the golden chersonese and the way thither-第67节

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getting　us　all　out　was　in　a　moment　at　the　top　of　a　high　tree；　leaping
from　branch　to　branch；　throwing　himself　on　coffee　shrubs　below；
swinging　himself　up　again　in　a　flash；　leaping；　bounding！　a　picture　of
agility；　strength；　and　happiness。　The　usual　morning　gathering　of　Rajahs
and　their　followers；　with　Klings　and　Sikhs；　was　there；　and　I　suspect
that　they　thought　adult　Europeans　very　foolish　for　being　amused　with
these　harum…scarum　antics。

A　follower　had　brought　a　〃baboon；〃　an　ape　or　monkey　trained　to　gather
cocoa…nuts；　a　hideous　beast　on　very　long　legs　when　on　all　fours；　but
capable　of　walking　erect。　They　called　him　a　〃dog…faced　baboon；〃　but　I
think　they　were　wrong。　He　has　a　short；　curved　tail；　sable…colored　fur
darkening　down　his　back；　and　a　most　repulsive；　treacherous；　and
ferocious　countenance。　He　is　fierce；　but　likes　or　at　all　events　obeys
his　owner；　who　held　him　with　a　rope　fifty　feet　long。　At　present　he　is
only　half　tame；　and　would　go　back　to　the　jungle　if　he　were　liberated。
He　was　sent　up　a　cocoa…nut　tree　which　was　heavily　loaded　with　nuts　in
various　stages　of　ripeness　and　unripeness；　going　up　in　surly　fashion；
looking　round　at　intervals　and　shaking　his　chain　angrily。　When　he　got
to　the　top　he　shook　the　fronds　and　stalks；　but　no　nuts　fell；　and　he
chose　a　ripe　one；　and　twisted　it　round　and　round　till　its　tenacious
fibers　gave　way；　and　then　threw　it　down　and　began　to　descend；　thinking
he　had　done　enough；　but　on　being　spoken　to　he　went　to　work　again　with
great　vigor；　picked　out　all　the　ripe　nuts　on　the　tree；　twisted　them　all
off；　and　then　came　down　in　a　thoroughly　bad；　sulky；　temper。　He　was
walking　erect；　and　it　seemed　discourteous　not　to　go　and　thank　him　for
all　his　hard　toil。

As　I　write　I　see　a　fascinating　sight：　three　black　apes　sitting　under
the　roof　in　such　a　position　that　I　can　only　see　their　faces；　and　they
are　all　leaning　their　chins　on　a　beam；　and　with　their　wrinkled　faces
and　gray　beards　are　looking　exactly　like　…。　It　is　most　interesting
to　be　among　wild　beasts；　which；　though　tame；　or　partly　so；　are　not　in
captivity；　and　to　see　their　great　sagacity　and　their　singular　likeness
and　unlikeness　to　us。　I　could　dispense　with　the　reptiles；　though。　Last
night　there　were　seventeen　lizards　in　my　room　and　two　in　my　slippers。
During　the　profound　stillness　of　about　3　A。M。；　a　crowd；　hooting；
yelling；　and　beating　clappers；　passed　not　far　off　in　the　darkness；　and
there　was　a　sound　of　ravaging　and　rending　caused　by　a　herd　of　elephants
which　had　broken　into　the　banana　grounds。

Besides　apes；　elephants；　dogs；　and　other　pets；　there　are　some　fine
jungle…fowls；　a　pheasant；　a　〃fire…back；〃　I　think；　and　an　argus　pheasant
of　glorious　beauty；　but　glorious　is　not　quite　the　word　either；　for　the
hundred…eyed　feathers　of　its　tail　are　painted　rather　in　browns　than
colors。　These　birds　are　under　the　charge　of　a　poor　Chinaman；　who　once
had　money；　but　has　gone　to　complete　ruin　from　opium…smoking。　　His　frame
is　reduced　to　a　skeleton　covered　with　skin。　I　never　saw　such　emaciation
even　in　an　advanced　stage　of　illness。

