the golden chersonese and the way thither-第39部分

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Clarke　was　very　fortunate　in　his　selection　of　the　Sultan's　first
adviser；　for　Mr。　Davidson；　according　to　all　accounts；　had　an　intimate
knowledge　of　the　Malays；　as　well　as　a　wise　consideration　for　them；　he
had　a　calm　temper　and　much　good　sense；　and　is　held　in　honorable
remembrance；　not　only　for　official　efficiency　but　for　having　gained　the
sincere　regard　of　the　people　of　Selangor。　His　legal　training　and　high
reputation　in　the　colonial　courts　were　of　great　value　in　the　settlement
of　the　many　difficult　questions　which　arose　during　his　brief
administration。　He　was　succeeded　in　1876　by　Mr。　Bloomfield　Douglas；　who
has　held　the　office　of　Resident　for　six　years。

The　revenue　of　Selangor　amounted　in　1881　to　47；045　pounds；　derived
mainly　from　the　export　duty　on　tin；　the　import　duty　on　opium；　and　the
letting　of　opium　and　other　licenses　and　farms。　The　expenditure　was
46；876　pounds；　the　heaviest　items　being　for　〃establishments；〃
〃pensions；〃　and　〃works　and　buildings。〃　The　outlook　for　Selangor　appears
to　be　a　peaceful　one；　and　it　is　to　be　hoped　that；　under　the　energetic
administration　of　Sir　F。　A。　Weld；　its　capabilities　will　be　developed
and　its　anomalies　of　law　and　taxation　reformed；　and　that　both　Malays
and　foreigners　may　experience　those　advantages　of　good　order　and
security　which　result　from　a　just　rule。



LETTER　XIV

The　S。S。　RainbowSunset　at　MalaccaA　Night　at　SeaThe　Residency　at
KlangOur　〃Next…of…Kin〃The　Decay　of　KlangA　Remarkable
ChinamanTheatrical　MagnificenceMisdeed　of　a　〃Rogue　Elephant〃〃A
Cobra！　A　Cobra！〃


S。S。　〃RAINBOW；〃　MALACCA　ROADS；　February　1；　5　P。M。

I　am　once　again　on　board　this　quaint　little　Chinese　steamer；　which　is
rolling　on　a　lazy　ground…swell　on　the　heated；　shallow　sea。　We　were　to
have　sailed　at　four　P。M。；　but　mat…sailed　boats；　with　cargoes　of
Chinese；　Malays；　fowls；　pine…apples；　and　sugar…cane；　kept　coming　off
and　delaying　us。　The　little　steamer　has　long　ago　submerged　her
load…line；　and　is　only　about　ten　inches　above　the　water；　and　still　they
load；　and　still　the　mat…sailed　boats　and　eight…paddled　boats；　with　two
red…clothed　men　facing　forward　on　each　thwart；　are　disgorging　men　and
goods　into　the　overladen　craft。　A　hundred　and　thirty　men；　mostly
Chinese；　with　a　sprinkling　of　Javanese　and　Malays；　are　huddled　on　the
little　deck；　with　goats　and　buffaloes；　and　forty　coops　of　fowls　and
ducks；　the　fowls　and　ducks　cackling　and　quacking；　and　the　Chinese
clattering　at　the　top　of　their　voicessuch　a　Babel！

An　hour　later；　〃Easy　ahead；〃　shouts　the　Portuguese…Malay　captain；　for
the　Rainbow　is　only　licensed　for　one　hundred　passengers；　and　the　water
runs　in　at　the　scuppers　as　she　rolls；　but　five　of　the　mat…sailed　boats
have　hooked　on。　　〃Run　ahead！　full　speed！〃　the　captain　shouts　in
English；　he　dances　with　excitement；　and　screams　in　Malay；　the　Chinamen
are　climbing　up　the　stern；　over　the　bulwarks；　everywhere；　fairly
boarding　us；　and　with　about　a　hundred　and　fifty　souls　on　board；　and　not
a　white　man　or　a　Christian　among　them；　we　steam　away　over　the　gaudy
water　into　the　gaudy　sunset；　and　beautiful；　dreamy；　tropical　Malacca；
with　its　palm…fringed　shores；　and　its　colored　streets；　and　Mount　Ophir
with　its　golden　history；　and　the　stately　Stadthaus；　whose　ancient　rooms
have　come　to　seem　almost　like　my　property；　are　passing　into　memories。　A
gory　ball　drops　suddenly　from　a　gory　sky　into　a　flaming　sea；　and

