The Golden Chersonese and the way thither

Table of Contents

PREFACE

INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER

The Aurea Chersonesus — The Conquest of Malacca — The Straits Settlements — The Configuration of the Peninsula — A Terra Incognita — The Monsoons — Products of the Peninsula — The Great Vampire — Beasts and Reptiles — Malignant and Harmless Insects — Land and Water Birds — Traditions of Malay Immigration — Wild and Civilized Races — Kafirs — The Samangs and Orang-outang — Characteristics of the Jakuns — Babas and Sinkehs — The Malay Physiognomy — Language andLiterature — Malay Poetry and Music — Malay Astronomy — Education and Law — Malay Sports — Domestic Habits — Weapons — Slavery and Debt Bondage — Government — “No Information”

LETTER I

The Steamer Volga — Days of Darkness — First View of Hong Kong — Hong Kong on Fire — Apathy of the Houseless — The Fire Breaks Out Again — An Eclipse of Gayety

LETTER II

A Delightful Climate — Imprisoned Fever Germs — “Pidjun” English — Hong Kong Harbor — Prosperity of Hong Kong — Rampageous Criminal Classes — Circumspice!

LETTER III

The S.S. Kin Kiang — First View of Canton — The Island of Shameen — England in Canton — The Tartar City — Drains and Barricades — Canton at Night — Street Picturesqueness — Ghastly Gifts — Oriental Enchantments — The Examination Hall

LETTER IV

“Faithful unto Death” — “Foreign Devils” — Junks and Boats — Chinese Luxury — Canton Afloat — An Al Fresco Lunch–Light and Color — A Mundane Disappointment — Street Sights and Sounds — Street Costume — Food and Restaurants — A Marriage Procession — Temples and Worship — Crippled Feet

LETTER IV (Continued)

Outside the Naam–Hoi Prison — The Punishment of the Cangue — Crime and Misery — A Birthday Banquet — “Prisoners and Captives” — Prison Mortality — Cruelties and Iniquities — The Porch of the Mandarin — The Judgment–Seat — The Precincts of the Judgment–Seat — An Aged Claimant — Instruments of Punishment — The Question by Torture

LETTER IV (Continued)

The “Covent Garden” of Canton — Preliminaries of Execution — A Death Procession — The “Field of Blood” — “The Death of the Cross” — A Fair Comparison

LETTER V

Portuguese Missionaries — A Chinese Hospital — Chinese Anaesthetics — Surgery and Medicine — Ventilation and Cleanliness — A Chinese “Afternoon Tea” — A New Inspiration

LETTER VI

A Cochin China River — The Ambition of Saigon — A French Colonial Metropolis — European Life in Saigon-A Cochin–Chinese Village — “Afternoon Tea” in Choquan — Anamese Children — Anamite Costume — Anamite River–Dwellings — An Amphibious Population — An Unsuccessful Colony — “With the Big Toe” — Three Persecuting Kings — Saigon

LETTER VII

Beauties of the Tropics — Singapore Hospitality — An Equatorial Metropolis — An Aimless Existence — The Growth of Singapore — “Farms” and “Farmers” — The Staple of Conversation — The Glitter of “Barbaric Gold” — A Polyglot Population — A Mediocre People — Female Grace and Beauty — The “Asian Mystery” — Oriental Picturesqueness — The Metamorphosis of Singapore

LETTER VIII

St. Andrew’s Cathedral — Singapore Harbor Scenes — Chinese Preponderance — First Impressions of Malacca — A Town “Out of the Running”

LETTER IX

The Lieutenant–Governor of Malacca — A Charming Household — The Old Stadthaus — A Stately Habitation — An Endless Siesta — A Tropic Dream — Chinese Houses — Chinese Wealth and Ascendency — “Opium Farming” — The Malacca Jungle — Mohammedan Burial–Places — Malay Villages — Malay Characteristics — Costume and Ornament — Bigotry and Pilgrimage — The Malay Buffalo

LETTER X

Malacca Mediaevalism — Tiger Stories — The Chinese Carnival — Gold and Gems — A Weight of Splendor — New–Year Rejoicings — Syed Abdulrahman — A Mohammedan Princess — A Haunted City — Francis Xavier — The Reward of “Pluck” — Projects of Travel

A CHAPTER ON SUNGEI UJONG

The Puzzles of the Peninsula — Sungei Ujong — A Malay Confederation — Syed Abdulrahman — The Revenue of Sungei Ujong — Scenery and Productions — The New Datu Klana — A “Dual Control”

LETTER XI

A Mangrove Swamp — Jungle Dwellers — The Sempang Police Station — Shooting Alligators — The River Linggi — A Somber–Faced Throng — Stuck Fast at Permatang Pasir — Fair Impediments

LETTER XII

The Tomb of “A Great Prophet” — “Durance Vile” — Fragile Travelers — Our Craft — A Night in the Jungle — Nocturnal Revelations — January in the Perak Jungle — Glories of the Jungle — Activity and Stillness — An Uneasy Night — A Slim Repast — Betel–Chewing — A Severe Disappointment — Police Station at Rassa

