the golden chersonese and the way thither-第70节

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and　an　elephant's　tusk；　the　whole　not　weighing　100　lbs。

Mr。　Low　was　already　at　his　work；　writing　and　nursing　Eblis　at　the　same
time；　the　wild　ape　sitting　on　a　beam　looking　on。　I　left；　wishing　I　were
coming　instead　of　going；　and　had　a　delightful　ride　of　eighteen　miles。
The　little　horse　walked　very　fast　and　cantered　easily。　How　peaceful
Perak　is　now；　to　allow　of　a　lady　riding　so　far　through　the　jungle　with
only　an　unarmed　Malay　attendant！　Major　M'Nair　writes：　　〃The　ordinary
native　is　a　simple；　courteous　being；　who　joins　with　an　intense　love　of
liberty　a　great　affection　for　his　simple　home　and　its　belongings；〃　and
I　quite　believe　him。　Stories　of　amok　running；　〃piracies；〃　treachery；
revenge；　poisoned　krises；　and　assassinations；　have　been　made　very　much
of；　and　any　crime　or　slight　disturbance　in　the　native　States　throws　the
Settlements　into　a　panic。　It　must　have　been　under　the　influence　of　one
of　these　that　such　a　large　sea　and　land　force　was　sent　to　Perak　three
years　ago。　Crime　in　the　Malay　districts　in　these　States　is　so　rare；
that　were　it　not　for　the　Chinese；　a　few　policemen　would　be　all　the
force　that　would　be　needed。　The　〃village　system；〃　the　old　Malay　system
with　its　head　man　and　village　officials；　though　formerly　abused；　seems
under　the　new　regime　to　work　well；　and　by　it　the　Malays　have　been　long
accustomed　to　a　species　of　self…government；　and　to　the　maintenance　of
law　and　order。　I　notice　that　all　the　European　officials　who　speak　their
language　and　act　righteously　toward　them　like　them　very　much；　and　this
says　much　in　their　favor。

I　met　with　no　adventures　on　the　journey。　I　had　a　delightful　canter　of
several　miles　before　the　sun　was　above　the　tree…tops；　the　morning
mists；　rose…flushed；　rolled　grandly　away；　and　just　as　I　reached　the
beautiful　pass　of　Bukit　Berapit；　the　apes　were　hooting　their　morning
hymn；　and　the　forests　rang　with　the　joyous　trills　and　songs　of　birds。
〃All　Thy　works　praise　Thee；　O　Lord！〃

There　were　gorgeous　butterflies。　Among　them　I　noticed　one　with　the
upper　part　of　its　body　and　the　upper　side　of　its　wings　of　jet　black
velvet；　and　the　lower　half　of　its　body　and　the　under　side　of　its　wings
of　peacock…blue　velvet；　spotted；　another　of　the　same　〃make；〃　but　with
gold　instead　of　blue；　and　a　third　with　the　upper　part　of　the　body　and
wings　of　black　velvet　with　cerise　spots；　the　lower　part　of　the　body
cerise；　and　the　under　side　of　the　wings　white　with　cerise　spots。　All
these　measured　fully　five　inches　across　their　expanded　wings。　In　one
opening　only　I　counted　thirty…seven　varieties　of　these　brilliant
creatures；　not　in　hundreds　but　in　thousands；　mixed　up　with　blue　and
crimson　dragon…flies　and　iridescent　flies；　all　joyous　in　the　sunshine。

