the golden chersonese and the way thither-第5章

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children　to　repeat；　in　a　tongue　which　they　do　not　understand；　certain
passages　from　the　Koran　and　some　set　prayers。

As　to　law；　Sir　Stamford　Raffles　observed　in　a　formal　despatch；　〃Nothing
has　tended　more　decidedly　to　the　deterioration　of　the　Malay　character
than　the　want　of　a　well…defined　and　generally　acknowledged　system　of
law。〃　There　are　numerous　legal　compilations；　however；　and　nearly　every
State　has　a　code　of　its　own　to　a　certain　extent；　there　are　maritime　and
land　codes；　besides　〃customs〃　bad　and　good；　which　override　the　written
law；　while　in　Perak；　Selangor；　and　Sungei　Ujong　an　ill　understood
adaptation　of　some　portions　of　British　law　further　complicates　matters。
〃The　glorious　uncertainty〃　of　law　is　nowhere　more　fully　exemplified
than　on　this　Peninsula。　It　is　from　the　Golden　Island；　the　parent　Empire
of　Menangkabau；　that　the　Malays　profess　to　derive　both　their　criminal
and　civil　law；　their　tribal　system；　their　rules　for　the　division　of
land　by　boundary　marks；　and　the　manner　of　government　as　adapted　for
sovereigns　and　their　ministers。　The　existence　of　the　various　legal
compilations　has　led　to　much　controversy　and　even　bloodshed　between
zealots　for　the　letter　of　the　Koran　on　one　side；　and　the　advocates　of
ancient　custom　on　the　other。　Among　the　reasons　which　have　led　to　the
migration　of　Malays　from　the　native　states　into　the　Straits
Settlements；　not　the　least　powerful　is　the　equality　of　rights　before
English　law；　and　the　security　given　by　it　to　property　of　every　kind。　In
the　Malay　country　itself；　occupied　by　Malays　and　the　Chinese　associated
with　them；　there　are　four　Malays　to　the　square　mile；　whilst　under　the
British　flag　some　one　hundred　and　twenty…five　Malays　to　the　square　mile
have　taken　refuge　and　sought　protection　for　their　industry　under　our
law！

Cock…fighting；　which　has　attained　to　the　dignity　of　a　literature　of　its
own；　is　the　popular　Malay　sport；　but　the　grand　sport　is　a　tiger　and
buffalo　fight；　reserved　for　rare　occasions；　however；　on　account　of　its
expense。　　Cock…fighting　is　a　source　of　gigantic　gambling　and　desperate
feuds。　The　birds；　which　fight　in　full　feather　and　with　sharpened　steel
spurs；　are　very　courageous；　and　die　rather　than　give　in。　Wrestling
among　young　men　and　tossing　the　wicker　ball；　are　favorite　amusements。
There　are　professional　dancing　girls；　but　dancing　as　a　social　amusement
is　naturally　regarded　with　disfavor。　Children　have　various　games
peculiar　to　themselves；　which　are　abandoned　as　childish　things　at　a
given　age。　Riddles　and　enigmas　occupy　a　good　deal　of　time　among　the
higher　classes。　Chess　also　occupies　much　time；　but　it　is　much　to　be
feared　that　the　vice　of　gambling　stimulated　by　the　Chinese；　who　have
introduced　both　cards　and　dice；　is　taking　the　place　of　more　innocent
pastimes。

The　Malays；　like　other　Mohammedans；　practice　polygamy。　They　are　very
jealous；　and　their　women　are　veiled　and　to　a　certain　extent　secluded；
but　they　are　affectionate；　and　among　the　lower　classes　there　is　a　good
deal　of　domesticity。　　Their　houses　are　described　in　the　following
letters。　The　food　of　the　poorer　classes　consists　mainly　of　rice　and
salt…fish；　curries　of　both；　maize；　sugar…cane；　bananas；　and　jungle
fruits；　cocoa…nut　milk　being　used　in　the　preparation　of　food　as　well　as
for　a　beverage。　As　luxuries　they　chew　betelnut　and　smoke　tobacco；　and
although　intoxicants　are　forbidden；　they　tap　the　toddy　palm　and　drink
of　its　easily　fermented　juice。　Where　metal　finds　its　way　into　domestic
utensils　it　is　usually　in　the　form　of　tin　water…bottles　and　ewers。
Every　native　possesses　a　sweeping　broom；　sleeping　mats；　coarse　or　fine；
and　bamboo　or　grass　baskets。　Most　families　use　an　iron　pan　for　cooking；
with　a　half　cocoa…nut　shell　for　a　ladle。　A　large　nut　shell　filled　with
palm…oil；　and　containing　a　pith　wick；　is　the　ordinary　Malay　lamp。　Among
the　poor；　fresh　leaves　serve　as　plates　and　dishes；　but　the　chiefs
possess　china。

