the golden chersonese and the way thither-第26节

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LETTER　IX

The　Lieutenant…Governor　of　MalaccaA　Charming　HouseholdThe　Old
StadthausA　Stately　HabitationAn　Endless　SiestaA　Tropic
DreamChinese　HousesChinese　Wealth　and　Ascendency〃Opium
Farming〃The　Malacca　JungleMohammedan　Burial…PlacesMalay
VillagesMalay　CharacteristicsCostume　and　OrnamentBigotry　and
PilgrimageThe　Malay　Buffalo


STADTHAUS；　MALACCA；　January　21…23。

This　must　surely　fade　like　a　dream；　this　grand　old　Stadthaus；　this
old…world　quiet；　this　quaint　life；　but　when　it　fades　I　think　I　shall
have　a　memory　of　having　been　〃once　in　Elysium。〃　Still；　Elysium　should
have　no　mosquitoes；　and　they　are　nearly　insupportable　here；　big　spotted
fellows；　with　a　greed　for　blood；　and　a　specially　poisonous　bite；　taking
the　place　at　daylight　of　the　retiring　nocturnal　host。　The　Chinese
attendant　is　not　careful；　and　lets　mosquitoes　into　my　net；　and　even　one
means　a　sleepless　night。　They　are　maddening。

I　was　introduced　to　my　rooms；　with　their　floors　of　red　Dutch　tiles；
their　blue　walls；　their　white…washed　rafters；　their　doors　and　windows
consisting　of　German　shutters　only；　their　ancient　beds　of　portentous
height；　and　their　generally　silent　and　haunted　look；　and　then　went　to
tiffin　with　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Biggs。　Mr。　Biggs　is　a　student　of　hymnology；
and　we　were　soon　in　full　swing　on　this　mutually　congenial　subject。　Mrs。
Biggs　devotes　her　time　and　strength　to　the　training　and　education　of
young　Portuguese　girls。　I　pass　their　open　bungalow　as　I　go　to　and　from
the　Governor's　cottage；　and　it　usually　proves　a　trap。

Captain　Shaw；　who　has　been　for　many　years　Lieutenant…Governor　of
Malacca；　is　a　fine；　hearty；　frank；　merry；　manly；　Irish　naval　officer；
well　read　and　well　informed；　devoted　to　Malacca　and　its　interests；　and
withal　a　man　of　an　especially　unselfish；　loving；　and　tender　nature；
considerate　to　an　unusual　degree　of　the　happiness　and　comfort　of　those
about　him。　Before　I　had　been　here　many　hours　I　saw　that　he　was　the
light　of　a　loving　home。*　He　can　be　firm　and　prompt　when　occasion
requires　firmness；　but　his　ordinary　rule　is　of　the　gentlest　and　most
paternal　description；　so　that　from　the　Chinese　he　has　won　the　name　of
〃Father；〃　and　among　the　Malays；　the　native　population；　English　rule；　as
administered　by　him；　has　come　to　be　known　as　〃the　rule　of　the　just。〃
The　family；　consisting　of　the　Governor；　his；　wife；　and　two　daughters
just　grown　up；　is　a　very　charming　one；　and　their　quiet；　peaceful　life
gives　me　the　opportunity　which　so　rarely　falls　to　the　lot　of　a　traveler
of　becoming　really　intimate　with　them。　　
＇*I　should　not　have　reproduced　this　paragraph　of　my　letter　were　Captain
Shaw　still　alive；　but　in　five　weeks　after　my　happy　visit　he　died　almost
suddenly；　to　the　indescribable　grief　of　his　family　and　of　the　people　of
Malacca；　by　whom　he　was　greatly　beloved。＇

