the golden chersonese and the way thither-第42章

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Governor　to　Mr。　Low；　the　Resident　in　Perak；　who　has　arranged　for　my
transit　thither；　and　to　Mr。　　Maxwell；　the　Assistant　Resident。　I　was　so
glad　that　I　had　no　claims　of　my　own　to　push　when　I　saw　the　many
perturbed　and　anxious　faces。　I　sat　next　Sir　William　Robinson　at
breakfast；　and　found　him　most　kind　and　courteous；　and　he　interested
himself　in　my　impressions　of　the　native　States。　　No　one　could　make　out
the　flags　on　the　Selangor　yacht；　four　squares　placed　diagonally；　two
yellow　and　two　red；　in　one　of　the　red　ones　a　star　and　crescent　in
yellow；　and　on　the　mizzenmast　the　same　flag　with　a　blue　ensign　as　one
of　the　squares！　I　wonder　if　the　faineant　Sultan　who　luxuriates　at
Langat　knows　anything　of　the　sensationalism　of　his　〃yacht。〃

Mr。　Douglas　took　me　back　to　the　launch　in　fierce　blazing　heat；　which
smote　me　just　as　I　put　down　my　umbrella　in　order　to　climb　up　her　side；
and　caused　me　to　fall　forward　with　a　sort　of　vertigo　and　an　icy　chill；
but　as　soon　as　I　arrived　here　I　poured　deluges　of　cold　water　on　my
head；　and　lay　down　with　an　iced　bandage　on；　and　am　now　much　better。　　In
nine　months　of　tropical　traveling；　and　exposure　on　horseback　without　an
umbrella　to　the　full　force　of　the　sun；　I　have　never　been　affected
before。　I　wear　a　white　straw　hat　with　the　sides　and　low　crown　thickly
wadded。　I　also　have　a　strip　four　inches　broad　of　three　thicknesses　of
wadding；　sewn　into　the　middle　of　the　back　of　my　jacket；　and　usually
wear　in　addition　a　coarse　towel　wrung　out　in　water；　folded　on　the　top
of　my　head；　and　hanging　down　the　back　of　my　neck。

Soon　after　I　came　into　the　salon　Mr。　Wood；　the　Puisne　Judge；　a　very
genial；　elderly　man；　called　and　took　me　to　his　house；　where　I　found　a
very　pleasant　party；　Sir　Thomas　Sidgreaves；　the　Chief　Justice；　Mr。
Maxwell；　the　Assistant　Resident　in　Perak；　Mr。　Walker；　appointed　to　the
（acting）　command　of　the　Sikh　force　in　Perak；　and　Mr。　Kinnersley；　a
Pinang　magistrate；　with　Mr。　Isemonger；　the　police　magistrate　of　the
adjacent　Province　Wellesley。　With　an　alteration　in　the　names　of　places
and　people；　the　conversation　was　just　what　I　have　heard　in　all　British
official　circles　from　Prince　Edward　Island　to　Singapore；　who　was　likely
to　go　home　on　leave；　who　might　get　a　step；　whether　the　Governor　would
return；　what　new　appointments　were　likely　to　be　created；　etc。；　the
interest　in　all　these　matters　being　intensified　by　the　recent　visit　of
Sir　W。　Robinson。　It　was　all　pleasant　and　interesting　to　me。

This　evening　the　moonlight　from　the　window　was　entrancingly　beautiful；
the　shadows　of　promontory　behind　promontory　lying　blackly　on　the　silver
water　amidst　the　scents　and　silences　of　the　purple　night。

As　one　lands　on　Pinang　one　is　impressed　even　before　reaching　the　shore
by　the　blaze　of　color　in　the　costumes　of　the　crowds　which　throng　the
jetty。　There　are　over　fifteen　thousand　Klings；　Chuliahs；　and　other
natives　of　India　on　the　island；　and　with　their　handsome　but　not　very
intellectual　faces；　their　Turkey…red　turbans　and　loin…cloths；　or　the
soft；　white　muslins　in　which　both　men　and　women　drape　themselves；　each
one　might　be　an　artist's　model。　The　Kling　women　here　are　beautiful　and
exquisitely　draped；　but　the　form　of　the　cartilage　of　the　nose　and　ears
is　destroyed　by　heavy　rings。　There　are　many　Arabs；　too；　who　are　wealthy
merchants　and　bankers。　One　of　them；　Noureddin；　is　the　millionaire　of
Pinang；　and　is　said　to　own　landed　property　here　to　the　extent　of
400；000　pounds。　There　are　more　than　twenty…one　thousand　Malays　on　the
island；　and　though　their　kampongs　are　mostly　scattered　among　the　palm…
groves；　their　red　sarongs　and　white　bajus　are　seen　in　numbers　in　the
streets；　but　I　have　not　seen　one　Malay　woman。　There　are　about　six
hundred　and　twelve　Europeans　in　the　town　and　on　Pinang；　but　they　make
little　show；　though　their　large　massive　bungalows；　under　the　shade　of
great　bread…fruit　and　tamarind…trees；　give　one　the　idea　of　wealth　and
solidity。

