the golden chersonese and the way thither-第22节

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the　Christians；　both　Europeans　and　native；　over　and　over　again
murdering　all　the　missionaries。　In　1841　the　king　ordered　that　all
missionaries　should　be　drowned；　and　in　1851　his　successor　ordered　that
whoever　concealed　a　missionary　should　be　cut　in　two。　The　terrible　and
sanguinary　persecution　which　followed　this　edict　never　ceased；　till
years　afterward　the　French　frightened　the　king　into　toleration；　and　put
an　end；　one　hopes　forever；　to　the　persecution　of　Christians。　The
sisters　compute　the　native　Christians　at　seven　thousand；　and　have
sanguine　hopes　for　the　future　of　Christianity　in　French　Cochin　China；
as　well　as　in　Cambodia；　which　appears　to　be　under　a　French
protectorate。

I　do　not　envy　the　French　their　colony。　According　to　my　three
informants；　Europeans　cannot　be　acclimatized；　and　most　of　the　children
born　of　white　parents　die　shortly　after　birth。　The　shores　of　the　sea
and　of　the　rivers　are　scourged　by　severe　intermittent　fevers；　and　the
whole　of　the　colony　by　dysentery；　which　among　Europeans　is　particularly
fatal。　The　mean　temperature　is　83　degrees　F。；　the　dampness　is　unusual；
and　the　nights　are　too　hot　to　refresh　people　after　the　heat　of　the
day。*　
＇*The　chief　production　of　the　country　is　rice；　which　forms　half　the　sum
total　of　the　exports。　The　other　exports　are　chiefly　salt…fish；　salt；
undyed　cotton；　skins　of　beasts；　and　pepper。　About　seven　hundred　vessels
enter　and　leave　Saigon　in　a　year。＇

After　leaving　the　convent　I　resumed　my　gharrie；　and　the　driver　took　me；
what　I　suppose　is　the　usual　〃course〃　for　tourists；　through　a　quaint
Asiatic　town　inhabited　by　a　mixed；　foreign　population　of　Hindus；
Malays；　Tagals；　and　Chinese　merchants；　scattered　among　a　large
indigenous　population　of　Anamese　fishermen；　servants；　and　husbandmen；
through　the　colonial　district；　which　looked　asleep　or　dead；　to　the
markets；　where　the　Chinamen　and　natives　of　India　were　in　the　full　swing
and　din　of　buying　and　selling　all　sorts　of　tropical　fruits　and　rubbishy
French　goods；　and　through　what　may　be　called　the　Government　town　or
official　quarter。　It　was　getting　dark　when　I　reached　the　wharf；　and　the
darkness　enabled　me　to　hobble　unperceived　on　board　on　my　bandaged　feet。
The　heat　of　the　murky；　lurid　evening　was　awful；　and　as　thousands　of
mosquitoes　took　possession　of　the　ship；　all　comfort　was　banished；　and　I
was　glad　when　we　steamed　down　the　palm…fringed　Saigon　or　Donnai　waters；
and　through　the　mangrove　swamps　at　the　mouths　of　the　Me…kong　river；　and
past　the　lofty　Cape　St。　Jacques；　with　its　fort；　into　the　open　China
Sea。

I。　L。　B。



LETTER　VII

Beauties　of　the　TropicsSingapore　HospitalityAn　Equatorial
MetropolisAn　Aimless　ExistenceThe　Growth　of　Singapore〃Farms〃　and
〃Farmers〃The　Staple　of　ConversationThe　Glitter　of　〃Barbaric
Gold〃A　Polyglot　PopulationA　Mediocre　PeopleFemale　Grace　and
BeautyThe　〃Asian　Mystery〃Oriental　PicturesquenessThe
Metamorphosis　of　Singapore


