the golden chersonese and the way thither-第75节

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finger　to　save　him；　his　master　excusing　himself　on　the　plea　that　it　is
necessary　to　frighten　others　from　running　away　also。

These　Rajah…creditors　would　tell　you　smilingly　that　they　knew　by
Mohammedan　law　the　creditors　can　take　and　sell　all　their　debtor's
property　for　an　overdue　debt；　and　that　then　the　debtor　is　free；　but
they　never　act　on　that　principle。

Many　men　and　women；　however；　rarely　incur　debts；　knowing　well　what　lies
before　them　in　case　of　non…payment。

Malays；　by　their　laws；　are　allowed　to　buy　and　sell　slaves；　and　if；
having　for　years　lost　sight　of　a　slave；　the　owner　finds　him　or　her；　he
takes　the　slave　with　his　wife　and　family；　if　he　has　one；　as　his　lawful
property。

There　is　one　other　phase　of　debtor…bondage；　and　that　a　common　one；
where　the　father　or　mother　places　one　or　more　of　their　own　children　as
security　with　the　creditor　for　a　debt；　thus　in　reality　selling　their
own　flesh　and　blood　into　often　a　life…long　bondage。　If　these　children
die　on　the　creditor's　hands；　the　parents　supply　their　places　by　others；
or　the　Rajah；　should　he　wish　it；　can　at　any　time　after　the　debt　is　due；
take　the　whole　family　into　his　house。

Only　the　other　day　a　man　here；　for　a　debt　of　40；　placed　his　daughter
in　a　Rajah's　hands　and　ran　away。　Probably　he　will　never　return；
meanwhile　the　girl　must　obey　her　master　in　all　things　like　the　veriest
slave。　Such　a　state　of　things　as　this　is　only　brought　about　by　the
custom　which　allows　it。

Another　common　practice　in　the　States；　more　especially　in　Perak；　is　to
capture；　as　you　might　wild　beasts；　the　unoffending　Jakun　women；　and
make　them　and　their　children　slaves　through　generations。

In　April　I　was　in　Ulu　Selangor；　and　the　headmen　there　complained　that　a
chief　from　Slim　had　a　fortnight　before　caught　14　Jakuns　and　one　Malay
in　Ulu　Selangor；　had　chained　them　and　driven　off　to　Slim。　Arrived
there；　the　Malay　was　liberated　and　he　returned。

Letters　were　written　to　Slim　and　Perak；　but　though　we　ascertained　the
party　had　reached　Slim；　they　did　not　remain　there；　and　they　have　not
yet　been　discovered。

I　have　already　stated　that　the　Rajah　looks　to　the　number　of　his
following　as　the　gauge　of　his　power；　and　other　Rajahs　will　respect　and
fear　him　accordingly。　Thus　he　tries　to　get　men　into　his　service　in　this
way；　and　is　rather　inclined　to　refuse　payment　should　the　debtor　be　so
fortunate　as　to　raise　the　requisite　amount　of　his　debt。

Almost　the　only　chance　the　debtor　has　of　raising　this　amount　is　by
successful　gambling。　Of　course　it　hardly　ever　happens　that　he　is
successful；　but；　like　all　gamblers；　he　always　thinks　he　will　be；　and
thus　gambling　becomes　a　mania　with　him；　which　he　will　gratify　at　all
costs；　caring　little　by　what　means　he　gets　money　for　play　so　long　as　he
does　obtain　it。

These　are　the　general　facts　relating　to　the　position　of　the
slave…debtor；　and　these　things　which　I　have　described；　seemingly　so
difficult　of　belief；　are　done　almost　daily；　looked　upon　by　those　who　do
them　as　a　right　divine；　by　the　victims　as　a　fate　from　which　there　is　no
reprieve。

To　compel　his　followers　to　obey　him　implicitly；　the　Rajah　treats　them
with　a　severity　which　sometimes　makes　death　the　punishment　of　the
slightest　offence　to　him。　These　followers　he　thus　holds　to　do　whatever
he　bids　them；　even　to　the　commission　of　the　gravest　crimes。

They　again；　having　to　provide　themselves　with　food　and　clothes；　and　yet
having　to　work　for　him；　are　led　to　prey　on　the　defenceless　population；
from　whom；　in　the　name　of　their　Rajah…master；　they　extort　whatever
there　is　to　get；　and　on　whom　they　sometimes　visit　those　cruelties　which
they　have　themselves　already　experienced。

This　system　of　debtor　bondage　influences；　then；　the　whole　population；
not　slightly　but　deeply；　in　ways　it　is　hardly　possible　to　credit　except
when　seen　in　a　constant　intercourse　with　all　classes　of　Malay　society。

The　question　at　issue　seems　to　be；　how　to　deprive　the　Rajah　of　this
great　poweran　unscrupulous　instrument　in　unscrupulous　handshow　to
free　the　debtors　from　their　bondage；　the　women　from　lives　of　forced
prostitution；　the　unoffending　population　from　the　robberies　and
murderous　freaks　of　Rajahs　and　their　bondsmen。*　
＇*Some　of　these　remarks　apply　specially　to　Selangor；　in　which　State
slavery　is　now　abolished。　I。　L。　B。＇

In　Perak　it　is　different；　the　debtor…bondage　is　one　of　the　chief
customsone　of　the　〃pillars　of　the　State〃an　abuse　jealously　guarded
by　the　Perak　Rajahs　and　Chiefs；　and　especially　by　those　who　make　the
worst　uses　of　it。

