　feet　long。

In　the　green　twilight　of　the　depths　of　the　forest　the　dew　gemmed　the
leaves　till　nearly　10　A。M。；　but　in　the　openings　the　sun　blazed　with　the
heat　of　a　furnace。　The　silence　and　colorlessness　of　the　heart　of　the
forest；　and　the　color；　vivacity；　light；　and　movement　in　the　openings；
and　among　the　tree…tops；　contrast　most　curiously。　Legions　of　monkeys
inhabit　the　tree…tops；　and　seem　to　lead　a　completely　aerial　life。　It　is
said　that　they　never　come　down　to　earth；　but　that　they　cross　the
forests　swinging　themselves　from　tree　to　tree。

The　Malays；　if　they　can；　build　their　kampongs　near　rivers；　and　during
the　day　we　passed　several　of　these。　Several　had　mosques　more　or　less
rude。　Every　village　consists　of　such　houses　as　I　have　described　before；
grouped；　but　not　by　any　means　closely；　under　the　shade　of　cocoa…palms；
jak；　durion；　bread…fruit；　mango；　nutmeg；　and　other　fruit…trees。
Plantations　of　bananas　are　never　far　off。　Many　of　these　people　have
〃dug…outs〃　or　other　boats　on　the　adjacent　river；　some　have
bathing…sheds；　and　others　padi　plantations。　These　kampongs　have　much　of
the　poetry　as　well　as　inanity　of　tropical　life　about　them。　They　are
beautiful　and　appropriate；　and　food　is　above　them　and　around　them。
〃The　primal　curse〃　can　hardly　be　known。　A　very　little　labor　provides
all　that　the　Malay　desires；　and　if　the　tenure　of　the　land　be　secure
（and　the　lack　of　security　is　one　of　the　great　evils）；　and　he　be　not
over…taxed；　his　life　must　be　calm　and　easy；　if　not　happy。　The　people
were　always　courteous；　and　my　Singhalese　escort　held　long　conversations
in　every　kampong。　These　jungle　dwellers　raise　their　houses　on　very　high
posts；　partly　because　tigers　abound。　The　jak　trees　（artocarpus　incisa）；
near　of　kin　to　the　bread…fruit；　and　the　durion；　flourish　round　all　the
dwellings。　The　jak　fruit；　which　may　be　called　food　rather　than　fruit；
grows　without　a　visible　stem　from　the　trunk　and　branches　of　the　very
handsome　tree　which　bears　it；　and　weighs　from　sixty　to　seventy　pounds。
The　durion　grows　to　the　size　of　a　man's　head；　and　is　covered　closely
with　hard；　sharp　spines。　The　fall　of　either　on　one's　head　or　shoulder
is　much　to　be　deprecated；　and　the　Malays　stretch　strong　nets　above
their　houses　to　secure　themselves　from　accidents。

I　saw　for　the　first　time　the　nutmeg　growing　in　perfection。　　It　was　a
great　delight；　as　is　the　first　sight　of　any　tree　or　flower　well　known
from　description。　It　is　a　beautiful　tree；　from　forty　to　fifty　feet　high
when　full　grown；　with　shining　foliage；　somewhat　resembling　that　of　the
bay；　and　its　fruit　looks　like　a　very　large　nectarine。　One　fully　ripe
was　gathered　for　me。　It　had　opened；　and　revealed　the　nutmeg　with　its
dark　brown　shell　showing　through　its　crimson　reticulated　envelope　of
mace；　the　whole　lying　in　a　bed　of　pure　white；　a　beautiful　object。

Each　house　in　the　kampong　seemed　to　have　all　its　inmates　at　home　doing
nothing　but　chewing　betel…nut。　In　their　home　deshabilles　the　men　wear
only　the　sarong；　and　a　handkerchief　knotted　round　their　heads；　and　I
think　that　the　women　also　dispense　with　an　upper　garment；　for　I　noticed
at　the　approach　of　two　strange　men　they　invariably　huddled　another
sarong　over　their　shoulders；　heads；　and　faces；　holding　it　so　as　to
conceal　all　but　their　eyes。　The　young　children；　as　usual；　were　only
clothed　in　silver　ornaments。　This　neglige　dress　in　the　privacy　of　their
homes　is　merely　a　matter　of　custom　and　climate；　for　these　people　are　no
more　savages　than　we　are。　These　glimpses　of　a　native　tropic　life；
entirely　uninfluenced　by　European　civilization；　are　most　interesting。

In　these　kampongs　the　people　have　music；　singing；　story…telling；
games；　and　religious　ceremonies；　perhaps　the　most　important　of　all。　I
have　not　heard　　that　the　Perak　Malays　differ　in　their　religious
observances　from　the　other　Malays　of　the　Peninsula。　It　seems　that
before　〃a　parish〃　can　be　formed　there　must　be　forty…four　houses。　The
kampong　may　then　have　a　properly　constituted　mosque　in　which　every
Friday　the　religious　officer　recites　an　oration　in　praise　of　God；　the
Prophet；　and　his　vicegerents；　from　the　steps　of　a　rostrum。　The　same
person　performs　the　marriage　ceremony。　　Another　official　performs
sacrificial　duties；　and　recites　the　service　for　the　dead　after　t