the golden chersonese and the way thither-第3章

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as　to　make　a　strong　man　utter　a　cry　of　agony。　But　of　all　the　pests　the
mosquitoes　are　the　worst。　A　resident　may　spend　some　time　in　the　country
and　know　nothing　from　experience　of　scorpions；　centipedes；
land…leeches；　and　soldier　ants；　but　he　cannot　escape　from　the　mosquito；
the　curse　of　these　well…watered　tropic　regions。　In　addition　to　the
night　mosquito；　there　is　a　striped　variety　of　large　size；　known　as　the
〃tiger　mosquito；〃　much　to　be　feared；　for　it　pursues　its　bloodthirsty
work　in　the　daytime。

Among　the　harmless　insects　may　be　mentioned　the　cicada；　which　fills　the
forest　with　its　cheery　din；　the　green　grasshopper；　spiders；　and　flies
of　several　species；　dragon…flies　of　large　size　and　brilliant　coloring；
and　butterflies　and　moths　of　surpassing　beauty；　which　delight　in　the
hot；　moist；　jungle　openings；　and　even　surpass　the　flowers　in　the　glory
and　variety　of　their　hues。　Among　them　the　atlas　moth　is　found；
measuring　from　eight　to　ten　inches　across　its　wings。　The　leaf　insects
are　also　fascinating；　and　the　fire…flies　in　a　mangrove　swamp　on　a
dark；　still　night；　moving　in　gentle　undulations；　or　flashing　into
coruscations　after　brief　intervals　of　quiescence；　are　inconceivably
beautiful。

The　birds　of　the　Peninsula　are　many　and　beautiful。　Sun…birds　rival　the
flashing　colors　of　the　humming…birds　in　the　jungle　openings；
king…fishers　of　large　size　and　brilliant　blue　plumage　make　the　river
banks　gay；　shrieking　paroquets　with　coral…colored　beaks　and　tender
green　feathers；　abound　in　the　forests；　great；　heavy…billed　hornbills
hop　cumbrously　from　branch　to　branch；　rivaling　in　their　awkward　gait
the　rhinoceros　hornbills；　the　Javanese　peacock；　with　its　gorgeous　tail
and　neck　covered　with　iridescent　green　feathers　instead　of　blue　ones；
moves　majestically　along　the　jungle　tracks；　together　with　the　ocellated
pheasant；　the　handsome　and　high…couraged　jungle　cock；　and　the　glorious
Argus　pheasant；　a　bird　of　twilight　and　night；　with　〃a　hundred　eyes〃　on
each　feather　of　its　stately　tail。

According　to　Mr。　Newbold；　two　birds　of　paradise　（Paradisea　regia　and
Paradisea　gularis）　are　natives　of　the　Peninsula；*　and　among　other
bright…winged　creatures　are　the　glorious　crimson…feathered　pergam；　the
penciled　pheasant；　the　peacock　pheasant；　the　blue　pheasant　partridge；
the　mina；　and　the　dial　bird；　with　an　endless　variety　of　parrots；
lories；　green…feathered　pigeons　of　various　sizes；　and　wood…peckers。
Besides　these　there　are　falcons；　owls；　or　〃spectre　birds；〃　sweet…voiced
butcher　birds；　storks；　fly…catchers；　and　doves；　and　the　swallow　which
builds　the　gelatinous　edible　nest；　which　is　the　foundation　of　the
expensive　luxury　〃Bird's　Nest　Soup；〃　frequents　the　verdant　islands　on
the　coast。　　
＇*Mr。　Newbold　is　ordinarily　so　careful　and　accurate　that　it　is　almost
presumptuous　to　hint　that　in　this　particular　case　he　may　not　have　been
able　to　verify　the　statements　of　the　natives　by　actual　observation。＇

Nor　are　our　own　water　birds　wanting。　There　are　bitterns；　rails；
wild…duck；　teal；　snipes；　the　common；　gray；　and　whistling　plover；　green；
black；　and　red　quails；　and　the　sport　on　the　plains　and　reedy　marshes；
and　along　the　banks　of　rivers；　is　most　excellent。

Turtles　abound　off　the　coast；　and　tortoises；　one　variety　with　a　hard
shell；　and　the　other　with　a　soft　one　and　a　rapid　movement；　are　found　in
swampy　places。　The　river　fish　are　neither　abundant　nor　much　esteemed；
but　the　sea　furnishes　much　of　the　food　of　both　Malays　and　Chinese；　and
the　dried　and　salted　fish　prepared　on　the　coast　is　considered　very
good。

