the golden chersonese and the way thither-第31节

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The　former　greatness　of　Malacca　haunts　one　at　all　times。　　The　romantic
exploits　of　Albuquerque；　who　conquered　it　in　1511；　apostrophized　in　the
Lusiad

　　　　　〃Not　eastward　far　though　fair　Malacca　lie；
　　　　　Her　groves　embosomed　in　the　morning　sky；
　　　　　Though　with　her　amorous　sons　the　valiant　line
　　　　　Of　Java's　isle　in　battle　rank　combine；
　　　　　Though　poisoned　shafts　their　ponderous　quivers　store；
　　　　　Malacca's　spicy　groves　and　golden　ore；
　　　　　Great　Albuquerque；　thy　dauntless　toils　shall　crown；〃

live　again；　though　my　sober　judgment　is　that　Albuquerque　and　most　of
his　Portuguese　successors　were　little　better　than　buccaneers。

I　like　better　to　think　of　Francis　Xavier　passing　through　the
thoroughfares　of　what　was　then　the　greatest　commercial　city　of　the
East；　ringing　his　bell；　with　the　solemn　cry；　〃Pray　for　those　who　are　in
a　state　of　mortal　sin。〃　For　among　the　〃Jews；　Turks；　infidels；　and
heretics〃　who　then　thronged　its　busy　streets；　there　were　no　worse
livers　than　the　roistering　soldiers　who　had　followed　Albuquerque。
Tradition　among　the　present　Portuguese　residents　says　that　coarse　words
and　deeds　disappeared　from　the　thoroughfares　under　his　holy　influence；
and　that　little　altars　were　set　up　in　public　places；　round　which　the
children　sang　hymns　to　Jesus　Christ；　while　the　passers…by　crossed
themselves　and　bowed　their　heads　reverently。　Now；　the　cathedral　which
crowns　the　hill；　roofless　and　ruinous；　is　only　imposing　from　a
distance；　and　a　part　of　it　is　used　for　the　storage　of　marine　or
lighthouse　stores　under　our　prosaic　and　irreverent　rule。　Xavier
preached　frequently　in　it　and　loved　it　well；　yet　the　walls　are
overgrown　with　parasites；　and　the　floor；　under　which　many　prelates　and
priests　lie；　is　hideous　with　matted　weeds；　which　are　the　haunt　of
snakes　and　lizards。　Thus；　in　the　city　which　was　so　dear　to　Xavier　that
he　desired　to　return　to　it　to　die　（and　actually　did　die　on　his　way
thither）；　the　only　memento　of　him　is　the　dishonored　ruin　of　the
splendid　church　in　which　his　body　was　buried；　with　all　the　population
of　Malacca　following　it　from　the　yellow　strand　up　the　grass…crowned
hill；　bearing　tapers。　This　wretched　ruin　is　a　contrast　to　the　splendid
mausoleum　at　Goa；　where　his　bones　now　lie；　worthily　guarded；　in　coffins
of　silver　and　gold。

If　the　Portuguese　were　little　better　than　buccaneers；　the　Dutch；　who
drove　them　out；　were　little　better　than　huckstersmean；　mercenary
traders；　without　redeeming　qualities；　content　to　suck　the　blood　of
their　provinces　and　give　nothing　in　return。　I　should　think　that　the
colony　is　glad　to　be　finally　rid　of　them。　The　English　took　possession
of　it　in　1795；　but　restored　it　to　the　Dutch　in　1818；　regaining　it　again
by　treaty　in　1824；　giving　Bencoolen；　in　Sumatra；　in　exchange　for　it；
stipulating　at　the　same　time　that　the　Dutch　were　not　to　meddle　with
Malayan　affairs；　or　have　any　settlement　on　the　Malay　Peninsula。　The
ruined　cathedral　of　Notre　Dame　del　Monte　is　a　far　more　interesting
object　than　the　dull；　bald；　commonplace；　flat…faced；　prosaic；　Dutch
meeting…house；　albeit　the　latter　is　in　excellent　repair。　Even　this
Stadthaus；　with　its　stately　solitudes；　smells　of　trade；　and　suggests
corpulent　burgomasters　and　prim　burgomasters'　wives　in　wooden　hoops　and
stiff　brocades。　The　influence　of　Holland　has　altogether　vanished；　as　is
fitting；　for　she　cared　only　for　nutmegs；　sago；　tapioca；　tin　and　pepper。