Just　now　I　saw　Mahmoud　and　Eblis　walk　into　my　room；　and　shortly
following　them；　I　found　that　Mahmoud　had　drawn　a　pillow　to　the　foot　of
the　bed；　and　was　lying　comfortably　with　his　head　upon　it；　and　that
Eblis　was　lying　at　the　other　end。　I　do　hope　that　you　will　not　be　tired
of　the　apes。　To　me　they　are　so　intensely　interesting　that　I　cannot　help
writing　about　them。　Eblis　has　been　feverish　for　some　days。　I　think　he
has　never　recovered　from　the　thrashing　he　got　the　day　I　came。　He　is
pining　and　growing　very　weak；　he　eats　nothing　but　little　bits　of
banana；　and　Mr。　Low　thinks　he　is　sure　to　die。　It　is　a　curious　fact　that
these　apes；　which　are　tamed　by　living　with　Europeans；　acquire　a　great
aversion　to　Malays。


February　19。Eblis　became　much　worse　while　I　was　out　yesterday；　and　I
fear　will　surely　die。　He　can　hardly　hold　anything　in　his　cold；　feeble
hands；　and　eats　nothing。　He　has　a　strangely　human；　faraway　look；　just
what　one　sees　in　the　eyes　of　children　who　have　nearly　done　with　this
world。

The　heat　is　much　greater　to…day；　there　is　less　breeze；　and　the　mercury
has　reached　90　degrees；　but　in　the　absence　of　mosquitoes；　and　with
pine…apples　and　bananas　always　at　hand；　one　gets　on　very　well。　But
mosquitoes　do　embitter　existence　and　interfere　with　work。　Apparently；
people　never　become　impervious　to　the　poison；　as　I　thought　they　did；
and　there　is　not　a　Malay　in　his　mat　hut；　or　a　Chinese　coolie　in　his
crowded　barrack；　who　has　not　his　mosquito　curtains；　and　I　have　already
mentioned　that　the　Malays　light　fires　under　their　houses　to　smoke　them
away。　Last　night　a　malignant　and　hideous　insect；　above　an　inch　long；　of
the　bug　species；　appeared。　The　bite　of　this　is　as　severe　as　the　sting
of　a　hornet。