The　sight　of　the　Asiatics　who　have　crowded　into　Georgetown　is　a
wonderful　one；　Chinese；　Burmese；　Javanese；　Arabs；　Malays；　Sikhs；
Madrassees；　Klings；　Chuliahs；　and　Parsees；　and　still　they　come　in　junks
and　steamers　and　strange　Arabian　craft；　and　all　get　a　living；　depend
slavishly　on　no　one；　never　lapse　into　pauperism；　retain　their　own
dress；　customs；　and　religion；　and　are　orderly。　One　asks　what　is
bringing　this　swarthy；　motley　crowd　from　all　Asian　lands；　from　the　Red
to　the　Yellow　Sea；　from　Mecca　to　Canton；　and　one　of　my　Kling　boatmen
answers　the　question；　〃Empress　goodcoolie　get　money；　keep　it。〃　This
being　interpreted　is；　that　all　these　people　enjoy　absolute　security　of
life　and　property　under　our　flag；　that　they　are　certain　of　even…handed
justice　in　our　colonial　courts；　and　that　〃the　roll　of　the　British　drum〃
and　the　presence　of　a　British　iron…clad　mean　to　them　simply　that
security　which　is　represented　to　us　by　an　efficient　police　force。　It　is
so　strange　to　see　that　other　European　countries　are　almost　nowhere　in
this　strange　Far　East。　Possibly　many　of　the　Chinese　have　heard　of
Russia；　but　Russia；　France；　Germany；　and　America；　the　whole　lot　of　the
〃Great　Powers〃　are　represented　chiefly　by　a　few　second…rate　war…ships；
or　shabby　consulates　in　back　streets；　while　England　is　a　〃name　to
conjure　with；〃　and　is　represented　by　prosperous　colonies；　powerful
protective　forces；　law；　liberty；　and　security。　These　ideas　are　forced
so　strongly　upon　me　as　I　travel　westward；　that　I　almost　fear　that　I　am
writing　in　a　〃hifalutin〃　style；　so　I　will　only　add　that　I　think　that
our　Oriental　Grand　Vizier　knew　Oriental　character　and　the　way　of
influencing　Oriental　modes　of　thinking　better　than　his　detractors　when
he　added　et　Imperatrix　to　the　much　loved　V。　R。

This　is　truly　a　brilliant　place　under　a　brilliant　sky；　but　Oh　I　weary
for　the　wilds！　There　is　one　street；　Chulia　Street；　entirely　composed　of
Chulia　and　Kling　bazaars。　Each　sidewalk　is　a　rude　arcade；　entered　by
passing　through　heavy　curtains；　when　you　find　yourself　in　a　narrow；
crowded　passage；　with　deep　or　shallow　recesses　on　one　side；　in　which
the　handsome；　brightly…dressed　Klings　sit　on　the　floor；　surrounded　by
their　bright…hued　goods；　and　over　one's　head　and　all　down　the　narrow；
thronged　passage；　noisy　with　business；　are　hung　Malay　bandannas；　red
turban　cloths；　red　sarongs　in　silk　and　cotton；　and　white　and　gold
sprinkled　muslins；　the　whole　length　of　the　very　long　bazaar；　blazing
with　color；　and　picturesque　beyond　description　with　beautiful　costume。
The　Klings　are　much　pleasanter　to　buy　from　than　the　Chinese。　In
addition　to　all　the　brilliant　things　which　are　sold　for　native　wear；
they　keep　large　stocks　of　English　and　German　prints；　which　they　sell
for　rather　less　than　the　price　asked　for　them　at　home；　and　for　less
than　half　what　the　same　goods　are　sold　for　at　the　English　shops。

I　am　writing　as　if　the　Klings　were　predominant；　but　they　are　so　only　in
good　looks　and　bright　colors。　Here　again　the　Chinese；　who　number
forty…five　thousand　souls；　are　becoming　commercially　the　most　important
of　the　immigrant　races；　as　they　have　long　been　numerically　and
industrially。　In　Georgetown；　besides　selling　their　own　and　all　sorts　of
foreign　goods　at　reasonable　rates　in　small　shops；　they　have　large
mercantile　houses；　and；　as　elsewhere；　are　gradually　gaining　a
considerable　control　over　the　trade　of　the　place。　　They　also　occupy
positions　of　trust　in　foreign　houses；　and　if　there　were　a　strike　among
them　all　business；　not　excepting　that　of　the　Post　Office；　would　come　to
a　standstill。　I　went　into　the　Mercantile　Bank　and　found　only　Chinese
clerks；　in　the　Post　Office　and　only　saw　the　same；　and　when　I　went　to
the　〃P。　and　O。〃　office　to　take　my　berth　for　Ceylon；　it　was　still　a
Chinaman；　imperturbable；　taciturn；　independent；　and　irreproachably
clean；　with　whom　I　had　to　deal　in　〃pidjun　English。〃　They　are　everywhere
the　same；　keen；　quick…witted　for　chances；　markedly　self…interested；
purpose…like；　thrifty；　frugal；　on　the　whole　regarding　honesty　as　the
best　policy；　independent　in　manner　as　in　character；　and　without　a　trace
of　〃Oriental　servility。〃