The　variety　of　races　here　produces　a　ludicrous　effect　sometimes。　In　the
Stadthaus　one　never　knows　who　is　to　appearwhether　Malay；　Portuguese；
Chinaman；　or　Madrassee。　　Yesterday　morning；　at　six；　the　Chinaman　who
usually　〃does〃　my　room；　glided　in；　murmuring　something　unintelligible；
and　on　my　not　understanding　him；　brought　in　a　Portuguese　interpreter。
At　seven；　came　in　the　Madrassee；　Babu；　with　a　cluster　of　bananas；　and
after　him；　two　Malays；　in　red　sarongs；　who　brushed　and　dusted　all　my
clothes　as　slowly　as　they　couldmen　of　four　races　in　attendance　before
I　was　up　in　the　morning！　This　Chinese　attendant；　besides　being　a　common
coolie　in　a　brown　cotton　shirt　over　a　brown　cotton　pair　of　trousers；　is
not　a　good　specimen　of　his　class；　and　is　a　great　nuisance　to　me。　My
doors　do　not　bolt　properly；　and　he　appears　in　the　morning　while　I　am　in
my　holoku；　writing；　and　slowly　makes　the　bed　and　kills　mosquitoes；　then
takes　one　gown　after　another　from　the　rail；　and　stares　at　me　till　I
point　to　the　one　I　am　going　to　wear；　which　he　holds　out　in　his　hands；
and　though　I　point　to　the　door；　and　say　〃Go！〃　with　much　emphasis；　I
never　get　rid　of　him；　and　have　to　glide　from　my　holoku　into　my　gown
with　a　most　unwilling　dexterity。

Two　days　ago　Captain　Shaw　declared　that　〃pluck　should　have　its　reward；〃
and　that　I　should　have　facilities　for　going　to　Sungei　Ujong。　Yesterday；
he　asked　me　to　take　charge　of　his　two　treasured　daughters。　Then　Babu
said；　〃If　young　ladies　go；　me　go；〃　and　we　are　to　travel　under　the
efficient　protection　of　Mr。　Hayward；　the　superintendent　of　police。
This　expedition　excites　great　interest　in　the　little　Malacca　world。
This　native　State　is　regarded　as　〃parts　unknown；〃　the　Governor　has
never　visited　it；　and　there　are　not　wanting　those　who　shake　their　heads
and　wonder　that　he　should　trust　his　girls　in　a　region　of　tigers；
crocodiles；　rogue　elephants　and　savages！　The　little　steam…launch
Moosmee　（in　reality　by　far　the　greatest　risk　of　all）　has　been　brought
into　the　stream　below　the　Stadthaus；　ready　for　an　early　start
to…morrow；　and　a　runner　has　been　sent　to　the　Resident　to　prepare　him
for　such　an　unusual　incursion　into　his　solitudes。

I。　L。　B。



A　CHAPTER　ON　SUNGEI　UJONG

The　Puzzles　of　the　PeninsulaSungei　UjongA　Malay　ConfederationSyed
AbdulrahmanThe　Revenue　of　Sungei　UjongScenery　and　ProductionsThe
New　Datu　KlanaA　〃Dual　Control〃


