the golden chersonese and the way thither-第82章

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from　a　muddy　fountain。〃

Some　of　their　sayings　are　characteristic。　In　allusion　to　the　sport　of
cock…fighting；　a　coward　is　called　〃a　duck　with　spurs。〃　A　treacherous
person　is　said　to　〃sit　like　a　cat；　but　leap　like　a　tiger；〃　and　of　a
chatterer　it　is　said；　〃The　tortoise　produces　a　myriad　eggs　and　no　one
knows　it；　the　hen　lays　one　and　tells　the　whole　word。〃　〃Grinding　pepper
for　a　bird　on　the　wing〃　is　regarded　as　equivalent　to　〃First　catch　you
hare　before　you　cook　it。〃　〃To　plant　sugar…cane　on　the　lips〃　is　to　be
〃All　things　to　all　men。〃　Fatalism　is　expressed　by　a　saying；　〃Even　the
fish　which　inhabit　the　seventh　depth　of　the　sea　sooner　or　later　enter
the　net。〃　〃Now　it　is　wet；　now　it　is　fine；〃　is　a　common　way　of　saying
that　a　day　of　revenge　is　not　far　off。　Secrecy　is　enjoined　by　the
cynical　axiom；　〃If　you　have　rice；　hide　it　under　the　unhusked　grain。〃
〃The　last　degree　of　stinginess　is　not　to　disturb　the　mildew；〃　is　a　neat
axiom；　and　〃The　plantain　does　not　bear　fruit　twice；〃　tells　that　the
Malays　have　an　inkling　that　〃There　is　a　tide　in　the　affairs　of　men；〃
etc。

I　have　found　it　very　interesting　to　be　the　guest　of　a　man　who　studies
the　Malays　as　sympathetically　as　Mr。　Maxwell　does。　I　hope　he　will　not
get　promotion　too　soon！*　
＇*As　I　copy　this　letter　I　hear　that　Mr。　Maxwell　has　been　removed　to　a
higher　and　more　highly　paid　post；　but　that　he　leaves　the　Malays　with
very　sincere　regret；　and　that　they　deeply　deplore　his　loss；　because　they
not　only　liked　but　trusted　him。　During　the　time　in　which　he　was
Assistant　Resident；　and　living　in　the　midst　of　a　large　Chinese
population；　it　was　necessary　to　be　very　firm；　and　at　times　almost
severely　firm；　but　the　Chinese　have　shown　their　appreciation　of　official
rectitude　by　presenting　him　with　a　gorgeous　umbrella　of　red　silk；
embroidered　with　gold；　which　they　call　〃A　ten…thousand…man　umbrella；〃
i。e。；　an　offering　from　a　community　which　is　not　only　unanimous　in　making
it；　but　counts　at　least　that　number　of　persons。＇

I。　L。　B。



LETTER　XXIII

〃Gang　Murders〃Malay　NicknamesA　Persecuted　InfantThe　Last　of　the
Golden　Chersonese


MR。　JUSTICE　WOOD'S；　THE　PEAK；　PINANG；　February　24。

However　kind　and　hospitable　people　are；　the　process　of　〃breaking　in〃　to
conventionalities　again　is　always　a　severe　one；　and　I　never　feel　well
except　in　the　quiet　and　freedom　of　the　wilds；　though　in　the　abstract
nothing　can　be　more　healthy　than　the　climate　of　this　lofty　Peak。　The
mercury　has　been　down　at　68　degrees　for　two　nights；　and　blankets　have
been　a　comfort！

Shortly　after　finishing　my　last　letter　I　left　Taipeng　with　Mr。　Maxwell；
calling　on　our　way　to　the　coast　at　Permatang；　to　inquire　if　there　were
any　scent　of　the　murderers　of　the　revenue　officer；　but　there　was　none。
The　inspector　said　that　he　had　seen　many　murdered　bodies；　but　never　one
so　frightfully　mutilated。　These　Chinese　〃gang…murders〃　are　nearly
always　committed　for　gain；　and　the　Chinese　delight　in　cruel　hackings
and　purposeless　mutilations。　The　Malay　assassinations　are　nearly　all
affairs　of　jealousya　single　stab　and　no　more。

The　last　part　of　the　drive　on　a　road　causewayed　through　the　endless
mangrove　swamp　impresses　the　imagination　strongly　by　its　dolefulness。
Here　are　hundreds　of　square　miles　all　along　the　coast　nothing　but　swamp
and　slime；　loaded　with　rank　and　useless　vegetation；　which　has　not　even
beauty　to　justify　its　existence；　teeming　with　alligators；　serpents；　and
other　vengeful　creatures。　There　is　a　mournfulness　in　seeing　the　pointed
fruit　of　the　mangrove　drop　down　through　the　still　air　into　the　slime
beneath；　with　the　rootlet　already　formed　of　that　which　never　fails　to
become　a　tree。