Georgetown；　February　11th。I　have　not　seen　very　much　in　my　two　days；
indeed；　I　doubt　whether　there　is　much　to　see；　in　my　line　at　least；　nor
has　the　island　any　interesting　associations　as　Malacca　has；　or　any
mystery　of　unexplored　jungle　as　in　Sungei　Ujong　and　Selangor。　Pinang
came　into　our　possession　in　1786；　through　the　enterprise　of　Mr。　　Light；
a　merchant　captain；　who　had　acquired　much　useful　local　knowledge　by
trading　to　Kedah　and　other　Malay　States。　　The　Indian　Government　desired
a　commercial　〃emporium〃　and　a　naval　station　in　the　far　east；　and　Mr。
Light　recommended　this　island；　then　completely　covered　with　forest；　and
only　inhabited　by　two　migratory　families　of　Malay　fishermen；　whose　huts
were　on　the　beach　where　this　town　now　stands。　In　spite　of　romantic
stories　of　another　kind；　to　which　even　a　recent　encyclopedia　gives
currency；　it　seems　that　the　Rajah　of　Kedah；　to　whom　the　island
belonged；　did　not　bestow　it　on　Mr。　Light；　but　sold　it　to　the　British
Government　for　a　stipulated　payment　of　2；000　pounds　a　year；　which　his
successor　receives　at　this　day。

It　is　little　over　thirteen　miles　long；　and　from　five　to　ten　broad。　It
is　a　little　smaller　than　the　Isle　of　Wight；　its　area　being　one　hundred
and　seven　square　miles。

The　roads　are　excellent。　After　one　has　got　inside　of　the　broad　belt　of
cocoa　and　areca　palms　which　runs　along　the　coast；　one　comes　upon
beautiful　and　fertile　country；　partly　level；　and　partly　rolling；　with
rocks　of　granite　and　mica…schist；　and　soil　of　a　shallow　but　rich
vegetable　mould；　with　abundance　of　streams　and　little　cascades；　dotted
all　over　with　villas　（very　many　of　them　Chinese）　and　gardens；　and
planted　with　rice；　pepper　and　fruits；　while　cloves　and　nutmegs；　which
last　have　been　long　a　failure；　grow　on　the　higher　lands。　The　centre　of
Pinang　is　wooded　and　not　much　cultivated；　but　on　the　south　and
south…west　coasts　there　are　fine　sugar；　coffee　and　pepper　plantations。
The　coffee　looks　very　healthy。　From　the　ridges　in　the　centre　of　the
island　the　ground　rises　toward　the　north；　till；　at　the　Peak；　it　reaches
the　height　of　two　thousand　nine　hundred　and　twenty…two　feet。　There　is　a
sanitarium　there　with　a　glorious　view；　and　a　delicious　temperature
ranging　from　60　degrees　to　75　degrees；　while　in　the　town　and　on　the　low
lands　it　ranges　from　80　degrees　to　90　degrees。　A　sea　breeze　blows　every
day；　and　rain　falls　throughout　the　year；　except　in　January　and
February。　The　vegetation　is　profuse；　but　less　beautiful　and　tropical
than　on　the　mainland；　and　I　have　seen　very　few　flowers　except　in
gardens。

The　products　are　manifoldguavas；　mangoes；　lemons；　oranges；　bananas；
plantains；　shaddocks；　bread…fruit；　etc。；　and　sugar；　rice；　sweet
potatoes；　ginger；　areca；　and　cocoa…nuts；　coffee；　cloves；　some　nutmegs；
and　black　and　white　pepper。　My　gharrie　driver　took　me　to　see　a　Chinese
pepper　plantationto　me　the　most　interesting　thing　that　I　saw　on　a
very　long　and　hot　drive。　Pepper　is　a　very　profitable　crop。　The　vine
begins　to　bear　in　three　or　four　years　after　the　cuttings　have　been
planted；　and　yields　two　crops　annually　for　about　thirteen　years。　It　is
an　East　Indian　plant；　rather　pretty；　but　of　rambling　a