the golden chersonese and the way thither-第6部分

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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　lasted　till　we
reached　Hong　Kong；　five　days　afterward。　During　those　cold；　dark；　noisy
days；　when　even　the　stewards　could　scarcely　keep　their　feet；　I　suffered
so　much　in　my　spine　from　the　violent　movements　of　the　ship　that　I　did
not　leave　my　cabin；　and　besides　being　unable　to　read；　write；　or　work；
owing　to　the　darkness；　I　was　obliged　to　hold　on　by　day　and　night　to
avoid　being　much　hurt　by　the　rolling；　my　berth　being　athwart　ships；
consequently；　that　week；　which　I　had　relied　upon　for　〃overtaking〃　large
arrears　of　writing　and　sewing；　was　so　much　lost　out　of
lifeirrecoverably　and　shamefully　lost；　I　feltas　each　dismal　day；
dawned　and　died　without　sunrise　or　sunset；　on　the　dark　and　stormy
Pacific。　No　one；　it　seemed；　knew　any　more　English　than　〃Yes〃　and　〃No；〃
and　as　the　ship　knocked　French　out　of　my　memory；　I　had　not　even　the
resource　of　talking　with　the　stewardess；　who　told　me　on　the　last　day　of
our　imprisonment　that　she　was　〃triste；　triste；〃　and　〃one　mass　of
bruises！〃

In　this　same　gale；　but　on　a　dry　day；　we　came　close　up　with　the　mainland
of　Eastern　Asia。　Coasts　usually　disappoint。　　This　one　exceeded　all　my
expectations；　and　besides；　it　was　the　coast　of　Asia；　the　mysterious
continent　which　has　been　my　dream　from　childhoodbare；　lofty；　rocky；
basaltic；　islands　of　naked　rock　separated　by　narrow　channels；　majestic；
perpendicular　cliffs；　a　desolate　uninhabited　region；　lashed　by　a　heavy
sea；　with　visions　of　swirling　mists；　shrieking　sea…birds；　and　Chinese
high…sterned　fishing…boats　with　treble…reefed；　three…cornered　brown
sails；　appearing　on　the　tops　of　surges；　at　once　to　vanish。　　Soon　we
were　among　mountainous　islands；　and　then；　by　a　narrow　and　picturesque
channel；　entered　the　outer　harbor；　with　the　scorched　and　arid　peaks　of
Hong　Kong　on　one　side；　and　on　the　other　the　yet　redder　and　rockier
mainland；　without　a　tree　or　trace　of　cultivation；　or　even　of
habitation；　except　here　and　there　a　few　stone　huts　clustering　round
inlets；　in　which　boats　were　lying。　We　were　within　the　tropic　of　Cancer；
but　still　the　cold；　coarse　bluster　continued；　so　that　it　was　barely
possible　to　see　China　except　in　snatches　from　behind　the　deck…house。

Turning　through　another　channel；　we　abruptly　entered　the　inner　harbor；
and　sailed　into　the　summer；　blue　sky；　blue　water；　a　summer　sun；　and　a
cool　breeze；　while　a　tender　veil　of　blue　haze　softened　the　outlines　of
the　flushed　mountains。　Victoria；　which　is　the　capital　of　the　British
colony　of　the　island　of　Hong　Kong；　and　which　colloquially　is　called
Hong　Kong；　looked　magnificent；　suggesting　Gibraltar；　but　far；　far
finer；　its　peak　eighteen　hundred　feet　in　heighta　giant　among　lesser
peaks；　rising　abruptly　from　the　sea　above　the　great　granite　city　which
clusters　upon　its　lower　declivities；　looking　out　from　dense　greenery
and　tropical　gardens；　and　the　deep　shade　of　palms　and　bananas；　the
lines　of　many　of　its　streets　traced　in　foliage；　all　contrasting　with
the　scorched　red　soil　and　barren　crags　which　were　its　universal　aspect
before　we　acquired　it　in　1843。　A　forest　of　masts　above　the　town　betoken
its　commercial　importance；　and　〃P。　and　O。〃　and　Messageries　Maritimes
steamers；　ships　of　war　of　all　nations；　low…hulled；　big…masted　clippers；
store　and　hospital　ships；　and　a　great　fishing　fleet　lay　at　anchor　in
the　harbor。　The　English　and　Romish　cathedrals；　the　Episcopal　Palace；
with　St。　Paul's　College；　great　high　blocks　of　commercial　buildings；
huge　sugar　factories；　great　barracks　in　terraces；　battery　above
battery；　Government　House；　and　massive　stone　wharves；　came　rapidly　into
view；　and　over　all；　its　rich　folds　spreading　out　fully　on　the　breeze；
floated　the　English　flag。

But　dense　volumes　of　smoke　rolling　and　eddying；　and　covering　with　their
black　folds　the　lower　slopes　and　the　town　itself　made　a　surprising
spectacle；　and　even　as　we　anchored　came　off　the　rapid　tolling　of　bells；
the　roll　of　drums；　and　the　murmur　of　a　〃city　at　unrest。〃　No　one　met　me。
A　few　Chinese　boats　came　off；　and　then　a　steam　launch　with　the　M。　M。
agent　in　an　obvious　flurry。　I　asked　him　how　to　get　ashore；　and　he
replied；　〃It's　no　use　going　ashore；　the　town's　half　burned；　and　burning
still；　there's　not　a　bed　at　any　hotel　for　love　or　money；　and　we　are
going　to　make　up　beds　here。〃　However；　through　the　politeness　of　the
mail　agent；　I　did　go　ashore　in　the　launch；　but　we　had　to　climb　through
and　over　at　least　eight　tiers　of　boats；　crammed　with　refugees；　mainly
women　and　children；　and　piled　up　with　all　sorts　of　household　goods；
whole　and　broken；　which　had　been　thrown　into　them　promiscuously　to　save
them。　〃The　palace　of　the　English　bishop；〃　they　said；　was　still
untouched；　so；　escaping　from　an　indescribable　hubbub；　I　got　into　a
bamboo　chair；　with　two　long　poles　which　rested　on　the　shoulders　of　two
lean　coolies；　who　carried　me　to　my　destination　at　a　swinging　pace
through　streets　as　steep　as　those　of　Varenna。　Streets　choked　up　with
household　goods　and　the　costly　contents　of　shops；　treasured　books　and
nick…nacks　lying　on　the　dusty　pavements；　with　beds；　pictures；
clothing；　mirrors；　goods　of　all　sorts；　Chinamen　dragging　their
pos