A　Sikh　guard　of　honor　of　fifty　men　in　scarlet　uniforms　lined　the　way　to
the　boat　as　a　farewell　to　Major　Swinburne；　whose　feet　they　had　embraced
and　kissed　with　every　Oriental　demonstration　of　woe　two　hours　before。
We　asked　him　what　his　farewells　were；　and　he　says　that　he　said；　〃You
are　a　lot　of　unmitigated　scoundrels；　half　of　you　deserve　hanging；　but
keep　out　of　scrapes　if　you　can　till　I　come　back；　that　I　may　have　the
pleasure　of　hanging　you　myself。〃　He　really　likes　them　though；　and
called　after　Captain　Walker；　who　is　to　act　as　his　substitute；　〃Now；　old
man；　don't　knock　those　fellows　about！〃　The　chief　dread　of　the　〃fellows〃
is　that　they　will　be　at　the　mercy　of　an　interpreter　under　the　new
regime。　The　Malays　give　sobriquets　to　all　Europeans；　founded　upon　their
physical　or　mental　idiosyncrasies。　Thus　they　call　Major　Swinburne　〃The
Mad　One〃　and　〃The　Outspoken　One。〃　Captain　Walker　they　have　already
dubbed　〃The　Black　Panther。〃　They　call　Mr。　Maxwell　〃The　Cat…eyed　One；〃
and　〃The　Tiger　Cub。〃

Just　before　sailing　I　had　the　satisfaction　of　getting　this　telegram
from　Kwala　Kangsa：　〃Eblis　is　a　little　better　this　morning。　He　has　eaten
two　grasshoppers　and　has　taken　his　milk　without　trouble；　but　he　is　very
weak。〃*　
＇*Those　of　my　readers　who　have　become　interested　in　this　most　bewitching
ape　will　be　sorry　to　hear　that；　after　recovering　and　thriving　for　a
considerable　time；　he　died；　to　the　great　grief　of　his　friends。＇

We　embarked　at　5：30　P。M。　along　with　a　swarm　of　mosquitoes；　and　after　a
beautiful　night　anchored　at　Georgetown　at　2　A。M。；　but　it　was　a
ludicrously　uncomfortable　voyage。　An　English　would…be　lady；　i。e。；　a
〃fine　lady；〃　a　product　of　imperfect　civilization　with　which　I　have
little　sympathy；　had　demanded　rather　than　asked　for　a　passage　in　the
Kinta；　and　this　involved　not　only　a　baby；　but　an　ayah　and　man…servant。
The　little　cabin　of　the　launch　can　hold　two　on　two　coaches；　but　the
lady；　after　appropriating　one；　filled　up　most　of　the　other　with　bags
and　impediments　of　various　kinds。　The　floor　was　covered　with　luggage；
among　which　the　ayah　and　infant　slept；　and　the　man　sat　inside　on　the
lowest　rung　of　the　ladder。　Thus　there　were　five　human　beings；　a　host　of
mosquitoes；　and　a　lamp　in　the　stifling　den；　in　which　the　mercury　stood
all　night　at　88　degrees。　Then　a　whole　bottle　of　milk　was　spilt　and
turned　sour；　a　vial　of　brandy　was　broken　and　gave　off　its　disgusting
fumes；　and　the　infant　screamed　with　a　ferocious　persistency；　which
contrasted　with　the　patient　wistfulness　of　the　sick　Eblis　and　his
gentle　murmur　of　〃ouf！　ouf！〃　Before　we　anchored　the　lady　asked　me　to　go
and　wake　the　gentlemen　and　get　a　teaspoonful　of　brandy　for　her；　at
which　request；　though　made　with　all　due　gravity；　they　laughed　so
tremendously　that　I　was　hardly　able　to　go　back　to　her　with　it。　Major
Swinburne；　who　professes　to　be　a　woman　and　child　hater；　was　quite
irrepressible；　and　whenever　the　infant　cried　outrageously；　called　to
his　servant；　〃Wring　that　brat's　neck；〃　the　servant；　of　course；　knowing
not　a　word　of　English；　and　at　2　A。M。；　when　there　was　chocolate　on　deck；
and　the　unfortunate　baby　was　roaring　and　kicking；　he　called　down　to　me；
〃Will　you　come　and　drink　some　chocolate　to　King　Herod's　memory？〃　Mr。
Maxwell；　who　has　four　children；　did　not　behave　much　better；　and　it　was
a　great　exertion　to　me；　by　overdone　courtesy　and　desperate　attempts　at
conversation；　to　keep　the　mother　as　far　as　possible　from　hearing　what
was　going　on！

At　6　A。M。；　in　the　glory　of　the　tropic　sunrise；　Mr。　Maxwell　and　I　landed
in　Province　Wellesley；　under　the　magnificent　casuarina　trees　which
droop　in　mournful　grace　over　the　sandy　shore。　The　somberness　of　the
interminable　groves　of　cocoa…palms　on　the　one　side　of　the　Strait；　the
brightness　of　the　sun…kissed　peaks　on　the　other；　and　the　deep　shadows
on　the　amber　water；　were　all　beautiful。　Truly　in　the　tropics　〃the
outgoings　of　the　morning　rejoice。〃

We　found　Mrs。　Isemonger　away；　no　one　knew　where；　so　we　broke　open　the
tea…chest；　and　got　some　breakfast；　at　the　end　of　which　she　returned；
and　we　had　a　very　pleasant　morning。　At　noon　a　six…oared　gig；　which　was
the　last　of　the　〃Government　facilities；〃　took　us　over　to　Georgetown；
spending　an　hour　in　crossing　against　an　unfavorable　tide；　under　a
blazing　sun。　This　was　the　last　of　the　Malay　Peninsula。


S。S。　Malwa；　February　25。We　sailed　from　Pinang　in　glorious　sunshine　at
an　early　hour　this　afternoon；　and　have　exchanged　the　sparkling　calms　of
the　Malacca　Straits　for　the　indolent　roll　of　the　Bay　of　Bengal。　The
steamer's　head　points　n