The　Malay　weapons　consist　of　the　celebrated　kris；　with　its　flame…shaped
wavy　blade；　the　sword；　regarded；　however；　more　as　an　ornament；　the
parang；　which　is　both　knife　and　weapon；　the　steel…headed　spear；　which
cost　us　so　many　lives　in　the　Perak　war；　matchlocks；　blunderbusses；　and
lelahs；　long　heavy　brass　guns　used　for　the　defense　of　the　stockades
behind　which　the　Malays　usually　fight。　They　make　their　own　gunpowder；
and　use　cartridges　made　of　cane。

The　Malays；　like　the　Japanese；　have　a　most　rigid　epistolary　etiquette；
and　set　forms　for　letter　writing。　Letters　must　consist　of　six　parts；
and　are　so　highly　elaborate　that　the　scribes　who　indite　them　are　almost
looked　upon　as　litterateurs。　There　is　an　etiquette　of　envelopes　and
wafers；　the　number　and　color　of　which　vary　with　the　relative　positions
of　the　correspondents；　and　any　error　in　these　details　is　regarded　as　an
insult。　Etiquette　in　general　is　elaborate　and　rigid；　and　ignorant
breaches　of　it　on　the　part　of　Europeans　have　occasionally　cost　them
their　lives。

The　systems　of　government　in　the　Malay　States　vary　in　detail；　but　on
the　whole　may　be　regarded　as　absolute　despotisms；　modified　by　certain
rights；　of　which　no　rulers　in　a　Mohammedan　country　can　absolutely
deprive　the　ruled；　and　by　the　assertion　of　the　individual　rights　of
chiefs。　　Sultans；　rajahs；　maharajahs；　datus；　etc。；　under　ordinary
circumstances　have　been　and　still　are　in　most　of　the　unprotected　States
unable　to　control　the　chiefs　under　them；　who　have　independently　levied
taxes　and　blackmail　till　the　harassed　cultivators　came　scarcely　to　care
to　possess　property　which　might　at　any　time　be　seized。　Forced　labor　for
a　quarter　of　the　laboring　year　was　obligatory　on　all　males；　besides
military　service　when　called　upon。

Slavery　and　debt　bondage　exist　in　all　the　native　States；　except　in
Selangor　and　Sungei　Ujong；　where　it　has　recently　been　abolished；　as　it
is　hoped　it　will　be　in　Perak。　The　slaves　of　the　reigning　princes　were
very　easily　acquired；　for　a　prince　had　only　to　send　a　messenger　bearing
a　sword　or　kris　to　a　house；　and　the　parents　were　obliged　to　give　up　any
one　of　their　children　without　delay　or　question。　In　debt　slavery；　which
prevails　more　or　less　among　all　classes；　and　has　done　a　great　deal　to
degrade　the　women　of　the　Peninsula；　a　man　owing　a　trifling　debt
incurred　through　extravagance；　misfortune　or　gambling；　can　be　seized　by
his　creditor；　when　he；　his　wife；　and　children；　including　those　who　may
afterwards　be　born；　and　probably　their　descendants；　become　slaves。

In　most　of　the　States　the　reigning　prince　has　regular　officers　under
him；　chief　among　whom　are　the　Bandahara　or　treasurer；　who　is　the　first
minister；　chief　executive　officer；　and　ruler　over　the　peasantry；　and
the　Tumongong　or　chief　magistrate。　Usually　the　throne　is　hereditary；
but　while　the　succession　in　some　States　is　in　the　male　line；　in　others
it　is　in　the　female；　a　sister's　son　being　the　heir；　and　there　are
instances　in　which　the　chiefs　have　elected　a　sultan　or　rajah。　The
_theory_　of　government　does　not　contain　anything　inherently　vicious；
and　is　well　adapted　to　Malay　circumstances。　Whatever　is　evil　in
practice　is　rather　contrary　to　the　theory　than　in　accordance　with　it。
The　States　undoubtedly　have　fallen；　in　many　ways；　into　evil　case；　the
privileged　few；　consisting　of　rajahs　and　their　numerous　kindred　and
children；　oppressing　the　unprivileged　many；　living　in　idleness　on　what
is　wrung　from　their　toil。　　The　Malay　sovereigns　in　most　cases　have　come
to　be　little　more　than　the　feudal　heads　of　bodies　of　insubordinate
chiefs；　while　even　the　headmen　of　the　villages　take　upon　themselves　to
levy　taxes　and　administer　a　sort　of　justice。　Nomadic　cultivation；
dislike　of　systematic　labor；　and　general　insecurity　as　to　the
boundaries　and　tenure　of　land；　have　further　impoverished　the　common
people；　while　Islamism　exercises　its　usual　freezing　and　retarding
influence；　producing　the　fatal　isolation　which　to　weak　peoples　is　slow
decay。

