the golden chersonese and the way thither-第47章

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accommodation　and　sufficient　medical　attendance　have　also　been　provided
in　other　stricken　localities。　In　the　jail；　where　the　disease　was　very
fatal；　it　has　nearly　died　out；　in　consequence；　it　is　believed；　of
supplying　the　prisoners　with　a　larger　quantity　of　nitrogenous　food。　It
has　been　proposed　to　compel　the　employers　of　mining　coolies　to　do　the
same　thing；　for　the　ravages　of　the　disease　are　actually　affecting　the
prosperity　of　Larut。＇

There　are　〃trumpeter　beetles〃　here；　with　bright　green　bodies　and
membranous…looking　transparent　wings；　four　inches　across；　which　make
noise　enough　for　a　creature　the　size　of　a　horse。　Two　were　in　the　house
tonight；　and　you　could　scarcely　hear　anyone　speak。　But　there　is　a
blessed　respite　from　mosquitoes。

Major　Swinburne　and　Captain　Walker　have　dined　here；　and　we　had　a　simple
dinner　of　roast　mutton；　the　first　that　I　have　tasted　for　ten　months。　It
is　a　great　treat。　One　becomes　tired　of　made　dishes；　consisting　chiefly
of　impoverished　fowls；　disguised　in　about　twenty　different　ways。

When　I　left　Malacca；　Captain　Shaw　said：　〃When　you　see　Paul　Swinburne
you'll　see　a　man　you'll　not　see　twice　in　a　lifetime；〃　so　yesterday；
when　a　tall；　slender；　aristocratic…looking　man；　who　scarcely　looks
severable　from　the　door…steps　of　a　Pall　Mall　club；　strode　down　the　room
and　addressed　me　abruptly　with　the　words：　〃The　sooner　you　go　away　again
the　better；　there's　nothing　to　see；　nothing　to　do；　and　nothing　to
learn；〃　I　was　naturally　much　interested。　He　has　a　dash　of　acquired
eccentricity　of　tone　and　manner；　is　very　proud；　but；　unlike　some　proud
people；　appreciates　the　co…humanity　of　his　inferiors；　is　a　brilliant
talker；　dashing　over　art；　literature；　politics；　society；　tells　stories
brilliantly；　never　flags；　is　totally　regardless　of　〃the　equities　of
conversation；〃　and　is　much　beloved　by　the　Sikhs；　to　whom　he　is　just。

At　Pinang　I　heard　an　anecdote　of　him　which　is　quite　credible。　The
regent　（it　is　said）　wanted　him　to　use　the　Sikhs　to　catch　a　female
runaway　slave；　and　on　his　refusing；　the　Rajah　made　use　of　a　very
opprobrious　epithet；　on　which　he　drew　himself　up；　saying：　〃You　are　a
man　of　high　birth　in　your　country；　but　I'm　a　man　of　high　birth　in　mine；
and；　so　long　as　I　bear　Queen　Victoria's　commission；　I　refuse　to　accept
insult。　I　take　no　future　orders　from　your　highness。〃　Nor；　it　is　said；
has　he。

My　human　surroundings　have　an　unusual　amount　of　piquancy。　　Mr。　Maxwell
is　very　pleasant；　strong；　both　physically　and　mentally；　clever　and
upright；　educated　at　Oxford　and　Lincoln's　Inn；　but　brought　up　in　the
Straits　Settlements；　of　which　his　father　was　chief…justice。　He　is　able；
combative；　dogmatic；　well…read　and　well…informed；　expresses　himself
incisively；　is　self…reliant；　strong…willed；　thoroughly　just；　thoroughly
a　gentleman；　and　has　immense　energy　and　business　capacity；　and　a　large
amount　of　governing　power。　He；　too；　likes　talking；　and　talks　well；　but
with　much　perfectly　good…natured　vehemence。　He　is　a　man　on　whose　word
one　may　implicitly　rely。　Brought　up　among　Malays；　and　speaking　their
language　idiomatically；　he　not　only　likes　them；　but　takes　the　trouble
to　understand　them　and　enter　into　their　ideas　and　feelings。　He　studies
their　literature；　superstitions；　and　customs　carefully；　and　has　made
some　valuable　notes　upon　them。　I　should　think　that　few　people
understand　the　Malays　better　than　he　does。　He　dislikes　the　Chinese。　I
have　the　very　pleasant　feeling　regarding　him　that　he　is　the　right　man
in　the　right　place；　and　that　his　work　is　useful；　conscientious；　and
admirable。　　As　Assistant　Resident　he　is　virtually　dictator　of　Larut；
only　subject　to　Mr。　Low's　interference。　He　is　a　judge；　and　can　inflict
the　penalty　of　death；　the　Regent's　signature；　however；　being　required
for　the　death…warrant。　He　rules　the　Chinese　rigidly。

