the golden chersonese and the way thither-第26章

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This　native　State　is　regarded　as　〃parts　unknown；〃　the　Governor　has
never　visited　it；　and　there　are　not　wanting　those　who　shake　their　heads
and　wonder　that　he　should　trust　his　girls　in　a　region　of　tigers；
crocodiles；　rogue　elephants　and　savages！　The　little　steam…launch
Moosmee　（in　reality　by　far　the　greatest　risk　of　all）　has　been　brought
into　the　stream　below　the　Stadthaus；　ready　for　an　early　start
to…morrow；　and　a　runner　has　been　sent　to　the　Resident　to　prepare　him
for　such　an　unusual　incursion　into　his　solitudes。

I。　L。　B。



A　CHAPTER　ON　SUNGEI　UJONG

The　Puzzles　of　the　PeninsulaSungei　UjongA　Malay　ConfederationSyed
AbdulrahmanThe　Revenue　of　Sungei　UjongScenery　and　ProductionsThe
New　Datu　KlanaA　〃Dual　Control〃


I　had　never　heard　of　this　little　State　until　I　reached　Singapore；　and
probably　many　people　are　as　ignorant　as　I　was。　The　whole　peninsula；
from　Johore　in　the　south　to　Kedah　in　the　north；　is　a　puzzle；　what　with
British　colonies；　Singapore；　Malacca；　and　Province　Wellesley；　and
〃Protected　States；〃　Sungei　Ujong；　Selangor；　and　Perak；　north；　south；
and　east　of　which　lie　a　region　of　unprotected　Malay　States；　with　their
independent　rulers；　such　as　Kedah；　Patani；　Tringganu；　Kelantan；　Pahang；
Johore；　etc。*　In　several　of　these　States；　more　or　less　anarchy
prevails；　owing　to　the　ambitions　and　jealousies　of　the　Rajahs　and　their
followers；　and　a　similar　state　of　things　in　the　three　protected　States
formerly　gave　great　annoyance　to　the　Straits…Settlements　Government；
and　was　regarded　as　a　hindrance　to　the　dominant　interests　of　British
trade　in　the　Straits。　　
＇*A　number　of　small　States　are　united　into　a　sort　of　confederation　known
as　the　Negri　Sembilan；　or　Nine　States。　Their　relative　positions　and
internal　management；　as　well　as　their　boundaries；　remain　unknown；　as
from　dread　of　British　annexation　they　have　refused　to　allow　Europeans　to
pass　through　their　territory。＇

In　1874；　Sir　A。　Clark；　the　then　Governor；　acting　in　British　interests；
placed　British　residents　in　Perak；　Selangor；　and　the　small　State　of
Sungei　Ujong。　These　residents　were　to　advise　the　rulers　in　matters　of
revenue　and　general　administration；　but；　it　may　be　believed；　that　as
time　has　passed；　they　have　become　more　or　less　the　actual　rulers　of　the
States　which　they　profess　to　advise　merely。　They　are　the　accredited
agents　of　England；　reporting　annually　to　the　Straits　Government；　which；
in　its　turn；　reports　to　the　Colonial　Office；　and　the　amount　of　pressure
which　they　can　bring　to　bear　is　overwhelming。

It　is　not　easy　to　give　the　extent　and　boundaries　of　Sungei　Ujong；　the
〃boundary　question〃　being　scarcely　settled；　and　the　territory　to　the
eastward　being　only　partially　explored。　It　is　mainly　an　inland　State；
access　to　its　very　limited　seaboard　being　by　the　Linggi　river。　The
〃protected〃　State　of　Selangor　bounds　it　on　the　north；　and　joining　on　to
it　and　to　each　other　on　the　east；　are　the　small　〃independent〃　States　of
Rumbow；　Johol；　Moar；　Sri　Menanti；　Jelabu；　Jompol；　and　Jelai。　The　Linggi
river；　which　in　its　lower　part　forms　the　boundary　between　Selangor　and
Malacca；　forks　in　its　upper　part；　the　right　branch　becoming　for　some
distance　the　boundary　between　Sungei　Ujong　and　Rumbow。　It　is　doubtful
whether　the　area　of　the　State　exceeds　seven　hundred　square　miles。