When　Sir　A。　Clarke　was　appointed　Governor　of　the　Straits　Settlements　in
1873　he　went　to　the　Curator　of　the　Geographical　Society's　library　in
quest　of　maps　and　information　of　any　kind　about　the　country　to　which　he
was　going；　but　was　told　by　that　courteous　functionary　that　there　was
absolutely　no　information　of　the　slightest　value　in　their　archives。
Since　then　the　protectorate　which　we　have　acquired　over　three　of　the
native　States　and　the　war　in　Perak　have　mended　matters　somewhat；　but
Mr。　Daly；　on　appearing　in　May　last　before　the　same　Society　with　the　map
which　is　the　result　of　his　partial　survey；　regrets　that　we　have　of　half
of　the　Peninsula　〃only　the　position　of　the　coast…line！〃　Of　the　States
washed　by　the　China　Sea　scarcely　anything　is　known；　and　the　eastern　and
central　interior　offer　a　wide　field　for　the　explorer。

The　letters　which　follow　those　written　from　China　and　Saigon　relate　to
the　British　settlements　in　the　Straits　of　Malacca；　and　to　the　native
States　of　Perak；　Selangor；　and　Sungei　Ujong；　which；　since　1874；　have
passed。　under　British　〃protection。〃　The　preceding　brief　sketch　is
necessarily　a　very　imperfect　one；　as　to　most　of　my　questions　addressed
on　the　spot　and　since　to　the　best　informed　people；　the　answer　has　been；
〃No　information。〃　The　only　satisfaction　that　I　have　in　these
preliminary　pages　is；　that　they　place　the　reader　in　a　better　position
than　I　was　in　when　I　landed　at　Malacca。　To　a　part　of　this　beautiful　but
little　known　region　I　propose　to　conduct　my　readers；　venturing　to　hope
for　their　patient　interest　in　my　journeyings　over　the　bright　waters　of
the　Malacca　Straits　and　in　the　jungles　of　the　Golden　Chersonese。

I。　L。　B。



LETTER　I

The　Steamer　VolgaDays　of　DarknessFirst　View　of　Hong　KongHong　Kong
on　FireApathy　of　the　HouselessThe　Fire　Breaks　Out　AgainAn　Eclipse
of　Gayety


S。S。　〃VOLGA；〃　CHINA　SEA；　Christmas　Eve；　1878。

The　snowy　dome　of　Fujisan；　reddening　in　the　sunrise；　rose　above　the
violet　woodlands　of　Mississippi　Bay　as　we　steamed　out　of　Yokohama
harbor　on　the　19th；　and　three　days　later　I　saw　the　last　of　Japana
rugged　coast；　lashed　by　a　wintry　sea。


THE　PALACE；　VICTORIA；　HONG　KONG；　December　27。

Of　the　voyage　to　Hong　Kong　little　need　be　said。　The　Volga　is　a
miserable　steamer；　with　no　place　to　sit　in；　and　nothing　to　sit　on　but
the　benches　by　the　dinner…table　in　the　dismal　saloon。　The　master；　a
worthy　man；　so　far　as　I　ever　saw　of　him；　was　Goth；　Vandal；　Hun；
Visigoth；　all　in　one。　The　ship　was　damp；　dark；　dirty；　old；　and　cold。
She　was　not　warmed　by　steam；　and　the　fire　could　not　be　lighted　because
of　a　smoky　chimney。　There　were　no　lamps；　and　the　sparse　candles　were
obviously　grudged。　The　stewards　were　dirty　and　desponding；　the　serving
inhospitable；　the　cooking　dirty　and　greasy；　the　food　scanty；　the
table…linen　frowsy。　　There　were　four　French　and　two　Japanese　male
passengers；　who　sat　at　meals　in　top…coats；　comforters；　and　hats。　I　had
a　large　cabin；　the　salon　des　dames；　and　the　undivided　attention　of　a
very　competent；　but　completely　desponding　stewardess。　Being　debarred
from　the　deck　by　incessant　showers　of　spray；　sleet；　and　snow；　and　the
cold　of　mid…winter　being　unbearable　in　the　dark；　damp　saloon；　I　went
to　bed　at　four　for　the　first　two　days。　On　the　third　it　blew　half　a
gale；　with　a　short　violent　sea；　and　this　heavy　weather　las