I　have　often　discussed　this　question　of　debt…slavery　with　the　Malays
themselves；　but　they　say　they　see　no　way　under　the　rule　of　their　Rajahs
to　put　down　this　curse　of　their　country；　with　all　the　evils　that　follow
in　its　train。　I　have；　etc。

（Signed）　Frank　A。　Swettenham；　（Now　Asst。　Colonial　Secretary　
at　Singapore。）　
The　Honorable　the　Secretary　for　Native　States；　Singapore；
Straits　Settlements。



APPENDIX　C

No。　I

From　H。B。M。's　Resident；　Perak；　to　Colonial　Secretary；　Straits
Settlements　Residency；　Kwala　Kansa；　December　14；　1878。

SirIn　reference　to　your　letter　of　the　28th　June　last；　directing；　by
command　of　His　Excellency　the　Governor；　my　particular　attention　to　the
plan　adopted　in　Selangor　for　the　extinction　of　the　claims　against
slave…debtors；　by　a　valuation　of　their　services　to　their　creditors
according　to　a　fixed　scale；　and　directing　me　to　consider　to　His
Excellency　with　a　view　to　its　being　afterward　submitted　for　the
consideration　of　the　Council　of　State：

1。　I　have　the　honor　to　state　in　reply　that　a　copy　of　that　letter　and
its　inclosure　was　supplied　to　the　Assistant　Resident　of　Perak；　and　its
contents　communicated　to　the　other　magistrates；　with　instructions　on
all　occasions　in　which　such　cases　should　be　brought　before　them；　to
endeavor；　with　the　consent　of　the　creditors；　to　come　to　a　settlement　on
such　a　basis。

2。　The　Toh　Puan　Halimah；　daughter　of　the　exiled　Laxamana　of　Perak；　and
chief　wife　of　the　banished　Mentri　of　the　State；　had　invested　most　of
her　private　money　in　advances　of　this　description；　which；　up　to　the
time　of　British　interference；　was　the　favorite　form　of　security；　and
she　is　now　the　largest　claimant　in　the　country　for　the　repayment　of　her
money。　Another；　Wan　Teh　Sapiah；　has　also　claims　of　a　like　nature　on
several　families；　and　both　these　ladies　willingly　undertook　to　accept
of　liquidation　by　such　an　arrangement。

3。　In　the　former　case　it　has；　I　am　sorry　to　say；　fallen　through；　from
the　impossibility　of　inducing　the　debtors　to　work　regularly；　and　from
very　many　of　them；　who　are　living　in　entire　freedom　in　different　parts
of　the　country；　declining　to　come　into　the　arrangement；　though
acknowledging　their　debts。

4。　In　many　other　cases　the　creditors　from　the　first　put　forward　the
certainty　of　the　failure　of　such　a　system　from　the　above…mentioned
cause；　others　have　objected　that　they　had　no　regular　employment　in
which　to　place　their　debtors；　others；　that　they　are　utterly　ruined　by
the　events　of　recent　years；　and　that　they　would　accede　to　the　proposal
if　fairly　carried　out　on　the　other　part；　provided　the　Government　would
advance　money　as　the　native　Rajahs　did　to　enable　them　to　open　mines　or
gardens　in　which　they　could　employ　their　debtors；　nearly　all　have
declared　themselves　willing；　and　even　anxious；　to　accept　a　just　amount
in　payment　of　their　debts；　several　suggesting　that　the　State　might
conveniently　undertake　to　do　this；　employing　the　labor　in　public　works
until　the　debtor　should　be　free。

5。　I　cannot　undertake　to　say　what　may　have　been　the　practice　in　former
times；　as　to　the　treatment；　in　Perak；　of　this　class　of　persons；　but　no
case　of　cruelty　or　any　great　hardship　has　been　brought　to　my　notice
since　I　came　into　the　country。　By　far　the　larger　number　of　the
slave…debtors　live　with　their　families　apart　and　often　at　great
distances　from　their　masters；　enjoying　all　the　fruits　of　their　labor；
rendering　occasional　assistance　to　them　when　called　upon　to　do　so；
which；　in　the　majority　of　cases；　is　of　rare　occurrence。

6。　The　circumstances　of　Perak　would　probably　be　found　to　differ　from
those　of　Selangor；　which　I　understand　has　a　much　smaller　population；
was　governed　by　an　enlightened　ruler　under　the　advice　of　British
Residents；　who　succeeded　in　introducing　the　present　regulation
immediately　after　the　conquest　of　the　district。

7。　To　introduce　such　a　measure　into　Perak　at　the　present　time　would；　in
my　opinion；　have　a　very　disturbing　effect；　and　although　I　do　not　think
that　it　would　lead　to　any　extensive　or　organized　armed　resistance；　I　am
sure　that　it　would　so　shake　the　confidence　which　has　arisen　between　the
European　officers　and　principal　people　that　years　would　be　required　to
restore　it。

8。　I　confess　that　I　am　not　able　to　devote　all　my　sympathy　to　the　weaker
class　in　this　question。　I　concur　with　the　principal　natives　that　the
introduction　of　a　measure　which　formed　no　part　of　the　original　contract
would　practically　amount　to　a　confiscation　of　their　property；　the　value
of　the　labor　of　this　class　of　persons　being　scarcely　more　than　nominal；
and　I　adhere　to　the　opinion　that　the　just　and　politic　course　is；　as　has
been　done；　to　prohibit　any　extension　or　ren