the golden chersonese and the way thither-第42节

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A　CHAPTER　ON　SELANGOR*

SelangorCapabilities　of　SelangorNatural　CapabilitiesLawlessness
in　SelangorBritish　Interference　in　SelangorA　Hopeful　Outlook


Selangor　is　a　small　State　lying　between　2　degrees　34'；　and　3　degrees
42'　N。　Its　coast…line　is　about　one　hundred　and　twenty　miles　in　length。
Perak　is　its　northern　boundary；　Sungei　Ujong　its　southern；　and　some　of
the　small　States　of　the　Negri　Sembilan　and　unexplored　jungle　and
mountains　separate　it　from　Pahang　on　the　east。　It　is　watered　by　the
Selangor；　Klang　and　Langat　rivers；　which　rise　in　the　hills　of　its
eastern　frontier。　Its　population　is　not　accurately　known；　but　the
result　of　an　attempt　to　estimate　it；　made　by　the　Resident　in　1876；　is
fifteen　thousand　Chinese　and　from　two　thousand　to　three　thousand
Malays。　Mr。　Douglas；　the　late　Resident；　puts　the　Malay　population　at　a
higher　figure；　and　estimates　the　aboriginal　population　at　one　thousand；
but　this　is　probably　largely　in　excess　of　their　actual　numbers。　　
＇*In　offering　this　very　slight　sketch　of　Selangor　to　my　readers　as
prefatory　to　the　letters　which　follow；　I　desire　to　express　my
acknowledgments　specially　to　a　valuable　paper　on　〃Surveys　and
Explorations　of　the　Native　States　of　the　Malay　Peninsula；〃　by　Mr。　Daly；
Superintendent　of　Public　Works　and　Surveys；　Selangor；　read　before　the
Royal　Geographical　Society　on　May　8；　1882。　I　have　also　made　use　of　a
brief　account　of　the　Native　Malay　States　by　Mr。　Swettenham；　Assistant
Colonial　Secretary　to　the　Straits　Settlements　Government；　published　in
the　Journal　of　the　Straits　Branch　of　the　Royal　Asiatic　Society；　and　of
〃Our　Malay　Conquests〃　by　Sir　P。　Benson　Maxwell；　late　Chief　Justice　of
the　Straits　Settlements。＇

The　wealth　of　Selangor　lies　in　its　apparently　inexhaustible　tin　mines。
The　range　of　hills　which　forms　the　backbone　of　the　Malay　Peninsula
rises　in　places　to　a　height　of　seven　thousand　feet；　and　it　is　from　this
range　that　the　alluvial　detritus　is　washed　down；　beneath　which　is
deposited　the　layer　of　ore　or　wash；　which　varies　from　four　inches　to
ten　feet　in　thickness。　The　supply　of　this　ore　is　apparently
inexhaustible；　but　no　veins　have　as　yet　been　found。　The　mine　of
Ampagnan　only；　near　Kwala　Lumpor；　the　capital；　gives　employment　to　over
one　thousand　Chinamen；　and　each　can　extract　in　a　year　one　thousand
pounds　weight　of　white　smelted　tin　valued　at　35　pounds　sterling。　This
mineral　wealth　is　the　magnet　which；　according　as　the　price　of　tin　is
higher　or　lower；　attracts　into　Selangor　more　or　fewer　Chinamen。　The
chief　source　of　the　revenue　of　the　State　has　been　the　export　duty　on
tin。

The　low　lands　on　the　coast　are　fringed　with　mangroves；　which　thrive　in
blue　mud　and　heavy　clays；　and　these　lands；　when　drained；　are　well
adapted　for　sugar。　Wet　rice　grows　well　in　the　swampy　valleys　which
separate　the　minor　ranges；　and　dry　rice　on　the　rises；　while　tapioca；
tobacco；　pepper　and　gambier　thrive　on　the　medium　heights。　The　sago　palm
flourishes　on　wet　lands。　The　high　hills　are　covered　with　primeval
forests；　and　the　Malays　have　neither　settlements　nor　plantations　upon
them。　It　is　believed　that　these　hills；　at　a　height　of　from　two　thousand
five　hundred　to　three　thousand　five　hundred　feet；　are　admirably　adapted
for　the　growth　of　Arabian　coffee；　cinchona　and　tea；　and　some　Ceylon
coffee　planters　are　expecting　an　era　of　success　in　Selangor。　At
present；　however；　the　necessary　labor　is　not　available。　The　soil　in　the
interior　on　the　mountain　slopes　consists　of　a　light　red　and　yellow
clay；　the　product　of　a　comparatively　recent　rock　decomposition；　covered
with　vegetable　mould　from　eight　to　twelve　inches　thick。　There　are　no
droughts；　and　the　rainfall；　distributed　pretty　fairly　over　the　year；
averages　about　one　hundred　and　thirty　inches　annually。　The　climate　is
remarkably　healthy；　and　diseases　of　locality　are　unknown。　Land　can　be
purchased　for　eight　shillings　per　acre　on　terms　of　deferred　payments。

One　curious　feature　of　Selangor；　as　of　Perak；　is　the　occurrence　of
isolated　hills　of　limestone　varying　from　eighty　to　one　thousand　feet　in
height。　At　Batu　there　are　magnificent　limestone　caves；　richly　adorned
with　stalactites　and　stalagmites。　The　dome　of　one　cavern　is　three
hundred　and　fifty…five　feet　from　floor　to　roof。　An　important　fact
connected　with　these　caverns　is　that　they　contain　thousands　of　tons　of
bats'　manure；　which　may　be　as　valuable　as　guano　to　future　planters。
Between　the　heavy　clays　and　blue　mud　of　the　mangrove　swamps　and　the
granite　and　sandstone　of　the　mountain　ranges；　the　undulating　rises　are
mainly　composed　of　red　clay；　sandstones；　shales；　and　granitic　and
feldspathic　rocks；　with　extensive　deposits　of　laterite　in　red　clays　on
the　surface。　In　the　valleys　along　the　rivers　the　soil　consists　of　rich
alluvial　deposits。

