the golden chersonese and the way thither-第71节

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why　the　Permatang　Pasir　men　would　not　go　with　us　through　the　jungle　to
Rassa。

A　vile　fiend　called　the　penangalan　takes　possession　of　the　forms　of
women；　turns　them　into　witches；　and　compels　them　to　quit　the　greater
part　of　their　bodies；　and　flyaway　by　night　to　gratify　a　vampire　craving
for　human　blood。　This　is　very　like　one　of　the　ghoul　stories　in　the
_Arabian　Nights　Entertainments_。　Then　they　have　a　specter　huntsman　with
demon　dogs　who　roams　the　forests；　and　a　storm　fiend　who　rides　the
whirlwind；　and　spirits　borrowed　from　Persia　and　Arabia。　It　almost　seems
as　if　the　severe　monotheism　to　which　they　have　been　converted　compels
them　to　create　a　gigantic　demonology。

They　have　also　many　odd　but　harmless　superstitions：　For　instance；　that
certain　people　have　the　power　of　making　themselves　invulnerable　by　the
agency　of　spirits；　that　the　regalia　of　the　States　are　possessed　of
supernatural　powers；　that　the　wearing　of　a　tiger　claw　prevents　disease；
that　rude　〃Aeolian　harps〃　hung　up　in　trees　will　keep　the　forest　goblins
from　being　troublesome；　that　charms　and　amulets　worn　or　placed　about　a
house　ward　off　many　evils；　that　at　dangerous　rapids；　such　as　those　of
Jerom　Pangong　on　the　Perak　river；　the　spirits　must　be　propitiated　by
offerings　of　betel…nut　and　bananas；　that　to　insure　good　luck　a　betel…
chewer　must　invariably　spit　to　the　left；　that　it　is　unlucky　either　to
repair　or　pull　down　a　house；　that　spirits　can　be　propitiated　and
diseases　can　be　kept　away　by　hanging　up　palm　leaves　and　cages　in　the
neighborhood　of　kampongs；　and　many　others。　They　also　believe　as　firmly
as　the　Chinese　do　in　auspicious　and　inauspicious　days；　spells；　magic；
and　a　species　of　astrology。　I　hope　that　Mr。　Maxwell　will　publish　his
investigations　into　these　subjects。

〃Running　amuck〃　（amok）　is　supposed　by　some　to　be　the　result　of
〃possession；〃　but　now；　at　least；　it　is　comparatively　uncommon　in　these
States。　A　Malay　is　on　some　points　excessively　sensitive　regarding　his
honor；　and　to　wipe　out　a　stain　upon　it　by　assassinating　the　offender　is
considered　as　correct　and　in　accordance　with　etiquette　as　dueling
formerly　was　in　our　own　country。　In　cases；　however；　in　which　the
offender　is　of　higher　rank　than　the　injured　man；　the　latter　in　despair
sometimes　resorts　to　opium；　and；　rushing　forth　in　a　frenzy；　slays　all
he　can　lay　hands　upon。　　This　indiscriminate　slaying　is　the　amok　proper。
In　certain　cases；　such　as　those　arising　out　of　jealousy；　the　desire　for
vengeance　gains　absolute　possession　of　a　Malay。　Mr。　　Newbold　says　that
he　has　seen　letters　regarding　insults　in　which　the　writers　say；　〃I
ardently　long　for　his　blood　to　clean　my　face；〃　or　〃I　ardently　long　for
his　blood　to　wash　out　the　pollution　of　the　hog's　flesh　with　which　he
has　smeared　me！〃

Considering　how　punctilious　and　courteous　the　Malays　are；　how　rough
many　of　the　best　of　us　are；　how　brutal　in　manner　many　of　us　are；　and
how　inconsiderate　our　sailors　are　of　the　customs　of　foreign　peoples；
especially　in　regard　to　the　seclusion　of　their　women；　it　is　wonderful
that　bloody　revenge　is　not　more　common　than　it　is。

