the golden chersonese and the way thither-第35部分

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〃Capitans〃　with　the　Malay　interpreter；　and　were　received　with　a　curious
mixture　of　good…will　and　solemnity。　　Wine；　tea　and　sweet…meats　were
produced　at　each　house。　　Their　houses　are　very　rude；　considering　their
ample　means；　and　have　earthen　floors。　They　have　comfortable　carriages；
and　their　gentle；　sweet…mannered　children　were　loaded　with　gold　and
diamonds。　In　one　house；　a　sweet　little　girl　handed　round　the　tea　and
cake；　and　all；　even　to　babies　who　can　scarcely　toddle　across　the　floor；
came　up　and　shook　hands。　　A　Chinese　family　impresses　one　by　its　extreme
orderliness；　filial　reverence　being　regarded　as　the　basis　of　all　the
virtues。　The　manners　of　these　children　are　equally　removed　from　shyness
and　forwardness。　They　all　wore　crowns　of　dark　red　gold　of　very
beautiful　workmanship；　set　with　diamonds。　　When　these　girl…children　are
twelve　years　old；　they　will；　according　to　custom；　be　strictly　secluded；
and　will　not　be　seen　by　any　man　but　their　father　till　the　bridegroom
lifts　the　veil　at　the　marriage　ceremony。

After　these　visits；　in　which　the　〃Capitans　China；〃　through　the
interpreter；　assured　us　of　their　perpetual　and　renewed　satisfaction
with　British　rule；　Mr。　Hayward；　the　interpreter；　and　I；　paid　another
visit　of　a　more　leisurely　kind　to　one　of　the　Chinese　gambling　houses；
which；　as　usual；　was　crowded。　At　one　end　several　barbers　were　at　work。
A　Chinaman　is　always　being　shaved；　for　he　keeps　his　head　and　face　quite
smooth；　and　never　shaves　himself。　The　shaving　the　head　was　originally　a
sign　of　subjection　imposed　by　the　Tartar　conquerors；　but　it　is　now　so
completely　the　national　custom　that　prisoners　feel　it　a　deep　disgrace
when　their　hair　is　allowed　to　grow。　Coolies　twist　their　five　feet　of
pigtail　round　their　heads　while　they　are　at　work；　but　a　servant　or
other　inferior；　only　insults　his　superior　if　he　enter　his　presence　with
his　pigtail　otherwise　than　pendent。　The　gaming　house；　whose　open　sides
allow　it　to　present　a　perpetual　temptation；　is　full　of　tables；　and　at
each　sits　a　croupier；　well　clothed；　and　as　many　half…naked　Chinamen　as
can　see　over　each　others'　shoulders　crowd　round　him。　Their　silent；
concentrated　eagerness　is　a　piteous　sight；　as　the　cover　is　slowly
lifted　from　the　heavy　brass　box　in　which　the　dice　are　kept；　on　the　cast
of　which　many　of　them　have　staked　all　they　possess。　They　accept　their
losses　as　they　do　their　gains；　with　apparent　composure。　They　work　very
hard；　and　live　on　very　little；　but　they　are　poor　just　now；　for　the
price　of　tin　has　fallen　nearly　one…half　in　consequence　of　the　great　tin
discoveries　in　Australia。

Along　with　Mr。　Hayward　I　paid　a　visit　to　the　Court　House；　a　large
whitewashed　room；　with　a　clean　floor　of　red　tiles；　a　tiled　dais；　with　a
desk　for　the　judge；　a　table　with　a　charge　sheet　and　some　books　upon　it；
and　three　long　benches　at　the　end　for　witnesses　and　their　friends。　A
punkah　is　kept　constantly　going。　There　are　a　clerk；　a　Chinese
interpreter；　who　speaks　six　Chinese　dialects；　and　a　Malay　interpreter；
who　puts　the　Chinese　interpreter's　words　into　English。　As　the　judge
does　not　understand　Malay；　it　will　be　observed　that　justice　depends　on
the　fidelity　of　this　latter　official。　Though　I　cannot　say　that　the
dignity　of　justice　is　sustained　in　this　court；　there　is　not　a　doubt
that　the　intentions　of　the　judge　are　excellent；　and　if　some　of　the
guilty　escape；　it　is　not　likely　that　any　of　the　innocent　suffer。　The
Datu　Bandar　sometimes　sits　on　the　bench　with　the　Resident。