The　jungle　seems　to　be　full　of　wild　beasts；　specially　tigers；　in　this
neighborhood；　and　the　rhinoceros　is　not　uncommon。　Its　horn　is　worth
15；　but　Rajah　Muda　Yusuf；　who　desires　to　have　a　monopoly　of　them；　says
that　there　are　horns　with　certain　peculiar　markings　which　can　be　sold
to　the　Chinese　for　500*　each　to　be　powdered　and　used　as　medicine。　Wild
elephants　are　abundant；　but；　like　the　rhinoceros；　they　ravage　the　deep
recesses　of　the　jungle。　　All　the　tame　elephants　here；　however；　were
once　wild；　including　the　fifty　which；　with　swords；　dragons；　bells；
krises　with　gold　scabbards；　and　a　few　other　gold　articles；　formed　the
Perak　regalia。　The　herds　are　hunted　with　tame；　steady　elephants；　and　on
a　likely　one　being　singled　out；　he　is　driven　by　slow　degrees　into　a
strong　inclosure；　and　there　attached　by　stout　rattan　ropes　to　an
experienced　old　elephant；　and　fed　on　meager　diet　for　some　weeks；　varied
with　such　dainties　as　sugar…cane　and　sweet　cakes。　The　captive　is
allowed　to　go　and　bathe；　and　plaster　himself　with　mud；　all　the　while
secured　to　his　tame　companion；　and　though　he　makes　the　most　desperate
struggles　for　liberty；　he　always　ends　by　giving　in；　and　being　led　back
to　his　fastenings　in　the　corral。　At　times　a　man　gets　upon　him；　sits　on
his　head；　and　walks　upon　his　back。　It　is　here　generally　about　two　years
before　an　elephant　is　regarded　as　thoroughly　broken　in　and　to　be
trusted；　and；　as　elsewhere；　stories　are　told　of　elephant　revenge　and
keepers　being　killed。　A　full…grown　elephant　requires　about　200　lbs。　of
food　a　day。　These　animals　are　destructive　to　the　cocoa…nut　trees；　and
when　they　get　an　opportunity　they　put　their　heads　against　them；　and
then；　with　a　queer　swaying　movement　throw　the　weight　of　their　bodies
over　and　over　again　against　the　stem　till　the　palm　comes　down　with　a
crash；　and　the　dainty　monster　regales　himself　with　the　blossoms　and　the
nuts。　The　Malays　pet　and　caress　them；　and　talk　to　them　as　they　do　to
their　buffaloes。　Half　a　ton　is　considered　a　sufficient　load　for　a
journey　if　it　be　metal　or　anything　which　goes　into　small　compass；　but
if　the　burden　be　bulky；　from　four　to　six　hundred　weight　is　enough。
Except　where　there　are　rivers　or　roads　suitable　for　bullock…carts　or
pack　bullocks；　they　do　nearly　all　the　carrying　trade　of　Perak；　carrying
loads　on　〃elephant　tracks〃　through　the　jungle。　An　elephant　always　puts
his　foot　into　the　hole　which　another　elephant's　foot　has　made；　so　that
a　frequented　track　is　nothing　but　a　series　of　pits　filled　with　mud　and
water。　Trying　to　get　along　one　of　these　I　was　altogether　baffled；　for
it　had　no　verge。　The　jungle　presented　an　impassable　wall　of　dense
vegetation　on　either　side；　the　undergrowth　and　trees　being　matted
together　by　the　stout；　interminable　strands　of　the　rattan　and　other
tenacious　creepers；　including　a　thorn…bearing　one；　known　among　the
Malays　as　〃tigers'　claws；〃　from　the　curved　hook　of　the　thorn。　I　think　I
made　my　way　for　about　seven　feet。　　This　was　a　favorable　specimen　of　a
jungle　track；　and　I　now　understand　how　the　Malays；　by　felling　two　or
three　trees；　so　that　they　lay　across　similar　and　worse　roads；　were　able
to　delay　the　British　troops　at　a　given　spot　for　a　day　at　a　time。　　
＇*It　is　possible　that　this　was　an　exaggeration；　and　that　the　real　price
is　50。＇

One　might　think　that　elephants　roaming　at　large　would　render
cultivation　impossible；　but　they　have　the　greatest　horror　of　anything
that　looks　like　a　fence；　and　though　they　are　almost　powerful　enough　to
break　down　a　strong　stockade；　a　slight　fence　of　reeds　usually　keeps
them　out　of　padi；　cane；　and　maize　plantations。

Malays　are　gradually　coming　into　Perak。　It　is　said　that　there　has　been
recently　a　large　immigration　from　Selangor。　　The　Malay　population　is
fifty…seven　thousand　nearly；　with　a　large　preponderance　of　males；　but
fifty…eight　thousand　have　crowded　into　the　little　strip　of　land　called
Province　Wellesley；　which　is　altogether　under　British　rule；　and
sixty…seven　thousand　into　Malacca；　which　has　the　same　advantage。　I
suppose　that　slavery　and　polygamy　have　had　something　to　do　with　the
diminution　of　the　population；　as　well　as　small…pox。　Formerly　large
armies　of　fighting　men　could　be　raised　in　these　States。　Islamism　is
always　antagonistic　to　national　progress。　It　seems　to　petrify　or
congeal　national　life；　placing　each　individual　in　the　position　of　a
member　of　a　pure　theocracy；　rather　than　in　that　of　a　patriotic　citizen
of