the golden chersonese and the way thither-第74章

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her　to　his　own　home。　Girls　are　married　at　fourteen　or　fifteen；　and
although　large　families　are　rare；　they　look　old　women　at　forty。

On　the　day　before　the　marriage　expenses　are　paid　by　the　bridegroom；　the
bride…elect　has　her　teeth　filed。　It　is　this　process　which　gives　the
Malay　women；　who　are　very　pretty　as　children；　their　very　repulsive
look。　It　produces　much　the　same　appearance　of　wreck　and　ruin　as
blackening　the　teeth　does　in　Japan；　and　makes　a　smile　a　thing　to　be
dreaded。　　Young　girls　are　not　allowed　to　chew　betel；　which　stains
badly；　and　have　white；　pearly　teeth；　but　these　are　considered　like　the
teeth　of　animals。　The　teeth　are　filed　down　to　a　quarter　of　their
natural　length　by　means　of　a　hard　Sumatran　stone；　or　fine　steel　file。
The　operation　lasts　about　an　hour；　and　the　gums　continue　swelled　and
painful　for　some　days。　After　they　have　recovered；　the　blackening　of　the
teeth　by　means　of　betel　chewing　is　accelerated　by　means　of　a　black
liquid　obtained　by　burning　cocoa…nut　shells　on　iron；　Three　days　before
the　marriage　ceremony　henna　is　applied　to　the　nails　of　the　hands　and
feet；　and　also　to　the　palms　of　the　hands；　and　the　hair　is　cut　short
over　the　forehead；　something　in　the　style　of　a　〃Gainsborough　fringe。〃

The　wedding　feast　is　a　very　grand　affair。　Goats　and　buffaloes　are
killed；　and　the　friends　and　relatives　of　the　bride　send　contributions
of　food。　The　wedding　decorations　are　family　property；　and　descend　from
mother　to　daughter；　and　both　bride　and　bridegroom　are　covered　with
flowers；　jewels；　and　gay　embroidery。　The　bride　sits　in　state　and
receives　the　congratulatory　visits　of　her　relatives　and　friends；　and
after　the　actual　ceremony　is　over；　the　newly…married　couple　sit　on　a
seat　raised　above　the　guests；　and　the　sirih　and　betel…nut　are　largely
chewed。　There　are　〃floral　decorations；〃　music；　and　feasting；　all
strangers　are　made　welcome；　the　young　men　spend　the　afternoon　in　games；
among　which　cock…fighting　usually　plays　a　prominent　part；　and　the
maidens　amuse　themselves　in　a　part　of　the　house　screened　off　from　the
rest　of　the　guests　by　curtains；　and　made　very　gay。

As　religious　ceremonies　attend　upon　marriage　and　death；　so　on　the　birth
of　a　child　the　father　puts　his　mouth　to　the　ear　of　the　infant　and
solemnly　pronounces　what　is　called　the　Azan　or　〃Allah　Akbar；〃　the　name
of　the　one　God　being　the　first　sound　which　is　allowed　to　fall　upon　his
ears　on　entering　the　world；　as　it　is　the　last　sound　which　he　hears　on
leaving　it。　There　is　a　form　of　prayer　which　is　used　at　births；　and
another　on　the　seventh　day　afterward；　when　the　child's　head　is　shaved。
The　sage　femme　remains　for　forty　days　with　the　mother；　who　on　the
fortieth　day　makes　the　ceremonial　purifications　and　prayers　which　are
customary；　and　then　returns　to　her　ordinary　duties。　The　child；　as　soon
as　it　can　speak；　learns　to　recite　prayers　and　passages　from　the　Koran；
and　is　very　early　grounded　in　the　distinctive　principles　of　Islam。

The　children　of　both　sexes　are　very　pretty；　but　with　strangers　they　are
very　shy　and　timid。　They　look　very　innocent；　and　are　docile；　gentle　and
obedient；　spending　much　of　their　time　in　taming　their　pets　and　playing
with　them；　and　in　playing　games　peculiar　to　their　age。　Except　in　one　or
two　cases　in　Sungei　Ujong；　I　have　not　seen　a　child　with　eye　or　skin
disease；　or　any　kind　of　deformity。

There　have　been　Rajahs　all　day　in　the　veranda；　and　their　followers
sitting　on　the　steps；　all　received　by　Mr。　Low　with　quiet　courtesy；　and
regaled　with　tea　or　coffee　and　cigarettes。　A　short　time　ago　the
reigning　prince；　who　does　not　appear　to　be　a　cypher；　came　with　a　great
train　of　followers；　some　of　them　only　wearing　sarongs；　a　grandson；　to
whom　he　is　much　attached；　and　the　deposed　Sultan's　two　boys；　of　whom　I
told　you　before。　They　are　in　Malay　clothing；　and　seem　to　have　lost
their　vivacity；　or　at　least　it　is　in　abeyance。　Before　I　came　here；　I
understood　from　many　people　that　〃His　Highness〃　is　very　generally
detested。　　So；　also；　says　Sir　Benson　Maxwell　in　_Our　Malay　Conquests_。
Major　M'Nair　in　his　amusing　book　on　Perak　says：　〃He　is　a　man　over
middle　age；　and　is　described　as　being　of　considerable　ability；　feared
and　hated　by　many　of　the　chiefs；　and　as　being　of　a　fierce　and　cruel
disposition；　but　he　was　a　proved　man　as　to　his　loyalty〃　（to　British
interests）；　〃and　there　being　no　desire　on　the　part　of　the　Government　to
annex　the　State　of　Perak；　his　appointment　was　the　wisest　course　that；
under　the　circumstances；　could　be　pursued。〃　This　is　all　that　the
greatest　apologist　for　British　proceedings　in　Perak　has　to　say。