The　benches　were　crowded　almost　entirely　with　Chinamen；　and　a　number　of
policemen　stood　about。　I　noticed　that　these　were　as　anxious　as　our　own
are　to　sustain　a　case。　The　case　which　I　heard；　and　which　occupied　more
than　an　hour；　was　an　accusation　against　a　wretched　Chinaman　for
stealing　a　pig。　　I　sat　on　the　bench　and　heard　every　word　that　was　said；
and　arrived　at　no　judicial　conclusion；　nor　did　the　Resident；　so　the
accused　was　dismissed。　He　did　steal　that　pig　though！　I　don't　see　how
truth　can　be　arrived　at　in　an　Oriental　court；　especially　where　the
witnesses　are　members　of　Chinese　secret　societies。　Another　case　of
alleged　nocturnal　assault；　was　tried；　in　which　the　judge　took　immense
pains　to　get　at　the　truth；　and　the　prisoner　had　every　advantage；　and
when　he　was　found　guilty；　was　put　into　a　good　jail；　from　which　he　will
be　taken　out　daily　to　work　on　the　roads。

Malays　being　Mussulmen；　are　mostly　tried　by　the　〃Divine　Law〃　of　the
Koran；　and　Chinamen　are　dealt　with　〃in　equity。〃　The　question　to　be
arrived　at　simply　is；　〃Did　the　prisoner　commit　this　crime　or　did　he
not？〃　If　he　did　he　is　punished；　and　if　he　did　not　he　is　acquitted。
There　are　no　legal　technicalities　by　which　trial　can　be　delayed　or　the
ends　of　justice　frustrated。　Theft　is　the　most　common　crime。　One　hundred
and　fourteen　persons　were　convicted　last　year；　which　does　not　seem　a
large　proportion　（being　less　than　one　per　cent。）　out　of　an　unsettled
mining　population　of　twelve　thousand。　Mr。　Hayward；　through　whose　hands
the　crime　of　Singapore　and　Malacca　has　filtered　for　twenty　years；　was
very　critical　on　the　rough　and　ready　method　of　proceeding　here；　and
constantly　interjected　suggestions；　such　as　〃You　don't　ask　them
questions　before　you　swear　them；〃　etc。　　Informal　as　its　administration
is；　I　have　no　doubt　that　justice　is　substantially　done；　for　the
Resident　is　conscientious　and　truly　honorable。　He　is　very　lovable；　and
is　evidently　much　beloved；　and　is　able　to　go　about　in　unguarded
security。

It　is　not　far　from　the　Court　House　to　the　prison；　a　wholesomely
situated　building　on　a　hill；　made　of　concrete；　with　an　attap　roof。　The
whole　building　is　one　hundred　feet　long　by　thirty　feet　broad。　There　are
six　cells　for　solitary　confinement。　A　jailer；　turnkey；　and　eight
warders　constitute　the　prison　staff。　The　able…bodied　prisoners　are
employed　on　the　roads　and　other　public　works；　and　attend　upon　the
scavengers'　cart；　which　outcome　of　civilization　goes　round　every
morning！　The　diet；　which　costs　fourpence　a　day　for　each　prisoner；
consists　of　rice　and　salt　fish；　but　those　who　work　get　two…pence
halfpenny　a　day　in　addition；　with　which　they　can　either　buy　luxuries　or
accumulate　a　small　sum　against　the　time　when　their　sentences　expire。
Old　and　weakly　people　do　light　work　about　the　prison。　One　man　was
executed　for　murder　last　year　under　a　sentence　signed　by　the　Datu
Klana。　I　have　not　been　in　a　prison　since　I　was　in　that　den　of　horrors；
the　prison　of　the　Naam…Hoi　magistrate　at　Canton；　and　I　felt　a　little
satisfaction　in　the　contrast。

