the golden chersonese and the way thither-第68节

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member　of　a　pure　theocracy；　rather　than　in　that　of　a　patriotic　citizen
of　a　country；　or　member　of　a　nationality。　In　these　States　law；
government　and　social　customs　have　no　existence　apart　from　religion；
and；　indeed；　they　grow　out　of　it。

It　is　strange　that　a　people　converted　from　Arabia；　and　partly；　no
doubt；　civilized　both　from　Arabia　and　Persia；　should　never　have
constructed　anything　permanent。　If　they　were　swept　away　to…morrow　not　a
trace　of　them　except　their　metal　work　would　be　to　be　found。　Civilized
as　they　are；　they　don't　leave　any　more　impress　on　the　country　than　a
Red　Indian　would。　They　have　not　been　destroyed　by　great　wars；　or　great
pestilences；　or　the　ravages　of　drink；　nor　can　it　be　said　that　they
perish　mysteriously；　as　some　peoples　have　done；　by　contact　with
Europeans；　yet　it　is　evident　that　the　dwindling　process　has　been　going
on　for　several　generations。

I。　L。　B。



LETTER　XXI

A　Malay　InteriorMalay　Bird…ScaringRice　CulturePicturesque
DismalnessA　Bad　SpellAn　AlarmPossibilities　of　PerilPatience　and
KindnessMasculine　Clatter


KWALA　KANGSA；　February　20。

Yesterday　afternoon　I　had　an　expedition　which　I　liked　very　much；　though
it　ended　a　little　awkwardly　owing　to　a　late　start。　Captain　Walker　was
going　on　a　shooting　excursion　to　a　lotus　lake　at　some　distance；　and
invited　me　to　join　him。　　So　we　started　after　tiffin　with　two　Malays；
crossed　the　Perak　in　a　〃dug…out；〃　and　walked　for　a　mile　over　a　sandy；
grassy　shore；　which　there　lies　between　the　bright　water　and　the　forest；
then　turned　into　the　jungle；　and　waded　through　a　stream　which　was　up　to
my　knees　as　we　went；　and　up　to　my　waist　as　we　returned。　Then　a
tremendous　shower　came　on；　and　we　were　asked　to　climb　into　a　large
Malay　house；　of　which　the　floor　was　a　perilously　open　gridiron。　At
least　three　families　were　in　it；　and　there　were　some　very　big　men；　but
the　women　hid　themselves　behind　a　screen　of　matting。　It　looked　forlorn。
A　young　baboon　was　chained　to　the　floor；　and　walked　up　and　down
restlessly　like　a　wild　beast　in　a　menagerie；　there　were　many　birds　in
cages；　and　under　the　house　was　much　rubbish；　among　which　numerous　fowls
were　picking。　There　was　much　fishing…tackle　on　the　walls；　both　men　and
women　being　excessively　fond　of　what　I　suppose　may　be　called　angling。
They　brought　us　young　cocoa…nuts；　and　the　milk；　drank　as　it　always
ought　to　be；　through　one　of　the　holes　in　the　nut；　was　absolutely
delicious。

Where　the　Malays　are　not　sophisticated　enough　to　have　glass　or　china；
they　use　dried　gourds　for　drinking…vessels。　The　cocoa…nut　is　an
invaluable　product　to　them。　Besides　furnishing　them　with　an
incomparable　drink；　it　is　the　basis　of　the　curries　on　which　they　live
so　much；　and　its　meat　and　milk　enter　into　the　composition　of　their
sweet　dishes。　I　went　to　see　the　women　behind　their　screen；　and　found
one　of　them　engaged　in　making　a　dish　which　looked　like　something　which
we　used　to　call　syllabub。　It　was　composed　of　remarkably　unbleached
sago；　which　they　make　from　the　sago…palm；　boiled　down　with　sugar　to
nearly　a　jelly。　It　was　on　an　earthenware　plate；　and　the　woman　who　was
preparing　it　mixed　sugar　with　cocoa…nut　milk；　and　whipping　it　with　a
bunch　of　twigs　to　a　slight　froth；　poured　it　over　the　jelly。