Undoubtedly　Selangor　has　great　capabilities；　and　if　the　difficulties　of
the　labor　question　can　be　satisfactorily　disposed　of；　it　is　likely　that
the　new　offer　of　leases　for　nine　hundred　and　ninety…nine　years；　subject
to　improvement　clauses；　will　attract　a　number　of　planters　to　its
fertile　soil　and　wholesome　climate。　Selangor　includes　three　large
districts；　each　on　a　considerable　river　of　its　ownSelangor；　Klang；
and　Langat。

The　Sultan　was　actually；　as　he　is　now　nominally；　supreme；　but　the　story
of　disturbances　under　this　government　is　a　very　old　one；　internal
strife　having　been　the　normal　condition　of　the　State　ever　since
Europeans　have　been　acquainted　with　it。　　It　seems　to　have　been　an
undoubted　fact　that　its　rivers　and　island　channels　were　the　resort　of
pirates；　and　that　its　Rajahs　devoted　themselves　with　much　success　to
harrying　small　vessels　trading　in　the　Straits　of　Malacca。

The　name　of　this　State　is　not　found　in　the　earlier　Malayan　records。
Negri　Calang；　or　the　land　of　tin；　was　the　designation　of　this　part　of
the　peninsula；　and　this　depopulated　region　was　formerly　a　flourishing
dependency　under　the　Malay　sovereigns　of　Malacca。　The　population；　such
as　it　is；　is　chiefly　composed　of　the　descendants　of　a　colony　of　Bugis
from　Goa　in　the　Celebes；　who　settled　in　Selangor　at　the　beginning　of
the　eighteenth　century　under　a　Goa　chief；　who　was　succeeded　by　Sultan
Ibrahim；　an　intense　hater　and　sturdy　opponent　of　the　Dutch。　He　attacked
Malacca；　looted　and　burned　its　suburbs；　and　would　have　captured　it　but
for　the　opportune　arrival　of　a　Dutch　fleet。　　He　surprised　the　Dutch
garrison　of　Selangor　by　night；　routed　it；　and　captured　all　its　heavy
artillery　and　ammunition；　but　was　afterward　compelled　to　restore　his
plunder；　and　acknowledge　himself　a　vassal　of　the　Dutch　East　India
Company。　After　this　he　attacked　the　Siamese；　and　was　mainly
instrumental　in　driving　them　out　of　Perak。

He　was　succeeded　in　1826　by　an　ignoble　prince；　and　under　his　weak　and
oppressive　rule；　and　under　the　extortions　and　cruelties　of　his
illegitimate　brothers；　the　State　lapsed　into　decay。　Mr。　Newbold；　who
had　charge　of　a　military　post　on　the　Selangor　frontier　in　1833；
witnessed　many　of　the　atrocities　perpetrated　by　these　Bugis　princes；
who　committed　piracies；　robbed；　plundered；　and　levied　contributions　on
the　wretched　Malays；　without　hindrance。　In　Mr。　Newbold's　day　the　whole
population　of　Kwala　Linggi；　where　he　was　stationed；　fled　by　night　into
the　Malacca　territory；　where　they　afterward　settled　to　escape　from　the
merciless　exactions　to　which　they　were　subjected。　Slavery　and　debt
slavery　added　to　the　miseries　of　the　country；　and　it　is　believed　that
by　emigration　and　other　causes　the　Malay　population　was　reduced　to
between　two　thousand　and　three　thousand　souls。

Only　one　event　in　the　recent　history　of　Selangor　deserves　notice。　This
miserable　ruler；　Sultan　Mohammed；　had　no　legitimate　offspring；　but　it
was　likely　that　at　his　death　his　near　relation；　Tuanku　Bongsu；　a　Rajah
universally　liked　and　respected　by　his　countrymen；　would　have　been
elected　to　succeed　him。　Unfortunately　for　the　good　of　the　State　this
Rajah　took　upon　himself　the　direction　of　the　tin　mines　at　Lukut；
formerly　worked　by　about　four　hundred　Chinese　miners　on　their　own
account；　paying　a　tenth　of　their　produce　to　the　Sultan。　One　dark；　rainy
night　in　September；　1834；　these　miners　rose　upon　their　employers；
burned　their　houses；　and　massacred　them　indiscriminately；　including
this　enlightened　Rajah；　and　his　wife　and　children；　in　attempting　to
escape；　were　thrown　into　the　flames　of　their　house。　The　plunder
obtained　by　the　Chinese；　exclusive　of　the　jewels　and　gold　ornaments　of
the　women；　was　estimated　at　3；500　pounds。　This　very　atrocious　business
was　believed　to　have　been　aided　and　abetted；　if　not　absolutely
concocted；　by　Chinese　merchants　living　under　the　shelter　of　the　British
flag　at　Malacca。　　With　the　death　of　Tuanku　Bongsu　all　hope　of
prosperity　for　Selangor　under　native　rule　was　extinguished。

Matters　became　very　bad　in　the　years　between　1867　and　1873；　the
fighting　among　the　rival　factions　leading　to　a　more　complete
depopulation　of　the　country；　not　only　by　the　loss　in　party　fights；　but
by　the　exodus　of　peaceable　cultivators。　Lawlessness　increased　to　such
an　extent　that　murders　and　robberies　were　of　continual　occurrence。　Mr。
Swettenham；　the　Assistant　Colonial　Secretary；　affirms　that　it　is　hardly
an　exaggeration　to　say　that