Captain　Walker　is　a　new　comer；　and　does　not　know　more　about　Perak　than
I　do。

At　this　dinner　of　four　there　was　as　much　noise　as　twenty　stupid　people
would　make！　Something　brought　up　the　dead　lock　in　Victoria；　which
excited　violent　feeling　for　some　reason　not　obvious。　Captain　Walker
threw　off　his　somewhat　suave　A。D。C。　manner；　and　looked　dangerous；　Mr。
Maxwell　fought　for　victory；　and　Major　Swinburne　to　beat　Mr。　　Maxwell；
and　the　row　was　deafening。　I　doubt　whether　such　an　argument　could　have
been　got　up　in　moist；　hot　Singapore；　or　steamy　Malacca！　An　energetic
difference　seems　of　daily　occurrence；　and　possibly　is　an　essential
ingredient　of　friendship。　That　it　should　be　possible　shows　what　an
invigorating　climate　this　must　be。　Major　Swinburne；　in　an　aggravating
tone；　begins　upon　some　peculiarity　or　foible；　real　or　supposed；　of　his
friend；　with　a　deluge　or　sarcasm；　mimicry；　ridicule；　and　invective；
torments　him　mercilessly；　and　without　giving　him　time　to　reply；
disappears；　saying；　Parthian…like；　〃Now；　my　dear　fellow；　its　no　use
resenting　it；　you　haven't　such　a　friend　as　me　in　the　worldyou　know　if
it　were　not　for　me　you'd　be　absolutely　intolerable！〃　All　this　is　very
amusing。　How　many　differing　characters　are　required　to　make　up　even　the
world　that　I　know！

It　is　strange　to　be　in　a　house　in　which　there　are　no　pets；　for　a　small
Malay　bear　which　lives　at　the　back　can　scarcely　be　called　one。
Sometimes　in　the　evening　a　wild　animal　called　a　lemur　rushes　wildly
through　the　house　and　out　at　the　front　veranda。　I　am　always　afraid　of
being　startled　by　his　tearing　through　my　room　in　the　depths　of　the
night；　for　here；　as　in　many　other　houses；　instead　of　doors　there　are
screens　raised　a　foot　from　the　ground。

This　morning　I　got　up　before　daylight；　and　went　up　a　hill　which　is
being　cleared；　to　enjoy　the　sunrise；　the　loveliest　time　of　the　tropic
day。　It　was　all　dew　and　rose　color；　with　a　delicious　freshness　in　the
air；　prolonged　unusually；　because　the　sun　was　so　slow　to　climb　above
the　eastern　mountain　tops。　Then　there　was　a　sudden　glory；　and　birds；
beasts；　and　insects　broke　into　a　vociferous　chorus；　the　tuneless　hymn
which　ascends　daily　without　a　discord。　There　are　sumptuously　colored
sunsets　to　be　seen　from　this　elevation；　but　one　has　no　time　to　enjoy
them；　and　they　make　one　long　for　the　lingering　gold　and　purple　of　more
northern　latitudes。　I　have　really　been　industrious　since　I　came　here；
both　in　writing　to　you；　and　in　〃reading　up〃　the　native　states　in　blue
books；　etc。

I。　L。　B。



LETTER　XIX

The　Chinese　in　Larut〃Monkey　Cups〃Chinese　HospitalityA　Sikh　Belle


BRITISH　RESIDENCY；　LARUT。

I　am　remaining　here　for　another　day　or　two；　so　have　time　to　tell　you　a
little　about　the　surroundings。

Larut　province　is　a　strip　of　land　about　seventy　miles　long；　and　from
twenty…five　to　forty…five　broad。　It　was　little　known；　and　almost
unexplored　till　1848；　when　a　Malay；　while　bathing；　found　some　coarse；
black　sand；　which；　on　being　assayed；　proved　to　be　tin。　He　obtained
twenty　Chinese　coolies；　opened　a　mine　which　turned　out　lucrative；　and
the　Chinese　at　home　hearing　that　money　was　to　be　made；　flocked　into
Larut；　but　after　some　years　took　to　quarreling　about　the　ownership　of
mines；　and　eventually　to　a　war　between　the　two　leading　clans；　which
threatened　to　be　a　war　of　extermination；　and　resulted　in　British
interference；　and　the　appointment　of　a　Resident；　and　then　Chinese
merchants　in　Pinang　made　advances　of　money　and　provisions　to　such　of
their　countrymen　as　were　willing　to　work　the　abandoned　mines。　Very　soon
the　population　increased　to　such　an　extent　that　it　became　necessary　to
choose　sites　for　mining　towns；　granting　one　to　each　faction；　the　Go
Kwan　town　being　called　Taipeng；　and　the　Si　Kwan　town　Kamunting。