When　the　rain　ceased　we　got　through　the　timber　belt　into　a　forlorn
swamp　of　wet　padi；　where　the　water　was　a　foot　deep；　and　in　some　places
so　unintelligibly　hot　that　it　was　unpleasant　to　put　one's　feet　into　it。
It　was　truly　a　dismal　swamp；　and　looked　as　if　the　padi　were　coming　up
by　accident　among　the　reeds　and　weeds。　Indeed；　I　should　have　thought
that　it　was　a　rice　fallow；　but　for　a　number　of　grotesque　scarecrows；
some　mere　bundles　of　tatters；　but　others　wearing　the　aspect　of　big
birds；　big　dolls；　or　cats。　I　could　not　think　how　it　was　that　these
things　made　spasmodic　jerking　movement；　as　there　was　not　a　breath　of
air；　and　they　were　all　soaked　by　the　shower；　till　I　saw　that　they　were
attached　by　long　strings　to　a　little　grass　hut　raised　on　poles；　in
which　a　girl　or　boy　sat　〃bird…scaring。〃　The　sparrows　rob　the
rice…fields；　and　so　do　the　beautiful　padi…birds；　of　which　we　saw　great
numbers。

The　Malays　are　certainly　not　industrious；　they　have　no　need　to　be　so；
and　their　cultivation　is　rude。　They　plow　the　rice…land　with　a　plow
consisting　of　a　pole　eight　feet　long；　with　a　fork　protruding　from　one
end　to　act　as　a　coulter；　and　a　bar　of　wood　inserted　over　this　at　an
oblique　angle　forms　a　guiding　handle。　This　plow　is　drawn　by　the　great
water　buffalo。　After　plowing；　the　clods　are　broken　by　dragging　a　heavy
beam　over　them；　and　are　harrowed　by　means　of　a　beam　set　with　iron
spikes　The　women　do　the　sowing　and　planting。　The　harvest　succeeds　the
planting　in　four　months。　　The　rice　ears　are　cut　short　off；　sometimes　by
a　small　sickle；　and　sometimes　by　an　instrument　which　produces　the
effect　of　shears。　Threshing　consists　in　beating　the　ears　with　thick
sticks　to　loosen　the　husks；　after　which　the　padi　is　carried　in　baskets
to　platforms　ten　feet　above　the　ground；　and　is　allowed　to　fall　on　mats；
when　the　chaff　is　driven　away　by　the　wind。　It　is　husked　by　a　pestle；
and　it　requires　some　skill　to　avoid　crushing　the　grain。　All　these
operations　are　performed　by　women。

The　Perak　Malays　don't　like　working　for　other　people；　but　some　of　them
cultivate　sugar…cane　and　maize　for　sale。　Even　for　clearing　jungle…land
foreign　labor　has　to　be　resorted　to。

Ah；　that　swamp　is　a　doleful　region！　One　cannot　tell　where　it　ends　and
where　the　jungle　begins；　and　dark；　heavy；　ominous…looking　clouds
generally　concealed　the　forest…covered　hills　which　are　not　far　off。　I
almost　felt　the　redundancy　of　vegetation　to　be　oppressive；　and　the
redundancy　of　insect　and　reptile　life　certainly　was　so；　swarms　of
living　creatures　leaped　in　and　out　of　the　water；　bigger　ones　hidden
from　view　splashed　heavily；　and　a　few　blackish；　slug…like　looking
reptiles；　which　drew　blood；　and　hung　on　for　an　hour　or　two；　attached
themselves　to　my　ankles。　I　was　amused　when　Captain　Walker　congratulated
himself　on　the　absence　of　leeches；　for　these　blood…suckers　were　at
least　their　next　of　kin。　I　fell　down　into　the　water　twice　from　the
submerged　ridge　that　I　tried　to　walk　upon；　but　there　is　no　risk　of　cold
from　a　hot　bath　in　a　stove。