The　loud…tongued　stream　of　crystal　water　was　very　full；　and　through　the
deep　greenery；　and　among　the　great；　gray；　granite　boulders；　it　flung
its　broad　drifts　of　foam；　rejoicing　in　its　strength；　and　every　green
thing　leaned　lovingly　toward　it　or　stooped　to　touch　it；　and　all
exquisite　things　which　love　damp；　all　tender　mosses　and　selaginellas；
all　shade…loving　ferns　and　aroids；　flourish　round　it　in　perennial
beauty；　while　high　above；　in　the　sunshine；　amid　birds　and　butterflies；
the　graceful　areca　palm　struggles　with　the　feathery　bamboo　for
precarious　root…hold　on　rocky　ledges；　and　spikes　of　rose…crimson
blossoms；　and　dark　green　fronds　of　bananas；　and　all　the　leafy　wealth
born　of　moisture　and　sunshine；　cling　about　it　tenderly。　And　lower　down
the　great　forest　trees　arch　over　it；　and　the　sunbeams　trickle　through
them；　and　dance　in　many　a　quiet　pool；　turning　the　far…down　sands　to
gold；　brightening　majestic　tree…ferns；　and　shining　on　the　fragile
polypodium　tamariscinum　which　clings　tremblingly　to　the　branches　of　the
graceful　waringhan；　on　a　beautiful　lygodium　which　adorns　the　uncouth
trunk　of　an　artocarpus；　on　glossy　ginger…worts　and　trailing　yams；　on
climbers　and　epiphytes；　and　on　gigantic　lianas　which；　climbing　to　the
tops　of　the　tallest　trees；　descend　in　vast　festoons；　many　of　them　with
orange　and　scarlet　flowers　and　fruitage；　passing　from　tree　to　tree；　and
interlacing　the　forest　with　a　living　network；　while　selaginellas　and
lindsayas；　and　film　ferns；　and　trichomanes　radicans　drape　the　rocks　in
feathery　green；　along　with　mosses　scarcely　distinguishable　from　ferns。
Little　rivulets　flash　out　in　foam　among　the　dark　foliage；　and　mingle
their　musical　warble　with　the　deep　bass　of　the　torrent；　and　there　are
twilight　depths　of　leafy　shade　into　which　the　sunshine　never
penetrates；　damp　and　cool；　in　which　the　music　of　the　water　is　all　too
sweet；　and　the　loveliness　too　entrancing；　creating　that　sadness　hardly
〃akin　to　pain〃　which　is　latent　in　all　intense　enjoyment。

Gunong　Pondok；　the　limestone　butte；　twelve　hundred　feet　in　nearly
perpendicular　height；　showed　all　its　brilliancy　of　color；　and　Gunong
Bubu；　one　of　the　highest　mountains　in　Perak；　reared　his　granite　crest
above　the　forest。　The　lotus　lake　at　Bukit　Gantang　was　infinitely　more
beautiful　than　under　the　grayer　sky　of　Friday；　a　thousand　rosy　vases
were　drinking　in　the　sunshine；　and　ten　thousand　classic　leaves　were
spreading　their　blue…green　shields　below　them；　all　nature　smiled　and
sang。　I　was　loath　to　exchange　my　good　horse　for　a　gharrie；　with　a　Kling
driver　draped　slightly　in　Turkey…red　cotton　sitting　on　the　shafts；　who；
statuesque　as　he　was；　had　a　far　less　human　expression　than　Mahmoud　and
Eblis。　In　the　noonday　the　indigo…colored　Hijan　hills；　with　their
swollen　waterfall　coming　down　in　a　sheet　of　foam；　looked　cool；　but　as
we　dashed　through　Taipeng　I　felt　overpowered　once　more　by　what　seems
the　〃wearing　world；〃　after　beautiful；　silent　Kwala　Kangsa；　for　there
are　large　shops　with　gaudy　sign…boards；　stalls　in　the　streets；　tribal
halls；　buffalo…carts　with　buffaloes　yoked　singly；　for　the　spread　of
their　huge　horns　is　so　great　that　they　cannot　be　yoked　in　pairs；　trains
of　carts　with　cinnamon…colored；　humped　bullocks　yoked　in　pairs　standing
at　shop　doors；　gharries　with　fiery　Sumatra　ponies　dashing　about；　crowds
of　Chinese　coolies；　busy　and　half…naked；　filling　the　air　with　the　din
of　their　ceaseless　industry；　and　all　the　epitomized　stir　of　a　world
which　toils；　and　strives；　and　thirsts　for　gain。