　　　　　〃With　one　stride　comes　the　dark。〃

There　is　no　place　for　me　except　on　this　little　bridge；　on　which　the
captain　and　I　have　just　had　an　excellent　dinner；　with　hen…coops　for
seats。　These　noisy　fowls　are　now　quiet　in　the　darkness；　but　the　noisier
Chinese　are　still　bawling　at　the　top　of　their　voices。　It　is　too　dark
for　another　line。


British　Residency；　Klang　Selangor。You　will　not　know　where　Klang　is；
and　I　think　you　won't　find　it　in　any　atlas　or　encyclopedia。　Indeed；　I
almost　doubt　whether　you　will　find　Selangor；　the　Malay　State　of　which
Klang　is；　after　a　fashion；　the　capital。　At　present　I　can　tell　you　very
little。

Selangor　is　bounded　on　the　north　by　the　〃protected〃　State　of　Perak；
which　became　notorious　in　England　a　few　years　ago　for　a　〃little　war；〃
in　which　we　inflicted　a　very　heavy　chastisement　on　the　Malays　for　the
assassination　of　Mr。　　Birch；　the　British　Resident。　It　has　on　its　south
and　southeast　Sungei　Ujong；　Jelabu；　and　Pahang；　but　its　boundaries　in
these　directions　are　ill…defined。　The　Strait　of　Malacca　bounds　it　on
the　west；　and　its　coast…line　is　about　a　hundred　and　twenty　miles　long。
From　its　slightly　vague　interior　boundary　to　the　coast；　it　is　supposed
to　preserve　a　tolerably　uniform　depth　of　from　fifty　to　sixty　miles。
Klang　is　on　the　Klang　river；　in　lat。　3　degrees　3'　N。；　and　long。　101
degrees　29'　30〃　E。　I　call　it　〃the　Capital　after　a　fashion；〃　because　the
Resident　and　his　myrmidons　live　here；　and　because　vessels　which　draw
thirteen　feet　of　water　can　go　no　higher；　but　the　true　capital；　created
by　the　enterprise　of　Chinamen；　is　thirty…six　miles　farther　inland；　the
tin…mining　settlement　of　Kwala　Lumpor。　Selangor　thrives；　if　it　does
thrive；　which　I　greatly　doubt；　on　tin　and　gutta；　but　Klang　is　a　most
misthriven；　decayed；　dejected；　miserable…looking　place。*　The　nominal
ruler　of　Selangor　is　Sultan　Abdul　Samat；　but　he　hybernates　on　a　pension
at　Langat；　a　long　way　off；　and　must　be　nearly　obliterated；　I　think。
＇*Kwala　Lumpor　is　now　the　most　important　mining　entrepot　in　Selangor；
and　in　1880　the　British　Resident　and　his　staff　were　removed　thither。＇

It　is　a　great　change　from　Malacca　in　every　respect。　I　left　it　with
intense　regret。　Hospitality；　kindness；　most　genial　intercourse；　and　its
own　semi…mediaeval　and　tropical　fascinations；　made　it　one　of　the
brightest　among　the　many　bright　spots　of　my　wanderings。　Mr。　Hayward
took　me　to　the　Rainbow　in　a　six…oared　boat；　manned　by　six　policemen；
completing　the　list　of　〃Government　facilities〃　as　far　as　Malacca　is
concerned。　The　mercury　was　90　degrees　in　my　little　cabin　or　den；　and　it
swarmed　not　only　with　mosquitoes；　but　with　cockroaches；　which；　in　the
dim　light；　looked　as　large　as　mice。　Of　course；　no　one　sleeps　below　in
the　tropics　who　can　avoid　it；　so　as　the　deck　was　thick　with　Chinamen；　I
had　my　mattress　laid　on　a　bench　on　the　bridge；　which　was　only　occupied
by　two　Malay　look…out　men。　There　is　not　very　much　comfort　when　one
leaves　the　beaten　tracks　of　travel；　but　any　loss　is　far　more　than　made
up　for　by　the　intense　enjoyment。