Then　we　came　to　a　smothered；　reedy；　ditch…like　stream；　in　which　was　an
old　〃dug…out〃　half　full　of　water；　in　which　we　managed　to　stow
ourselves；　and　by　careful　balancing　contrived　to　keep　its　edges　just
above　the　water。　Our　impeded　progress　down　this　ditch　startled　myriads
of　whirring；　splashing　creatures。　The　ditch　opened　into　a　reedy　swamp
where　hideous　pink　water　buffaloes　were　wallowing　and　enjoying
themselves；　but　on　the　report　of　a　gun　they　all　plunged　into　deep　water
and　swam　away；　except　for　their　big　horns；　looking　more　like
hippopotami　than　bovine　quadrupeds。　They　are　nearly　as　ugly　as　a
rhinoceros；　all　albino　animals　are　ugly；　and　when　these　are　wet　their
hides　are　a　bright　salmon　pink。

The　swamp　merged　itself　into　a　lotus　lake；　covered　over　much　of　its
extent　with　thousands　of　noble　leaves　and　rose…pink　blossoms。　It
seemed　almost　sacrilege　to　tear　and　bruise　and　break　them　and　push
rudely　through　them　in　our　canoe。　A　sadder　and　lonelier　scene　could　not
be。　I　have　seldom　been　more　powerfully　affected　by　nature。　The　lake
lying　in　hot　mist　under　dark　clouds；　with　the　swamp　and　jungle　on　one
side　and　an　absolutely　impenetrable　wall　of　entangled　trees　and
trailers　on　the　other；　so　dense　and　matted　that　before　putting　one's
feet　on　shore　space　would　have　to　be　cut　for　them　with　a　parang；　seemed
as　if　it　must　be　a　hundred　miles　from　the　abodes　of　men；　and　as　if
nobody　had　ever　been　there　before　or　ever　would　be　there　again。　　The
heavy　mist　lifted；　showing　mountains；　range　beyond　range；
forest…covered；　extending　back　into　the　heart　of　the　peninsula；　and
though　the　highest　may　be　under　five　thousand　feet　in　height；　yet　from
their　shape；　and　from　rising　so　near　the　sea…level；　and　from　the　woolly
mists　which　hung　round　their　bases；　and　from　something　in　the　gray；　sad
atmosphere；　they　looked　fully　ten　thousand　feet　high。

Captain　Walker　climbed　into　a　low　tree　which　overhung　the　lake　to　look
out　for　teal　and　widgeon；　which　were　perfectly　innumerable；　while　the
Malays；　never　uttering　a　word；　silently　poled　the　boat　over　the　dreary
lake　in　the　dreary　evening　to　put　up　the　birds。　There　they　went　high
over　our　heads　in　long　flights；　and　every　time　there　was　the　report　of
a　gun　there　were　screams　and　shrieks　and　squawks；　and　myriads　of　birds
rose　out　of　their　reedy　covers；　and　fish　splashed；　and　the　smoke　lay
heavily　on　the　water；　and　then　all　was　silent　again。　Any　place　more
solitary　and　apparently　isolated　could　not　be　imaginedit　was　a　most
pathetic　scene。　Hazy　visions　of　the　mere　near　which　King　Arthur　lay
dying　came　before　my　eyes。　If　I　had　seen　the　solemn　boat　with　〃the
three　fair　queens；〃　in　〃robes　of　samite；　mystic；　wonderful；〃　I　should
not　have　been　surprised；　nor　would　it　have　been　odd　if　the　lake　had
changed　into　the　Styx；　across　which　I　was　being　ferried；　a　cold；
colorless　shade。　To　and　fro；　up　and　down；　we　poled　over　the　tragic
waters　till　I　actually　felt　a　terror　far　beyond　eeriness