The　same　afternoon　we　all　made　a　very　pleasant　expedition　to　the
Sanitarium；　a　cabin　which　the　Resident　has　built　on　a　hill　three　miles
from　here。　A　chair　with　four　Chinese　bearers　carried　Miss　Shaw　up；　her
sister　and　the　two　gentlemen　walked；　and　I　rode　a　Sumatra　pony；　on　an
Australian　stock…man's　saddle；　not　only　up　the　steep　jungle　path；　but
up　a　staircase　of　two　hundred　steps　in　which　it　terminates；　the
sagacious　animal　going　up　quite　cunningly。　　One　charm　of　a　tropical
jungle　is　that　every　few　yards　you　come　upon　something　new；　and　every
hundred　feet　of　ascent　makes　a　decided　difference　in　the　vegetation。
This　is　a　very　grand　forest；　with　its　straight；　smooth　stems　running　up
over　one　hundred　feet　before　branching；　and　the　branches　are　loaded
with　orchids　and　trailers。　One　cannot　see　what　the　foliage　is　like
which　is　borne　far　aloft　into　the　summer　sunshine；　but　on　the　ground　I
found　great　red　trumpet　flowers　and　crimson　corollas；　like　those　of　a
Brobdingnagian　honeysuckle；　and　flowers　like　red　dragon…flies
enormously　magnified；　and　others　like　large；　single　roses　in　yellow
wax；　falling　slowly　down　now　and　then；　messengers　from　the　floral
glories　above；　〃wasting　（？）　their　sweetness　on　the　desert　air。〃　A
traveler　through　a　tropical　jungle　may　see　very　few　flowers　and　be
inclined　to　disparage　it。　It　is　necessary　to　go　on　adjacent　rising
ground　and　look　down　where　trees　and　trailers　are　exhibiting　their
gorgeousness。　Unlike　the　coarse　weeds　which　form　so　much　of　the
undergrowth　in　Japan；　everything　which　grows　in　these　forests　rejoices
the　eye　by　its　form　or　color；　but　things　which　hurt　and　sting　and　may
kill；　lurk　amidst　all　the　beauties。　A　creeping　plant　with　very
beautiful　waxy　leaves；　said　by　Captain　Murray　to　be　vanilla；　grows　up
many　of　the　trees。

When　we　got　up　to　the　top　of　this；　which　the　Resident　calls　〃Plantation
Hill；〃　I　was　well　pleased　to　find　that　only　the　undergrowth　had　been
cleared　away；　and　that　〃The　Sanitarium〃　consists　only　of　a　cabin　with　a
single　room　divided　into　two；　and　elevated　on　posts　like　a　Malay　house。
The　deep　veranda　which　surrounds　it　is　reached　by　a　stepladder。　A
smaller　house　could　hardly　be；　or　a　more　picturesque　one；　from　the
steepness　and　irregularity　of　its　roof。　The　cook…house　is　a　small　attap
shed；　in　a　place　cut　into　the　hill；　and　an　inclosure　of　attap　screens
with　a　barrel　in　it　under　the　house　is　the　bath…room。　The　edge　of　the
hill；　from　which　a　few　trees　have　been　cleared；　is　so　steep　that　but
for　a　bamboo　rail　one　might　slip　over　upon　the　tree…tops　below。　Some
Liberian　coffee　shrubs；　some　tea；　cinchona；　and　ipecacuanha；　and　some
heartless　English　cabbages；　are　being　grown　on　the　hillside；　and　the
Resident　hopes　that　the　State　will　have　a　great　future　of　coffee。

The　view　in　all　directions　was　beautifulto　the　north　a　sea　of　densely
wooded　mountains　with　indigo　shadows　in　their　hollows；　to　the　south　the
country　we　had　threaded　on　the　Linggi　river；　forests；　and　small　tapioca
clearings；　little　valleys　where　rice　is　growing；　and　scars　where　tin…
mining　is　going　on；　the　capital；　the　little　town　of　Serambang　with　its
larger　clearings；　and　to　the　west　the　gleam　of　the　shining　sea。　In　the
absence　of　mosquitoes　we　were　able　to　sit　out　till　after　dark；　a　rare
luxury。　There　was　a　gorgeous　sunset　of　the　gory；　furnace　kind；　which
one　only　sees　in　the　tropicswaves　of　violet　light　rolling　up　over　the
mainland；　and　the　low　Sumatran　coast　looking　like　a　purple　cloud　amidst
the　fiery　haze。

Dinner　was　well　cooked；　and　served　with　coffee　after　it；　just　as　at
home。　The　primitive　bath…room　was　made　usable　by　our　eleven　servants
and　chair…bearers　being　sent　to　the　hill；　where　the　two　gentlemen
mounted