The　Malays　of　Sungei　Ujong　and　several　of　the　adjacent　States　are
supposed　to　be　tolerably　directly　descended　from　those　of　the　parent
empire　Menangkabau　in　Sumatra；　who　conquered　and　have　to　a　great　extent
displaced　the　tribes　known　as　Jakuns；　Orang　Bukit；　Rayet　Utan；　Samangs；
Besisik；　Rayet　Laut；　etc。；　the　remnants　of　which　live　mainly　in　the
jungles　of　the　interior；　are　everywhere　apart　from　the　Malays；　and　are
of　a　much　lower　grade　in　the　scale　of　civilization。　The　story　current
among　the　best　informed　Malays　of　this　region　is　that　a　Sumatran　chief
with　a　large　retinue　crossed　to　Malacca　in　the　twelfth　century；　and
went　into　the　interior；　which　he　found　inhabited　only　by　the　Jakuns；　or
〃tree　people。〃　There　his　followers　married　Jakun　women；　and　their
descendants　spread　over　Sungei　Ujong；　Rumbow；　and　other　parts；　the
Rayet　Laut；　or　〃sea…people；〃　the　supposed　Ichthyophagi　of　the　ancients；
and　the　Rayet　Utan；　or　〃forest…people；〃　betaking　themselves　to　the
woods　and　the　sea…board　hills。

This　mixed　race　rapidly　increasing；　divided　into　nine　petty　States；
under　chiefs　who　rendered　feudal　service　to　the　Sultans　of　Malacca
before　its　conquest　by　the　Portuguese；　and　afterward　to　the　Sultan　of
Johore；　at　whose　court　they　presented　themselves　once　a　year。　This
confederation；　called　the　Negri　Sembilan；　in　the　seventeenth　and
eighteenth　centuries　made　various　commercial　treaties　with　the　Dutch；
but　its　domestic　affairs　were　in　a　state　of　chronic　feud；　and　four　of
the　States；　late　in　the　eighteenth　century；　becoming　disgusted　with　the
arbitrary　proceedings　of　a　ruler　who；　aided　by　Dutch　influence；　had
gained　the　ascendency　over　the　whole　nine；　sent　to　Sumatra；　the
original　source　of　government；　for　a　prince　of　the　blood…royal　of
Menangkabau；　and　after　a　prolonged　conflict　this　prince　became
sovereign　of　the　little　States　of　Sungei　Ujong；　Rumbow；　Johol；　and　Sri
Menanti；　the　chiefs　of　these　States　constituting　his　Council　of　State。
This　dynasty　came　to　an　end　in　1832；　and　intrigues　and　discord
prevailed　for　many　years；　till　the　Datu　Klana　of　Sungei　Ujong；　troubled
by　a　hostile　neighbor　in　Rumbow　and　a　hostile　subject　or　rival　at　home；
conceived　the　bright　idea　of　supporting　his　somewhat　shaky　throne　by
British　protection。

After　some　curious　negotiations；　he　succeeded　in　obtaining　both　a
Resident　and　the　English　flag　to　protect　his　little　fortunes；　but　it　is
obvious　that　his　calling　in　foreign　intervention　was　not　likely　to　make
him　popular　with　his　independent　neighbors　or　disaffected　subjects；　and
the　troubles　culminated　in　a　〃little　war；〃　in　which　the　attacking　force
was　composed　of　a　few　English　soldiers；　Malay　military　police；　and　a
body　of　about　eighty　so…called　Arabs；　enlisted　in　Singapore　and　taken
to　the　scene　of　action　by　Mr。　Fontaine。　The　〃enemy〃　was　seldom　obvious；
but　during　the　war　it　inflicted　a　loss　upon　us　of　eight　killed　and
twenty…three　wounded。　We　took　various　stockades；　shot　from　sixty　to
eighty　Malays；　burned　a　good　deal　of　what　was　combustible；　and　gave
stability　to　the　shaky　rule　of　the　Datu　Klana；　Syed　Abdulrahman。　Of
this　prince；　who　owed　his　firm　seat　on　the　throne　to　British
intervention；　the　Resident　wrote　in　1880：〃Loyal　to　his　engagements；
he　had　gained　the　good　will　of　the　British　Government。
Straightforward；　honest；　and　truly　charitable；　he　had　gained　the　love
and　respect　of　almost　everyone　in　Sungei　Ujong；　Chinese　as　well　as
Malay；　and　if　he　had　a　fault　he　erred　on　the　side　of　a　weak　belief　in
the　goodness　of　human　nature；　and　often　suffered　in　consequence。〃　This
was　Captain　Murray's　verdict　after　nearly　five　years'　experience。