It　was　a　delightful　night。　The　moon　was　only　a　hemisphere；　yet　I　think
she　gave　more　light　than　ours　at　the　full。　The　night　was　so　exquisite
that　I　was　content　to　rest　without　sleeping；　the　Babel　noises　of　fowls
and　men　had　ceased；　and　there　were　only　quiet　sounds　of　rippling　water；
and　the　occasional　cry　of　a　sea…bird　as　we　slipped　through　the　waveless
sea。　When　the　moon　set；　the　sky　was　wonderful　with　its　tropic　purple
and　its　pavement　and　dust　of　stars。　I　have　become　quite　fond　of　the
Southern　Cross；　and　don't　wonder　that　the　early　navigators　prostrated
themselves　on　deck　when　they　first　saw　it。　It　is　not　an　imposing
constellation；　but　it　is　on　a　part　of　the　sky　which　is　not　crowded　with
stars；　and　it　always　lies　aslant　and　obvious。　　It　has　become　to　me　as
much　a　friend　as　is　the　Plough　of　the　northern　regions。

At　daybreak　the　next　morning　we　were　steaming　up　the　Klang　river；　whose
low　shores　are　entirely　mangrove　swamps；　and　when　the　sun　was　high　and
hot　we　anchored　in　front　of　the　village　of　Klang；　where　a　large　fort　on
an　eminence；　with　grass　embankments　in　which　guns　are　mounted；　is　the
first　prominent　object。　Above　this　is　a　large　wooden　bungalow　with　an
attap　roof；　which　is　the　British　Residency。　There　was　no　air；　and　the
British　ensign　in　front　of　the　house　hung　limp　on　the　flag…staff。　Below
there　is　a　village；　with　clusters　of　Chinese　houses　on　the　ground；　and
Malay　houses　on　stilts；　standing　singly；　with　one　or　two　Government
offices　bulking　largely　among　them。　A　substantial　flight　of　stone　steps
leads　from　the　river　to　a　skeleton　jetty　with　an　attap　roof；　and　near
it　a　number　of　attap…roofed　boats　were　lying；　loaded　with　slabs　of　tin
from　the　diggings　in　the　interior；　to　be　transhipped　to　Pinang。　A
dainty　steam…launch；　the　Abdulsamat；　nominally　the　Sultan's　yacht；
flying　a　large　red　and　yellow　flag；　was　also　lying　in　the　river。

Mr。　Bloomfield　Douglas；　the　Resident；　a　tall；　vigorous；　elderly　man；
with　white　hair；　a　florid　complexion；　and　a　strong　voice　heard
everywhere　in　authoritative　tones；　met　me　with　a　four…oared　boat；　and　a
buggy　with　a　good　Australian　horse　brought　me　here。　From　this　house
there　is　a　large　but　not　a　beautiful　view　of　river　windings；　rolling
jungle；　and　blue　hills。　The　lower　part　of　the　house；　which　is　supported
on　pillars；　is　mainly　open；　and　is　used　for　billiard…room；　church；
lounging…room；　afternoon　tea…room；　and　audience…room；　but　I　see　nothing
of　the　friendly；　easy…going　to　and　fro　of　Chinese　and　Malays；　which
was　a　pleasant　feature　of　the　Residency　in　Sungei　Ujong。　In　fact；　there
is　here　much　of　the　appearance　of　an　armed　post　amidst　a　hostile
population。　In　front　of　the　Residency　there　is　a　six…pounder　flanked　by
two　piles　of　shot。　Behind　it　there　is　a　guard…room；　with　racks　of
rifles　and　bayonets　for　the　Resident's　body…guard　of　twelve　men；　and
quarters　for　the　married　soldiers；　for　soldiers　they　are；　though　they
are　called　policemen。　A　gong　hangs　in　front　of　the　porch　on　which　to
sound　the　alarm；　and　a　hundred　men　fully　armed　can　turn　out　at　five
minutes'　notice。

The　family　consists　of　the　Resident；　his　wife；　a　dignified　and　gracious
woman；　with　a　sweet　but　plaintive　expression　of　countenance；　and　an
afflicted　daughter；　on　whom　her　mother　attends　with　a　loving；　vigilant；
and　ceaseless　devotion　of　a　most　pathetic　kind。　The　circle　is　completed
by　a　handsome　black　monkey　tied　to　a　post；　and　an　ape　which　they　call
an　ouf；　from　the　solitary　monosyllable　which　it　utters；　but　which　I
believe　to　be　the　〃agile　gibbon；〃　a　creature　so　delicate　that　it　has
never　yet　survived　a　voyage　to　England。

It　is　a　beautiful　creature。　I　could　〃put　off〃　hours　of　time　with　it。　It
walks　on　its　hind　legs　with　a　curious　human　walk；　hanging　its　long　arms
down　by　its　sides　like　B…。　　It　will　walk　quietl