LETTER XIII

The Appurtenances of Civilization — Babu — Characteristics of Captain Murray — An Embodied Government — Chinese Mining Enterprise — A Chinese Gaming–House — The “Capitans China” — New–Year Visits — Sittings “In Equity” — A Court of Justice — The Serambang Prison — “Plantation Hill” — A Monster Bonfire — An Ant World — An Ant Funeral — Night on “Plantation Hill” — The Murder of Mr. Lloyd — A Chinese Dragon Play — A Visit to a Malay Prince — The Datu Bandar’s House — A Great Temptation — The Return Journey — An Obituary Quotation

A CHAPTER ON SELANGOR*

Selangor — Capabilities of Selangor — Natural Capabilities — Lawlessness in Selangor — British Interference in Selangor — A Hopeful Outlook

LETTER XIV

The S.S. Rainbow — Sunset at Malacca — A Night at Sea — The Residency at Klang — Our “Next-of-Kin” — The Decay of Klang — A Remarkable Chinaman — Theatrical Magnificence — Misdeed of a “Rogue Elephant” — “A Cobra! A Cobra!”

LETTER XIV (Continued)

Yachting in the Malacca Straits — A Tropic Dream — The Rajah Moussa — Tiger Stories — A Grand Excitement — A “Man–Eating Kris” — A Royal Residence — A Council of State — The Sultan’s Attendants — The “Light of the Harem” — The Sultan’s Offering

LETTER XV

Tiger Mosquitoes — Insect Torments — A Hadji’s Fate — Malay Custom — Oaths and Lies — A False Alarm

LETTER XVI

A Yachting Voyage — The Destruction of Selangor — Varieties of Slime — Swamp Fever — An Unprosperous Region — A “Deadly–Lively” Morning — A Waif and Stray — The Superintendent of Police

LETTER XVII

The Dindings — The Tragedy on Pulu Pangkor — A Tropic Sunrise — Sir W. Robinson’s Departure — “A Touch of the Sun” — Kling Beauty — A Question and Answer — The Bazaars of Georgetown — The Chinaman Goes Ahead — The Products of Pinang — Pepper–Planting

A CHAPTER ON PERAK

The Boundaries and Rivers of Perak — Tin Mining — Fruits and Vegetables — The Gomuti Palm — The Trade of Perak — A Future of Coffee — A Hopeful Lookout — Chinese Difficulties — Chinese Disturbances in Larut — The “Pangkor Treaty” — A “Little War” — The Settlement of Perak — The Resident and Assistant–Resident

LETTER XVIII

Province Wellesley — Water Buffaloes — A Glorious Night — Perak Officials — A “Dismal Swamp” — Elephants at Home — An Epigrammatic Description — The British Residency at Taipeng — Sultan Abdulla’s Boys — A Chinese Mining Town — The “Armed Police” — An Alligator’s Victim — Major Swinburne — A Larut Dinner Party — A Morning Hymn

LETTER XIX

The Chinese in Larut — “Monkey Cups” — Chinese Hospitality — A Sikh Belle

LETTER XX

Novel Circumstances — The Excitements of the Jungle — Eternal Summer — The Sensitive Plant — The Lotus Lake of Matang — Elephant Ugliness — A Malay Mahout — A Novel Experience — Domestic Pets — Malay Hospitality–Land Leeches — “A Fearful Joy” — The End of My First Elephant Ride — Kwala Kangsa

LETTER XX (CONTINUED)

Mystification — A Grotesque Dinner–Party — Mahmoud and Eblis — Fun and Frolic — Mahmoud’s Antics — A Perak Jungle — The Poetry of Tropical Life — Village Life — The Officials of the Mosques — A Moslem Funeral — The “Royal Elephant” — Swimming the Perak — The Village of Koto-lamah — A “Pirate’s Nest” — Rajah Dris

LETTER XX (Continued)

A Joyous Welcome — A Severe Mortification — The British Resident — Daily Visitors — Rajah Dris — A Tipsy Ape — Marriage Ceremonies — Marriage Festivities — Malay Children — The Rajah Muda Yusuf — A Dreary Funeral — Fascinating Companionship — A Cocoa–Nut Gatherer — The Argus Pheasant — An Opium Wreck — Rhinoceros Horns — Elephant–Taming — Petrifying Influences of Islamism — A Dwindling Race

LETTER XXI

A Malay Interior — Malay Bird–Scaring — Rice Culture — Picturesque Dismalness — A Bad Spell — An Alarm — Possibilities of Peril — Patience and Kindness — Masculine Clatter

LETTER XXII

A Pleasant Canter — A Morning Hymn — The Pass of Bukit Berapit — The “Wearing World” Again! — A Bad Spirit — Malay Demonology — “Running Amuck” — An Amok–Runner’s Career — The Supposed Origin of Amok — Jungle Openings in Perak — Debt–Slavery — The Fate of Three Runaway Slaves — Moslem Prayers — “Living Like Leeches” — Malay Proverbs — A “Ten–Thousand-Man Umbrella”

LETTER XXIII

“Gang Murders” — Malay Nicknames — A Persecuted Infant — The Last of the Golden Chersonese

APPENDIX A

Residents.

APPENDIX B

Slavery in the Malay States.

APPENDIX C

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