The　Government　bungalow；　in　which　I　spend　most　of　my　time；　is　a
comfortable　little　cottage；　with　verandas　larger　than　itself。　In　the
front　veranda；　festooned　with　trailers　and　orchids；　two　Malay　military
policemen　are　always　on　guard；　and　two　scornful…looking　Bengalis　in
white　trousers；　white　short　robes；　with　sashes　of　crimson　silk　striped
with　gold；　and　crimson…and…gold　flat　hats　above　their　handsome　but
repellent　faces；　make　up　the　visible　part　of　the　establishment。　One　of
these　Bengalis　has　been　twice　to　Mecca；　at　an　expense　of　40　pounds　on
each　visit；　and　on　Friday　appears　in　a　rich　Hadji　suit；　in　which　he
goes　through　the　town；　and　those　Mussulmen　who　are　not　Hadji　bow　down
to　him。　I　saw　from　the　very　first　that　my　project　of　visiting　the
native　States　was　not　smiled　upon　at　Government　House。

The　Government　bungalow　being　scarcely　large　enough　for　the　Governor's
family；　I　am　lodged　in　the　old　Dutch　Stadthaus；　formerly　the　residence
of　the　Dutch　Governor；　and　which　has　enough　of　solitude　and　faded
stateliness　to　be　fearsome；　or　at　the　least　eerie；　to　a　solitary　guest
like　myself；　to　whose　imagination；　in　the　long；　dark　nights；　creeping
Malays　or　pilfering　Chinamen　are　far　more　likely　to　present　themselves
than　the　stiff　beauties　and　formal　splendors　of　the　heyday　of　Dutch
ascendancy。　The　Stadthaus；　which　stands　on　the　slope　of　the　hill；　and
is　the　most　prominent　building　in　Malacca；　is　now　used　as　the　Treasury；
Post　Office；　and　Government　offices　generally。　There　are　large　state
reception…rooms；　including　a　ball…room；　and　suites　of　apartments　for
the　use　of　the　Governor　of　the　Straits　Settlements；　the　Chief…Justice；
and　other　high　officials；　on　their　visits　to　Malacca。　The　Stadthaus；　at
its　upper　end　on　the　hill；　is　only　one　story　high；　but　where　it　abuts
on　the　town　it　is　three　and　even　four。　The　upper　part　is　built　round
three　sides　of　a　Dutch　garden；　and　a　gallery　under　the　tiled　veranda
runs　all　round。　A　set　of　handsome　staircases　on　the　sea　side　leads　to
the　lawn…like　hill　with　the　old　cathedral；　and　the　bungalows　of　the
Governor　and　colonial　chaplain。　Stephanotis；　passiflora；　tuberose；
alamanda；　Bougainvillea；　and　other　trailers　of　gorgeous　colors；　climb
over　everything；　and　make　the　night　heavy　with　their　odors。　There　must
be　more　than　forty　rooms　in　this　old　place；　besides　great　arched
corridors；　and　all　manner　of　queer　staircases　and　corners。　Dutch　tiling
and　angularities　and　conceits　of　all　kinds　abound。

My　room　opens　on　one　side　upon　a　handsome　set　of　staircases　under　the
veranda；　and　on　the　other　upon　a　passage　and　staircase　with　several
rooms　with　doors　of　communication；　and　has　various　windows　opening　on
the　external　galleries。　　Like　most　European　houses　in　the　Peninsula；　it
has　a　staircase　which　leads　from　the　bedroom　to　a　somewhat　grim；
brick…floored　room　below；　containing　a　large　high　tub；　or　bath；　of
Shanghai　pottery；　in　which　you　must　by　no　means　bathe；　as　it　is　found
by　experience　that　to　take　the　capacious　dipper　and　pour　water　upon
yourself　from　a　height；　gives　a　far　more　refreshing　shock　than
immersion　when　the　water　is　at　80　degrees　and　the　air　at　83　degrees。