The　population　of　this　tiny　State；　which　in　1832　consisted　of　three
thousand　two　hundred　Malays　and　four　hundred　Chinese；　at　the　time　of　my
visit　had　risen　to　twelve　thousand；　composed　of　three　Europeans；　a　few
Klings；　two　thousand　Malays；　and　ten　thousand　Chinese。　It　exports　tin
in　large　quantities；　gutta…percha　collected　in　the　interior　by　the
aborigines；　coffee；　which　promises　to　become　an　important　production；
buffalo　hides；　gum　dammar；　and　gharroo。　In　1879　the　exports　amounted　to
81；976　pounds；　81；451　pounds　being　the　value　of　tin。　Its　imports　are
little　more　than　half　this　amount。　Rice　heads　the　list　with　an　import
of　18；150　pounds　worth；　and　opium　comes　next；　valued　at　14；448　pounds。
The　third　import　in　value　is　oil；　the　next　Chinese　tobacco；　the　next
sugar；　the　next　salt　fish；　and　the　next　pigs！　The　Chinese；　of　course；
consume　most　of　what　is　imported；　being　in　a　majority　of　five　to　one；
and　here　as　elsewhere　they　carry　with　them　their　rigid　conservatism　in
dress；　mode　of　living；　food；　and　amusements；　and　have　a　well…organized
and　independent　system　of　communication　with　China。　It　is　the　Chinese
merchant；　not　the　British；　who　benefits　by　the　rapidly　augmenting
Chinese　population。　Thus　in　the　import　list　the　Chinese　tobacco；　pigs；
lard；　onions；　beans；　vermicelli；　salted　vegetables；　tea；　crackers；
joss…sticks；　matches；　Chinese　candles；　Chinese　clothing；　Chinese
umbrellas；　and　several　other　small　items；　are　all　imported　from　China。

Having　been　debited　with　a　debt　of　10；000　pounds　for　war　expenses；　to
be　paid　off　by　installments；　the　finances　were　much　hampered；　and　the
execution　of　road…making　and　other　useful　work　has　been　delayed。　This
war　debt；　heavy　as　it　was；　was　exclusive　of　6；000　pounds　previously
paid　off；　and　of　heavy　disbursements　made　to　supply　food　and　forage　for
the　British　soldiers　who　were　quartered　in　Sungei　Ujong　for　a
considerable　time。　Apart　from　this　harassing　debt；　the　expenses　are
pre…eminently　for　〃establishments；〃　the　construction　of　roads　and
bridges；　and　pensions　to　Rajahs　whose　former　sources　of　revenue　have
been　interfered　with　or　abolished。　The　sources　of　revenue　are　to　some
extent　remarkable；　and　it　is　possible　that　some　of　them　might　be
altogether　abolished　if　public　attention　became　focussed　upon　them。
Export　duties　are　levied　only　on　tin；　the　great　product　of　Sungei
Ujong；　and　gutta…percha。　The　chief　import　duty　is　on　opium；　and　in　1879
this　produced　4；182　pounds；　or　about　one…fourth　of　the　whole　revenue。
Besides　this　fruitful　and　growing　source　of　income；　3；074　pounds　was
raised　in　1879　under　the　head　〃Farms；〃　a　most　innocuous　designation　of
a　system　which　has　nothing　to　do　with　the　〃kindly　fruits　of　the　earth〃
at　all；　but　with　spirits；　gambling；　oil；　salt；　opium；　and　a　lottery！　In
other　words；　the　〃farms〃　are　so　many　monopolies；　sold　at　intervals　to
the　highest　bidder；　the　〃gambling　farm〃　being　the　most　lucrative　of　the
lot　to　the　Government；　and　of　course　to　the　〃farmer〃！

The　prison　expenses　are　happily　small；　and　the　hospital　expenses　also；
owing　mainly　in　the　former　case　to　the　efforts　of　the　〃Capitans　China；〃
who　are　responsible　for　their　countrymen；　and　in　the　latter　to　the
extreme　healthiness　of　the　climate。　The　military　police　force　now
consists　of　a　European　superintendent；　ninety…four　constables；　paid
45s。　per　month；　and　twelve　officers；　all　Malays；　but　as　it　is　Malay
nature　to　desire　a　change；　and　it　is　found　impossible　to　retain　the　men
for　any　lengthened　periods；　it　is　proposed　to　employ　Sikhs；　as　in
Perak。

Sungei　Ujong；　like　the　other　States　of　the　Peninsula；　is　almost
entirely　covered　with　forests；　now　being　cleared　to　some　extent　by
tapioca；　gambier；　and　coffee…planters。　Its　jungles　are　magnificent；　its
hill　scenery　very　beautiful；　and　its　climate　singularly　healthy。
Pepper；　coffee；　tapioca；　cinchona；　and　ipecacuanha；　are　being　tried
successfully；　burnt　earth；　of　which　the　natives　have　a　great　opinion；
and　leaf　mould　being　used　in　the　absence　of　other　manure。

The　rainfall　is　supposed　to　average　100　inches　a　year；　and　since
thermometrical　observations　have　been　taken　the　mercury　has　varied　from
68　degrees　to　92　degrees。　From　the　mangrove　swamps　at　the　mouths　of
turbid；　sluggish　rivers；　where　numberless　alligators　dwell　in　congenial
slime；　the　State　gradu