SINGAPORE；　January　19；　1879。

It　is　hotso　hot！but　not　stifling；　and　all　the　rich…flavored；
colored　fruits　of　the　tropics　are　herefruits　whose　generous　juices
are　drawn　from　the　moist　and　heated　earth；　and　whose　flavors　are　the
imprisoned　rays　of　the　fierce　sun　of　the　tropics。　Such　cartloads　and
piles　of　bananas　and　pine…apples；　such　heaps　of　custard…apples　and
〃bullocks'　hearts；〃　such　a　wealth　of　gold　and　green　giving　off
fragrance！　Here；　too；　are　treasures　of　the　heated；　crystal　seasthings
that　one　has　dreamed　of　after　reading　Jules　Verne's　romances。　Big
canoes；　manned　by　dark…skinned　men　in　white　turbans　and　loin…cloths；
floated　round　our　ship；　or　lay　poised　on　the　clear　depths　of　aquamarine
water；　with　fairy　freightsforests　of　coral　white　as　snow；　or　red；
pink；　violet；　in　massive　branches　or　fern…like　sprays；　fresh　from　their
warm　homes　beneath　the　clear　warm　waves；　where　fish　as　bright…tinted　as
themselves　flash　through　them　like　〃living　light。〃　There　were　displays
of　wonderful　shells；　too；　of　pale　rose…pink；　and　others　with　rainbow
tints　which；　like　rainbows；　came　and　wentnothing　scanty；　feeble；　or
pale！

It　is　a　drive　of　two　miles　from　the　pier　to　Singapore；　and　to　eyes
which　have　only　seen　the　yellow　skins　and　non…vividness　of　the　Far
East；　a　world　of　wonders　opens　at　every　step。　It　is　intensely　tropical；
there　are　mangrove　swamps；　and　fringes　of　cocoa…palms；　and
banana…groves；　date；　sago；　and　travelers'　palms；　tree…ferns；
india…rubber；　mango；　custard…apple；　jack…fruit；　durion；　lime；
pomegranate；　pine…apples；　and　orchids；　and　all　kinds　of　strangling　and
parrot…blossomed　trailers。　Vegetation　rich；　profuse；　endless；　rapid；
smothering；　in　all　shades　of　vivid　green；　from　the　pea…green　of　spring
and　the　dark　velvety　green　of　endless　summer　to　the　yellow…green　of　the
plumage　of　the　palm；　riots　in　a　heavy　shower　every　night　and　the　heat
of　a　perennial　sun…blaze　every　day；　while　monkeys　of　various　kinds　and
bright…winged　birds　skip　and　flit　through　the　jungle　shades。　There　is　a
perpetual　battle　between　man　and　the　jungle；　and　the　latter；　in　fact；
is　only　brought　to　bay　within　a　short　distance　of　Singapore。

I　had　scarcely　finished　breakfast　at　the　hotel；　a　shady；　straggling
building；　much　infested　by　ants；　when　Mr。　Cecil　Smith；　the　Colonial
Secretary；　and　his　wife　called；　full　of　kind　thoughts　and　plans　of
furtherance；　and　a　little　later　a　resident；　to　whom　I　had　not　even　a
letter　of　introduction；　took　me　and　my　luggage　to　his　bungalow。　All　the
European　houses　seem　to　have　very　deep　verandas；　large；　lofty　rooms；
punkahs　everywhere；　windows　without　glass；　brick　floors；　and　jalousies
and　〃tatties〃　（blinds　made　of　grass　or　finely…split　bamboo）　to　keep　out
the　light　and　the　flies。　This　equatorial　heat　is　neither　as　exhausting
or　depressing　as　the　damp　summer　heat　of　Japan；　though　one　does　long
〃to　take　off　one's　flesh　and　sit　in　one's　bones。〃