At　European　tables　in　the　settlements　the　red　mullet；　a　highly　prized
fish；　the　pomfret；　considered　more　delicious　than　the　turbot；　and　the
tungeree；　with　cray…fish；　crabs；　prawns；　and　shrimps；　are　usually　seen。
The　tongue…fish；　something　like　a　sole；　the　gray　mullet；　the
hammer…headed　shark；　and　various　fish；　with　vivid　scarlet　and　yellow
stripes　alternating　with　black；　are　eaten；　along　with　cockles；　〃razor
shells；〃　and　king…crabs。　The　lover　of　fishy　beauty　is　abundantly
gratified　by　the　multitudes　of　fish　of　brilliant　colors；　together　with
large　medusae；　which　dart　or　glide　through　the　sunlit　waters　among　the
coral…groves；　where　every　coral　spray　is　gemmed　with　zoophytes；　whose
rainbow…tinted　arms　sway　with　the　undulations　of　the　water；　and　where
sea…snakes　writhe　themselves　away　into　the　recesses　of　coral　caves。

Nature　is　so　imposing；　so　magnificent；　and　so　prolific　on　the　Malay
Peninsula；　that　one　naturally　gives　man　the　secondary　place　which　I
have　assigned　to　him　in　this　chapter。　The　whole　population　of　the
Golden　Chersonese；　a　region　as　large　as　Great　Britain；　is　not　more　than
three…quarters　of　a　million；　and　less　than　a　half　of　this　is　Malay。
Neither　great　wars；　nor　an　ancient　history；　nor　a　valuable　literature；
nor　stately　ruins；　nor　barbaric　splendors；　attract　scholars　or
sight…seers　to　the　Peninsula。

The　Malays　are　not　the　Aborigines　of　this　singular　spit　of　land；　and；
they　are　its　colonists　rather　than　its　conquerors。　Their　histories；
which　are　chiefly　traditional；　state　that　the　extremity　of　the
Peninsula　was　peopled　by　a　Malay　emigration　from　Sumatra　about　the
middle　of　the　twelfth　century；　and　that　the　descendants　of　these
colonists　settled　Malacca　and　other　places　on　the　coast　about　a　century
later。　Tradition　refers　the　peopling　of　the　interior　States　to　another
and　later　migration　from　Sumatra；　with　a　chief　at　its　head；　who；　with
all　his　followers；　married　Aboriginal　wives；　the　Aboriginal　tribes
retreating　into　the　jungles　and　mountains　as　the　Malays　spread
themselves　over　the　region　now　known　as　the　States　of　the　Negri
Sembilan。　The　conquest　or　colonization　of　the　Malay　Peninsula　by　the
Malays　is　not；　however；　properly　speaking；　matter　of　history；　and　the
origin　of　the　Malay　race　and　its　early　history　are　only　matters　of　more
or　less　reasonable　hypothesis。　It　is　fair；　however；　to　presume　that
Sumatra　was　the　ancient　seat　of　the　race；　and　the　wonderful　valley　of
Menangkabau；　surrounded　by　mountains　ten　thousand　feet　in　height；　that
of　its　earliest　civilization。　The　only　Malay　〃colonial〃　kingdoms　on　the
Peninsula　which　ever　attained　any　importance　were　those　of　Malacca　and
Johore；　and　even　their　reliable　history　begins　with　the　arrival　of　the
Portuguese。　The　conversion　of　the　Sumatra　Malays　to　Mohammedanism　arose
mainly　out　of　their　commercial　intercourse　with　Arabia；　it　was　slow；
not　violent；　and　is　supposed　to　have　begun　in　the　thirteenth　century。

A　population　of　〃Wild　Tribes；〃　variously　estimated　at　from　eight
thousand　to　eleven　thousand　souls；　is　still　found　in　the　Peninsula；　and
even　if　research　should　eventually　prove　them　not　to　be　its　Aborigines；
they　are；　without　doubt；　the　same　races　which　were　found　inhabiting　it
by　the　earliest　Malay　colonists。

These　are　frequently　called　by　the　Malays　〃Orang　Benua；〃　or　〃men　of　the
country；〃　but　they　are　likewise　called　〃Orang…outang；〃　the　name　which
we　apply　to　the　big　ape　of　Borneo。　　The　accompanying　engraving
represents　very　faithfully　the　〃Orang…outang〃　of　the　interior。　The　few
accounts　given　of　the　wild　tribes　vary　considerably；　but　apparently
they　may　be　divided　into　two　classes；　the　Samangs；　or　Oriental　Negroes
or　Negritos　and　the　Orang　Benua；　frequently　called　Jakuns；　and　in　Perak
Sakei。　By　the　Malays　they　are　called　indiscriminately　Kafirs　or
infidels；　and　are　interesting　to　them　only　in　so　far　as　they　can　use
them　for　bearing　burdens；　clearing　jungle；　procuring　gutta；　and　in
child…stealing；　an　abominable　Malay　custom；　which；　it　is　hoped；　has
received　its　death…blow　in　Perak　at　least。