The　worst　of　my　stately　habitation　is；　that　after　four　in　the　afternoon
there　is　no　one　in　it　but　myself；　unless　a　Chinese　coolie；　who　has　a
lair　somewhere；　and　appears　in　my　room　at　all　sorts　of　unusual　hours
after　I　think　I　have　bolted　and　barred　every　means　of　ingress。　However；
two　Malay　military　policemen　patrol　the　verandas　outside　at　intervals
all　night；　and　I　have　the　comfort　of　imagining　that　I　hear　far　below
the　clank　of　the　British　sentries　who　guard　the　Treasury。　In　the　early
morning　my　eyes　always　open　on　the　Governor's　handsome　Mohammedan
servant　in　spotless　white　muslin　and　red　head…dress　and　girdle；
bringing　a　tray　with　tea　and　bananas。　The　Chinese　coolie　who　appears
mysteriously　attends　on　me；　and　acts　as　housemaid；　our　communications
being　entirely　by　signs。　The　mosquitoes　are　awful。　The　view　of　the
green　lawns；　the　sleeping　sea；　the　motionless　forest　of　cocoa…palms
along　the　shore；　the　narrow　stream　and　bridge；　and　the　quaint　red…tiled
roofs　of　the　town；　is　very　charming　and　harmonious；　yet　I　often　think；
if　these　dreamy　days　went　on　into　months；　that　I　should　welcome　an
earthquake　shock；　or　tornado；　or　jarring　discord　of　some　rousing　kind；
to　break　the　dream　produced　by　the　heated；　steamy；　fragrant　air；　and
the　monotonous　silence。

I　have　very　little　time　for　writing　here；　and　even　that　is　abridged　by
the　night　mosquitoes；　which　muster　their　forces　for　a　desperate　attack
as　soon　as　I　retire　to　the　Stadthaus　for　two　hours　of　quiet　before
dinner；　so　I　must　give　the　features　of　Malacca　mainly　in　outline。
Having　written　this　sentence；　I　am　compelled　to　say　that　the　feature　of
Malacca　is　that　it　is　featureless！　It　is　a　land　where　it　is　〃always
afternoon〃hot；　still；　dreamy。　Existence　stagnates。　Trade　pursues　its
operations　invisibly。　Commerce　hovers　far　off　on　the　shallow　sea。　The
British　and　French　mail　steamers　give　the　port　a　wide　offing。　It　has　no
politics；　little　crime；　rarely　gets　even　two　lines　in　an　English
newspaper；　and　does　nothing　toward　making　contemporary　history。　The
Lieutenant…Governor　has　occupied　the　same　post　for　eleven　years。　A
company　of　soldiers　vegetates　in　quarters　in　a　yet　sleepier　region　than
the　town　itself。　Two　Chinese　steamers　make　it　a　port　of　call；　but；
except　that　they　bring　mails；　their　comings　and　goings　are　of　no
interest　to　the　very　small　English　part　of　the　population。　Lying
basking　in　the　sun；　or　crawling　at　the　heads　of　crawling　oxen　very　like
hairless　buffaloes；　or　leaning　over　the　bridge　looking　at　nothing；　the
Malays　spend　their　time　when　they　come　into　the　town；　their　very
movements　making　the　lack　of　movement　more　perceptible。

The　half…breed　descendants　of　the　Portuguese；　who　kept　up　a　splendid
pomp　of　rule　in　the　days　of　Francis　Xavier；　seem　to　take　an　endless
siesta　behind　their　closely　covered　windows。　I　have　never　seen　an
Englishman　out　of　doors　except　Mr。　Hayward；　the　active　superintendent
of　military　police；　or　Mr。　Biggs；　who　preserves　his　health　and　energies
by　systematic　constitutionals。　Portuguese　and　Dutch　rule　have　passed
away；　leaving；　as　their　chief　monumentsthe　first；　a　ruined　cathedral；
and　a　race　of　half…breeds；　and　the　last；　the　Stadthaus　and　a　flat…faced
meeting…house。　A　heavy　shower；　like　a　〃thunder…pl