But　I　must　give　these　coolies　their　due；　for　in　some　ways　they　show
more　self…respect　than　the　ordinary　English　laborer；　inasmuch　as　in　bad
times　they　don't　become　chargeable　to　anyone；　and　when　the　price　of　the
commodity　which　they　produce　falls；　as　that　of　tin　has　done；　instead　of
〃striking〃　and　abusing　everybody　all　round；　they　accept　the　situation；
keep　quiet；　live　more　frugally；　and　work　for　lower　wages　till　things
mend。　But　I　don't　intend　to　hold　up　the　Taipeng　Chinese　as　patterns　of
the　virtues　in　other　respects；　for　they　are　not。　They　are　turbulent；
and　crime；　growing　chiefly　out　of　their　passion　for　gain；　is　very　rife
among　them。　The　first　thing　I　heard　on　arriving　here　was　that　a　Chinese
gang　had　waylaid　a　revenue　officer　in　one　of　the　narrow　creeks；　and
that　his　hacked　and　mutilated　body　had　drifted　down　to　Permatang　this
morning。

Mr。　Maxwell　tells　me　that；　as　he　returned　from　escorting　me　to　Bukit
Gantang；　he　overtook　a　gharrie　with　a　Malay　woman　in　it；　and
dismounting　joined　her　husband　who　was　walking；　but　did　not　speak　to
the　woman。　to…day　the　man　told　him　that　his　wife　woke　the　following
night　with　a　scream　which　was　succeeded　by　a　trance；　and　that；　knowing
that　a　devil　had　entered　into　her；　he　sent　for　a　pawan　（a　wise　man　or
sorcerer）；　who　on　arriving　asked　questions　of　the　bad　spirit；　who
answered　with　the　woman's　tongue。　〃How　did　you　come？〃　〃With　the　tuan；〃
i。e。；　Mr。　Maxwell。　〃How　did　you　come　with　him？〃　〃On　the　tail　of　his
gray　horse。〃　〃Where　from？〃　〃Changat…Jering。〃　The　husband　said　that
these　Changat…Jering　devils　were　very　bad　ones。　The　pawan　then
exorcised　the　devil；　and　burned　strong…smelling　drugs　under　the　woman's
nose；　after　which　he　came　out　of　her；　and　she　fell　asleep；　the　〃wise
man〃　receiving　a　fee。

I　never　heard　of　any　country　of　such　universal　belief　in　devils；
familiars；　omens；　ghosts；　sorceries；　and　witchcrafts。　The　Malays　have
many　queer　notions　about　tigers；　and　usually　only　speak　of　them　in
whispers；　because　they　think　that　certain　souls　of　human　beings　who
have　departed　this　life　have　taken　up　their　abode　in　these　beasts；　and
in　some　places；　for　this　reason；　they　will　not　kill　a　tiger　unless　he
commits　some　specially　bad　aggression。　They　also　believe　that　some　men
are　tigers　by　night　and　men　by　day！

The　pelisit；　the　bad　spirit　which　rode　on　the　tail　of　Mr。　　Maxwell's
horse；　is　supposed　to　be　the　ghost　of　a　woman　who　has　died　in
childbirth。　In　the　form　of　a　large　bird　uttering　a　harsh　cry；　it　is
believed　to　haunt　forests　and　burial…grounds　and　to　afflict　children。
The　Malays　have　a　bottle…imp；　the　polong；　which　will　take　no　other
sustenance　than　the　blood　of　its　owner；　but　it　rewards　him　by　aiding
him　in　carrying　out　revengeful　purposes。　The　harmless　owl　has　strange
superstitions　attaching　to　it；　and　is　called　the　〃specter　bird；〃　you
may　remember　that　the　fear　of　encountering　it　was　one　of　the　reasons
why　the　Permatang　Pasir　men　would　not　go　with　us　through　the　jungle　to
Rassa。

A