I　had　never　heard　of　this　little　State　until　I　reached　Singapore；　and
probably　many　people　are　as　ignorant　as　I　was。　The　whole　peninsula；
from　Johore　in　the　south　to　Kedah　in　the　north；　is　a　puzzle；　what　with
British　colonies；　Singapore；　Malacca；　and　Province　Wellesley；　and
〃Protected　States；〃　Sungei　Ujong；　Selangor；　and　Perak；　north；　south；
and　east　of　which　lie　a　region　of　unprotected　Malay　States；　with　their
independent　rulers；　such　as　Kedah；　Patani；　Tringganu；　Kelantan；　Pahang；
Johore；　etc。*　In　several　of　these　States；　more　or　less　anarchy
prevails；　owing　to　the　ambitions　and　jealousies　of　the　Rajahs　and　their
followers；　and　a　similar　state　of　things　in　the　three　protected　States
formerly　gave　great　annoyance　to　the　Straits…Settlements　Government；
and　was　regarded　as　a　hindrance　to　the　dominant　interests　of　British
trade　in　the　Straits。　　
＇*A　number　of　small　States　are　united　into　a　sort　of　confederation　known
as　the　Negri　Sembilan；　or　Nine　States。　Their　relative　positions　and
internal　management；　as　well　as　their　boundaries；　remain　unknown；　as
from　dread　of　British　annexation　they　have　refused　to　allow　Europeans　to
pass　through　their　territory。＇

In　1874；　Sir　A。　Clark；　the　then　Governor；　acting　in　British　interests；
placed　British　residents　in　Perak；　Selangor；　and　the　small　State　of
Sungei　Ujong。　These　residents　were　to　advise　the　rulers　in　matters　of
revenue　and　general　administration；　but；　it　may　be　believed；　that　as
time　has　passed；　they　have　become　more　or　less　the　actual　rulers　of　the
States　which　they　profess　to　advise　merely。　They　are　the　accredited
agents　of　England；　reporting　annually　to　the　Straits　Government；　which；
in　its　turn；　reports　to　the　Colonial　Office；　and　the　amount　of　pressure
which　they　can　bring　to　bear　is　overwhelming。

It　is　not　easy　to　give　the　extent　and　boundaries　of　Sungei　Ujong；　the
〃boundary　question〃　being　scarcely　settled；　and　the　territory　to　the
eastward　being　only　partially　explored。　It　is　mainly　an　inland　State；
access　to　its　very　limited　seaboard　being　by　the　Linggi　river。　The
〃protected〃　State　of　Selangor　bounds　it　on　the　north；　and　joining　on　to
it　and　to　each　other　on　the　east；　are　the　small　〃independent〃　States　of
Rumbow；　Johol；　Moar；　Sri　Menanti；　Jelabu；　Jompol；　and　Jelai。　The　Linggi
river；　which　in　its　lower　part　forms　the　boundary　between　Selangor　and
Malacca；　forks　in　its　upper　part；　the　right　branch　becoming　for　some
distance　the　boundary　between　Sungei　Ujong　and　Rumbow。　It　is　doubtful
whether　the　area　of　the　State　exceeds　seven　hundred　square　miles。

The　Malays　of　Sungei　Ujong　and　several　of　the　adjacent　States　are
supposed　to　be　tolerably　directly　descended　from　those　of　the　parent
empire　Menangkabau　in　Sumatra；　who　conquered　and　have　to　a　great　extent
displaced　the　tribes　known　as　Jakuns；　Orang　Bukit；　Rayet　Utan；　Samangs；
Besisik；　Rayet　Laut；　etc。；　the　remnants　of　which　live　mainly　in　the
jungles　of　the　interior；　are　everywhere　apart　from　the　Malays；　and　are
of　a　much　lower　grade　in　the　scale　of　civilization。　The　story　current
among　the　best　informed　Malays　of　this　region　is　that　a　Sumatran　chief
with　a　large　retinue　crossed　to　Malacca　in　the　twelfth　century；　and
went　into　the　interior；　which　he　found　inhabited　only　by　the　Jakuns；　or
〃tree　people。〃　There　his　followers　married　Jakun　women；　and　their
descendants　spread　over　Sungei　Ujong；　Rumbow；　and　other　parts；　the
Rayet　Laut；　or　〃sea…people；〃　the　supp