American　mining　enterprise　could　hardly　go　ahead　faster。　At　the　end　of
1873　the　population　of　Larut　was　four　thousand；　the　men　of　the　fighting
factions　only。　Eleven　months　later　these　two　mining　towns　contained
nine　thousand　inhabitants；　a　tenth　of　whom　were　shopkeepers；　and　the
district　thirty…three　thousand。　Larut　is　level　from　the　sea…shore　to
the　mountain　range；　twenty　miles　inland；　and　is　very　uninteresting。

We　have　been　in　a　gharrie　to　Kamunting；　a　Chinese　mining　town　of　four
thousand　people；　three　miles　from　here；　approached　through　a　pretty
valley　full　of　pitcher　plants　with　purple　cups　and　lids。　You　can
imagine　the　joy　of　getting　into　my　hands　these　wonderful　nepenthes　or
〃monkey　cups〃　for　the　first　time。　I　gathered　five　in　the　hope　of
finding　one　free　from　insects；　but　the　cups　of　all　were　full　of　dried
flies　and　ants；　looking　much　as　flies　do　when　they　have　been　clutched
for　a　few　days　by　the　hairs　of　the　〃sun…dew。〃　The　lid　has　a　quantity　of
nectar　on　its　under　side　which　attracts　insects；　but　below　the　rolled
rim　of　the　cup；　which　is　slightly　corrugated；　the　interior　is　as　smooth
as　glass；　and　the　betrayed　flies　must　fall　at　once　into　the　water　at
the　bottom　and　be　drowned。　As　these　ingenious　arrangements　are　made　for
their　destruction；　doubtless　the　plant　feeds　upon　their　juices。*　
＇*I　have　since　learned　that　this　is　an　ascertained　fact；　and　that
nepenthes　are　among　the　insectiverous　plants。＇

We　went　first　to　a　very　large　tin　mine　belonging　to　a　rich　and　very
pleasant…looking　Chinaman；　who　received　us　and　took　us　over　it。　The
mine　is　like　a　large　quarry；　with　a　number　of　small　excavations　which
fill　with　water；　and　are　pumped　by　most　ingenious　Chinese　pumps　worked
by　an　endless　chain；　but　there　are　two　powerful　steam　pumps　at　work
also。　　About　four　hundred　lean；　leathery…looking　men　were　working；
swarming　up　out　of　the　holes　like　ants　in　double　columns；　each　man
carrying　a　small　bamboo　tray　holding　about　three　pounds　of　stanniferous
earth；　which　is　deposited　in　a　sluice；　and　a　great　rush　of　water　washes
away　the　sand；　leaving　the　tin　behind；　looking　much　like　〃giant〃
blasting　powder。　The　Chinese　are　as　much　wedded　to　these　bamboo　baskets
as　to　their　pigtails；　but　they　involve　a　great　waste　of　labor。　A　common
hoe　is　the　other　implement　used。　　The　coolies　are　paid　by　piece…work；
and　are　earning　just　now　about　one　shilling　and　sixpence　per　day。
Road…making　and　other　labor　is　performed　by　Klings；　who　get　one
shilling　a　day。

The　tin　is　smelted　during　the　night　in　a　very　rude　furnace；　with　most
ingenious　Chinese　bellows；　is　then　run　into　moulds　made　of　sand；　and
turned　out　as　slabs　weighing　66　lbs。　each。　The　export　duty　on　tin　is
the　chief　source　of　revenue。　Close　to　the　smelting　furnaces　there　are
airy　sheds　with　platforms　along　each　side；　divided　into　as　many　beds　as
there　are　Chinamen。　A　bed　consists　only　of　a　mat　and　a　mosquito…net。
There　are　all　the　usual　joss　arrangements；　and　time　is　measured　by　the
burning　of　joss…sticks。　Several　rain…cloaks；　made　of　palm　leaves；　were
hanging　up。　These；　and　nearly　all　the　other　articles　consumed　by　this
large　population　are　imported　from　China。

Our　Chinese　host　then　took　us　to　some　rooms　which　he　had　built　for　a
cool　retreat；　to　which；　in　anticipation　of　our　visit；　he　had　conveyed
champagne；　sherry；　and　bitter　beer！　　His　look　of　incredulity　when　we
said　that　we　preferred　tea；　was　most　amusing；　but　on　our　persisting；　he
produced　delicious　tea　with　Chinese　sweetmeats；　and　Huntley　and
Palmer's　cocoa…nut　biscuits。　He　then　insisted　on　taking　our　hired
gharrie　and　scrubby　pony　and　sending　us　on　in　his　buggy　with　a　fine
Australia