I　was　not　prepossessed　in　his　favor　before　I　came；　for　among　other
stories　of　his　cruel　disposition；　I　was　told　that　it　was　〃absolutely
true〃　that　three　years　ago　he　poured　boiling　water　down　the　back　of　a
runaway　female　slave　who　had　been　recaptured；　and　then　put　a　red　ant's
nest　upon　it。　If　〃piracy〃　is　to　be　the　term　applied　to　levying
blackmail；　he　was　certainly　a　pirate；　for　he　exacted　a　tenth　of　the
cargo　of　every　boat　which　passed　up　his　river；　a　Rajah　higher　up　doing
the　same　thing。　He　is　said　to　have　a　very　strong　character；　to　be
grasping；　and　to　be　a　〃brute；〃　but　Mr。　Low　gets　on　very　well　with　him
apparently。　He　is　an　elderly　man；　wearing　a　sort　of　fez　on　a　shaven
head。　He　has　a　gray　mustache。　His　brow　is　a　fine　one；　and　his　face　has
a　look　of　force；　but　the　lower　part　of　it　is　coarse　and　heavy。　He　was
fanning　himself　with　his　fez；　and　when　I　crossed　the　veranda　and　gave
him　a　fan；　he　accepted　it　without　the　slightest　gesture　of　thanks；　as
if　I　had　been　a　slave。　When　Mr。　Low　told　him　that　I　had　been　at
Koto…lamah；　he　said　that　the　chief　in　whose　house　I　had　rested　deserved
to　be　shot；　and　ought　to　be　shot。　He　and　Mr。　Low　talked　business　for　an
hour；　but　all　important　matters　are　transacted　in　what　is　called　a
native　council。

I　wrote　that　I　believed　myself　to　be　the　only　European　in　Kwala　Kangsa；
but　I　find　that　there　was　another　at　the　time　when　I　wrote　thusa
young　man　of　good　family；　who　came　out　here　seeking　an　appointment。　He
was　sun…stricken　three　days　ago；　and　violent　fever　and　delirium　set　in；
during　the　height　of　which　he　overpowered　four　Sikhs　who　were　taking
care　of　him；　rushed　out　of　doors；　fell　down　exhausted；　was　carried
home；　and　died　at　four　in　the　morning；　his　last　delirious　dreams　being
of　gambling　and　losing　heavily。

The　lamentable　burial　took　place　in　the　evening　as　the　shadows　fell。
This　sums　up　the　storya　career　of　dissipation；　death　at　twenty…one；　a
rough；　oblong　box；　no　one　to　be　sorry。　It　made　my　heart　ache　for　the
mother；　who　would　have　given　much　to　be　where　I　was；　and　see　〃the
dreary　death　train〃　move　slowly　to　the　dreary　inclosure　on　a　hill…top；
where　the　grass　grows　rank　and　very　green　round　a　number　of　white
wooden　crosses；　which　mark　the　graves　of　the　officers　and　soldiers　who
fell　in　1876。　The　Union　Jack　was　thrown　over　the　coffin；　which　was
carried　by　six　Sikhs；　and　Mr。　Low；　Major　Swinburne；　Rajah　Dris　and　some
followers；　and　Sultan　Abdullah's　two　boys；　who　had　nothing　better　to
do；　followed　it。　By　the　time　the　grave　was　reached　torches　were
required；　and　the　burial　service　was　read　from　my　prayer…book。　It　was
all　sad　and　saddening。

The　weather　is　still　glorious；　the　winding　Perak　still　mirrors　in
scarcely　rippled　blue　the　intensely　blue　sky；　〃never　wind　blows
loudly；〃　but　soft　airs　rustle　the　trees。　　One　could　not　lead　a　more
tropical　life　than　this；　with　apes　and　elephants　about　one　under　the
cocoa…palms；　and　with　the　mercury　ranging　from　80　degrees　to　90
degrees！　　Gorgeous；　indeed；　are　the　birds　and　butterflies　and　flowers；
but　often　when　the　erythrina　and　the　Poinciana　regia　are　strewing　the
ground　with　their　flaming　blossoms；　I　think　with　a　passionate　longing
of　the　fragile　Trientalis　Europae；　of　crimson…tipped　lichens；　of　faint
odors　of　half…hidden　primroses；　of　whiffs　of　honey　and　heather　from
purple　moorlands；　and　of　all　the　homely；　fragrant；　unobtrusive　flowers
that　are　linked　with　you！　I　should　like　a　chance　of　being　〃cold　to　the
bone！〃

I　have　wasted　too　much　of　my　time　to…day　upon　the　apes。　They　fascinate
me　more　daily。　They　look　exactly　like　familiar　demons；　and　certainly
anyone