〃Amok〃　means　a　furious　and　reckless　onset。　When　Mr。　Birch　was　murdered；
the　cry　〃amok！　amok！〃　was　raised；　and　the　passion　of　murder　seized　on
all　present。　Only　about　a　year　ago　one　of　the　sons　of　the　Rajah　Muda
Yusuf；　a　youth　of　twenty；　was　suddenly　seized　with　this　monomania；　drew
his　kris；　and　rushing　at　people　killed　six；　wounded　two；　and　then
escaped　into　the　jungle。　Major　M'Nair　says　that　a　Malay；　in　speaking　of
amok；　says：　〃My　eyes　got　dark；　and　I　ran　on。〃

In　Malacca　Captain　Shaw　told　me　that　〃running　amuck〃　was　formerly　very
common；　and　that　on　an　expedition　he　made；　one　of　his　own　attendants
was　suddenly　seized　with　the　〃amok〃　frenzy。　He　mentioned　that　he　had
known　of　as　many　as　forty　people　being　injured　by　a　single　〃amok〃
runner。　When　the　cry　〃amok！　amok！〃　is　raised；　people　fly　to　the　right
and　left　for　shelter；　for　after　the　blinded　madman's　kris　has　once
〃drank　blood；〃　his　fury　becomes　ungovernable；　his　sole　desire　is　to
kill；　he　strikes　here　and　there；　men　fall　along　his　course；　he　stabs
fugitives　in　the　back；　his　kris　drips　blood；　he　rushes　on　yet　more
wildly；　blood　and　murder　in　his　course；　there　are　shrieks　and　groans；
his　bloodshot　eyes　start　from　their　sockets；　his　frenzy　gives　him
unnatural　strength；　then　all　of　a　sudden　he　drops；　shot　through　the
heart；　or　from　sudden　exhaustion；　clutching　his　bloody　kris　even　in　the
act　of　rendering　up　his　life。

As　his　desire　is　to　kill　everybody；　so；　as　he　rushes　on；　everybody's
desire　is　to　kill　him；　and　gashed　from　behind　or　wounded　by　shots；　his
course　is　often　red　with　his　own　blood。　Under　English　rule　the　great
object　of　the　police　is　to　take　the　〃amok〃　runner　alive；　and　have　him
tried　like　an　ordinary　criminal　for　murder；　and　if　he　can　be　brought　to
bay；　as　he　sometimes　is；　they　succeed　in　pinning　him　to　the　wall　by
means　of　such　a　stout　two…pronged　fork　as　I　saw　kept　for　the　purpose　in
Malacca。　Usually；　however　the　fate　of　the　〃amok〃　runner　is　a　violent
death；　and　men　feel　no　more　scruple　about　killing　him　in　his　frenzy
than　they　would　about　killing　a　man…eating　tiger。　I　hear　that　this　form
of　frenzy　affects　the　Malays　of　all　the　islands　of　the　Archipelago。
Some　people　attribute　it　to　the　excessive　use　of　opium　by　unprepared
constitutions；　and　others　to　monomania　arising　from　an　unusual　form　of
digestive　disturbance；　but　from　it　being　peculiar　to　Malays；　I　rather
incline　to　Major　M'Nair's　view：　〃There　can　be　no　doubt　that　the　amok
had　its　origin　in　the　deed　of　some　desperate　Malay；　that　tradition
handed　it　down　to　his　highly…sensitive　successors；　and　the　example　was
followed　and　continues　to　be　followed　as　the　right　thing　to　do　by　those
who　are　excited　to　frenzy　by　apprehension；　or　by　some　injury　that　they
regard　as　deadly；　and　only　to　be　washed　out　in　blood。〃