I　wonder　how　this　unexpected　and　hastily　planned　expedition　into　the
Malay　States　will　turn　out？　It　is　so　unlikely　that　the　different
arrangements　will　fit　in。　It　seemed　an　event　in　the　dim　future；　but
yesterday　my　host　sent　up　a　〃chit〃　from　his　office　to　say　that　a
Chinese　steamer　is　to　sail　for　Malacca　in　a　day　or　two；　and　would　I
like　to　go？　I　was　only　allowed　five　minutes　for　decision；　but　I　have　no
difficulty　in　making　up　my　mind　when　an　escape　from　civilization　is
possible。　So　I　wrote　back　that　if　I　could　get　my　money　and　letters　of
introduction　in　time　I　would　go；　and　returned　to　dine　at　Mr。　Cecil
Smith's；　where　a　delightfully　cultured　and　intellectual　atmosphere　made
civilization　more　than　tolerable。　The　needed　letters　were　written；
various　hints　for　my　guidance　were　thrown　out；　and　I　drove　back　at
half…past　ten　under　heavens　which　were　one　blaze　of　stars　amidst　a　dust
of　nebulae；　like　the　inlaid　gold　spots　amidst　a　dust　of　gold　on　old
Japanese　lacquer；　and　through　a　moist；　warm　atmosphere　laden　with　the
heavy　fragrance　of　innumerable　night…blossoming　flowers。

Singapore；　as　the　capital　of　the　Straits　Settlements　and　the　residence
of　the　Governor；　has　a　garrison；　defensive　works；　ships　of　war　hanging
about；　and　a　great　deal　of　military　as　well　as　commercial　importance；
and　〃the　roll　of　the　British　drum〃　is　a　reassuring　sound　in　the　midst
of　the　unquiet　Chinese　population。　The　Governor　is　assisted　by
lieutenant…governors　at　Malacca　and　Pinang；　and　his　actual　rule　extends
to　the　three　〃protected〃　States　of　the　Malay　PeninsulaSungei　Ujong；
Selangor；　and　Perakthe　affairs　of　which　are　administered　by　British
Residents；　who　are　more　or　less　responsible　to　him。

If　I　fail　in　making　you　realize　Singapore　it　is　partly　because　I　do　not
care　to　go　into　much　detail　about　so　well　known　a　city；　and　partly
because　my　own　notions　of　it　are　mainly　of　overpowering　greenery；　a
kaleidoscopic　arrangement　of　colors；　Chinese　predominance；　and
abounding　hospitality。　I　almost　fail　to　realize　that　it　is　an　island；
one　of　many；　all；　like　itself；　covered　with　vegetation　down　to　the
water's　edge；　about　twenty…seven　miles　long　by　fourteen　broad；　with　the
city　at　its　southern　end。　It　is　only　seventy　miles　from　the　equator；
but　it　is　neither　unhealthy　nor　overpoweringly　hot！　It　is　low　and
undulating；　its　highest　point；　Bukit　Timor；　or　the　Hill　of　Tin；　being
only　five　hundred　and　twenty　feet　high。　The　greatest　curse　here　used　to
be　tigers；　which　carried　off　about　three　hundred　people　yearly。　They
were　supposed　to　have　been　extirpated；　but　they　have　reappeared；
swimming　across　from　the　mainland　State　of　Johore　it　is　conjectured；
and　as　various　lonely　Chinese　laborers　have　been　victimized；　there　is
something　of　a　〃scare；〃　in　the　papers　at　least。　Turtles　are　so　abundant
that　turtle…soup　is　anything　but　a　luxury；　and　turtle　flesh　is
ordinarily　sold　in　the　meat　shops。

Rain　is　officially　said　to　fall　on　two　hundred　days　of　the　year；　but
popularly　every　day！　The　rainfall　is　only　eighty…seven　inches；
however；　and　the　glorious　vegetation　owes　its　redundancy　to　the
dampness　of　the　climate。　Of　course　Singapore　has　no　seasons。　The
variety　is　only　in　the　intensity　of　the　heat；　the　mercury　being
tolerably　steady　between　80　degrees　and　84　degrees；　the　extreme　range
of　temperature　being　from　71　degrees　to　92　degrees。　People　sleep　on
Malay　mats　spread　over