The　Samangs　are　about　the　same　height　as　the　Malays；　but　their　hair；
instead　of　being　lank　and　straight　like　theirs；　is　short　and　curly；
though　not　woolly　like　that　of　the　African　negro；　and　their
complexions；　or　rather　skins；　are　of　a　dark　brown；　nearly　black。　Their
noses；　it　is　said；　incline　to　be　flat；　their　foreheads　recede；　and
their　lips　are　thick。　They　live　in　rude　and　easily　removable　huts　made
of　leaves　and　branches；　subsist　on　jungle　birds；　beasts；　roots；　and
fruits；　and　wear　a　scanty　covering　made　from　the　inner　bark　of　a
species　of　Artocarpus。　They　are　expert　hunters；　and　have　most　ingenious
methods　of　capturing　both　the　elephant　and　the　〃recluse　rhinoceros。〃
They　are　divided　into　tribes；　which　are　ruled　by　chiefs　on　the
patriarchal　system。　Of　their　customs　and　beliefs；　if　they　have　any；
almost　nothing　is　known。　They　are　singularly　shy；　and　shun　intercourse
with　men　of　other　races。　It　has　been　supposed　that　they　worship　the
sun。

The　Orang　Benua　or　Orang…outang；　frequently　called　Sakeis　or　Jakuns；
consist　of　various　tribes　with　different　names；　thinly　scattered　among
the　forests　of　the　chain　of　mountains　which　runs　down　the　middle　of　the
Peninsula　from　Kedah　to　Point　Romania。*　In　appearance　and　color　they
greatly　resemble　the　Malays；　and　there　is　a　very　strong　general
resemblance　between　their　dialects　and　pure　Malayan。　They　have
remarkably　bright　and　expressive　eyes；　with　nothing　Mongolian　about
their　internal　angles；　and　the　forehead　is　low　rather　than　receding。
The　mouth　is　wide　and　the　lips　are　large；　the　lower　part　of　the　face
projects；　the　nose　is　small；　the　nostrils　are　divergent；　and　the　cheek
bones　are　prominent。　The　hair　is　black；　but　it　often　looks　rusty　or
tawny　from　exposure　to　the　sun；　against　which　it　is　their　only
protection。　It　is　very　abundant　and　long；　and　usually　matted　and　curly；
but　not　woolly。　They　have　broad　chests　and　very　sturdy　muscular　limbs。
They　are；　however；　much　shorter　in　stature　than　the　Malays；　the　men　in
some　of　the　tribes　rarely　exceeding　four　feet　eight　inches　in　height；
and　the　women　four　feet　four。　Their　clothing　consists　of　a　bark　cloth
waist…cloth。　Some　of　the　tribes　live　in　huts　of　the　most　primitive
description　supported　on　posts；　while　others；　often　spoken　of　as　the
〃tree　people；〃　build　wigwams　on　platforms；　mainly　supported　by　the
forking　branches　of　trees；　at　a　height　of　from　twenty　to　thirty　feet。
These　wild　people；　says　Mr。　Daly；　lead　a　gregarious　life；　rarely
remaining　long　in　one　place　for　fear　of　their　wives　and　children　being
kidnapped　by　the　Malays。　They　fly　at　the　approach　of　strangers。　As　a
rule；　their　life　is　nomadic；　and　they　live　by　hunting；　fishing；　and　on
jungle　fruits。　They　are　divided　into　tribes　governed　by　elders。　They
reverence　the　sun；　but　have　no　form　of　worship；　and　are　believed　to　be
destitute　of　even　the　most　rudimentary　ideas　of　religion。　Their　weapon
is　the　sumpitan；　a　blow…gun；　from　which　poisoned　arrows　are　expelled。
They　have　no　ceremonies　at　birth；　marriage；　or　death。　They　are
monogamists；　and；　according　to　Mr。　Syers；　extremely　affectionate。　One
of　their　strongest　emotions　is　fear；　and　their　timidity　is　so　great
that　they　frequently　leave　the　gutta　which　they　have　collected　at　the
foot　of　the　tree；　not　daring　to　encounter　the　trader　from　whom　they
expect　some　articles　in　exchange；　while　the　fear　of　ridicule；　according
to　Mr。　Maxwell；　keeps　them　far　from　the　haunts　of　the　Malays。　　
＇*I　was　so　fortunate　as　to　see　two　adult　male　Jakuns　and　one　female；　but
my　information　respecting　them　is　derived　chiefly　from　Mr。　Syers；
Superintendent　of　Police　in　Selangor；　and　from　Mr。　Maxwell；