I　have　been　interrupted　by　a　visit　from　two　disconsolate…looking
Ceylon　planters；　who　have　come　〃prospecting〃　for　coffee。　An
enterprising　son　of　an　Edinburgh　〃Bailie〃　has　been　trying
coffee…planting　beyond　the　Perak；　but　he　has　got　into　difficulties　with
his　laborers；　and　is　〃getting　out　of　it。〃　This　difficulty　about　labor
will　possibly　have　to　be　solved　by　the　introduction　of　coolies　from
India；　for　the　Malays　won't　work　except　for　themselves；　and　the　Chinese
not　only　prefer　the　excitement　of　mining；　and　the　evening　hubbub　of　the
mining　towns；　but　in　lonely　places　they　are　not　always　very　manageable
by　people　unused　to　them。

Even　for　clearing　the　jungle　foreign　labor　must　be　employed。　Perak　is　a
healthy　and　splendid　State；　and　while　the　low　grounds　are　suited　for
sugar；　tapioca；　and　tobacco；　the　slopes　of　the　hills　will　produce
coffee；　cinchona；　vanilla；　tea；　cloves；　and　nutmegs。　It　is　a　land　of
promise；　but　at　present　of　promise　only！　I　understand　that　to　start　a
plantation　a　capital　of　from　2；500　pounds　to　3；500　pounds　would　be
required。　Jungle　is　cleared　at　the　rate　of　25s。　　per　acre。　The　wages　of
Javanese　coolies　are　1s。　a　day；　and　a　hut　which　will　hold　fifty　of　them
can　be　put　up　for　5　pounds。　Land　can　be　had　for　three　years　free　of
charge。　It　is　then　granted　in　perpetuity　for　a　dollar　an　acre；　and
there　is　a　tax　of　2…1/2　per　cent。　on　exported　produce。　These
arrangements　are　not　regarded　as　altogether　satisfactory；　and　will
probably　be　improved　upon。　Tell　some　of　our　friends　who　have　sons　with
practical　good　sense；　but　more　muscle　than　brains；　that　there　are
openings　in　the　jungles　of　Perak！　　Good　sense；　perseverance；
steadiness；　and　a　degree　of　knowledge　of　planting；　are；　however；
preliminary　requisites。

The　two　〃prospectors〃　look　as　if　they　had　heard　couleur　de　rose
reports；　and　had　not　〃struck　ile。〃　Possibly　they　expected　to　find
hotels　and　macadamized　roads。　Roads　must　precede　planting；　I　think；
unless　there　are　available　lands　near　the　rivers。

I　have　mentioned　slavery　and　debt…slavery　more　than　once。　　The　latter
is　a　great　curse　in　Perak；　and　being　a　part　of　〃Malay　custom〃　which　our
treaties　bind　us　to　respect；　it　is　very　difficult　to　deal　with。　In　the
little　States　of　Sungei　Ujong　and　Selangor；　with　their　handful　of
Malays；　it　has　been　abolished　with　comparative　ease。　In　Perak；　with　its
comparatively　large　Malay　population；　about　four　thousand　are　slaves；
and　the　case　seems　full　of　complications。

Undoubtedly　the　existence　of　slavery　has　been　one　cause　of　the　decay　of
the　native　States；　and　of　the　exodus　of　Malays　into　the　British
settlements。　Some　people　palliate　the　system；　and　speak　of　it　as　〃a
mild　form　of　domestic　servitude；〃　but　Mr。　Birch；　the　late　murdered
Resident；　wrote　of　it　in　these　strong　terms：　〃I　believe　that　the　system
as　practiced　in　Perak　at　the　present　time　involves　evils　and　cruelties
which　are　unknown　to　any　but　those　who　have　actually　lived　in　these
States。〃

From　the　moment　a　man　or　woman　becomes　a　debtor；　he　or　she；　if　unable
to　pay；　may　be　taken　up　by　the　creditor；　and　may　be　treated　as　a　slave；
being　made　to　work　in　any　way　that　the　creditor　chooses；　the　debtor's
earnings　belonging　to　the　creditor；　who　allows　no　credit　toward　the
reduction　of　the　debt。　To　make　the　hardship　greater；　if　a　relative　or
friend　comes　forw