the　marriage　ceremony　henna　is　applied　to　the　nails　of　the　hands　and
  feet；　and　also　to　the　palms　of　the　hands；　and　the　hair　is　cut　short
  over　the　forehead；　something　in　the　style　of　a　〃Gainsborough　fringe。〃
  The　wedding　feast　is　a　very　grand　affair。　Goats　and　buffaloes　are
  killed；　and　the　friends　and　relatives　of　the　bride　send　contributions
  of　food。　The　wedding　decorations　are　family　property；　and　descend　from
  mother　to　daughter；　and　both　bride　and　bridegroom　are　covered　with
  flowers；　jewels；　and　gay　embroidery。　The　bride　sits　in　state　and
  receives　the　congratulatory　visits　of　her　relatives　and　friends；　and
  after　the　actual　ceremony　is　over；　the　newly…married　couple　sit　on　a
  seat　raised　above　the　guests；　and　the　sirih　and　betel…nut　are　largely
  chewed。　There　are　〃floral　decorations；〃　music；　and　feasting；　all
  strangers　are　made　welcome；　the　young　men　spend　the　afternoon　in　games；
  among　which　cock…fighting　usually　plays　a　prominent　part；　and　the
  maidens　amuse　themselves　in　a　part　of　the　house　screened　off　from　the
  rest　of　the　guests　by　curtains；　and　made　very　gay。
  As　religious　ceremonies　attend　upon　marriage　and　death；　so　on　the　birth
  of　a　child　the　father　puts　his　mouth　to　the　ear　of　the　infant　and
  solemnly　pronounces　what　is　called　the　Azan　or　〃Allah　Akbar；〃　the　name
  of　the　one　God　being　the　first　sound　which　is　allowed　to　fall　upon　his
  ears　on　entering　the　world；　as　it　is　the　last　sound　which　he　hears　on
  leaving　it。　There　is　a　form　of　prayer　which　is　used　at　births；　and
  another　on　the　seventh　day　afterward；　when　the　child's　head　is　shaved。
  The　sage　femme　remains　for　forty　days　with　the　mother；　who　on　the
  fortieth　day　makes　the　ceremonial　purifications　and　prayers　which　are
  customary；　and　then　returns　to　her　ordinary　duties。　The　child；　as　soon
  as　it　can　speak；　learns　to　recite　prayers　and　passages　from　the　Koran；
  and　is　very　early　grounded　in　the　distinctive　principles　of　Islam。
  The　children　of　both　sexes　are　very　pretty；　but　with　strangers　they　are
  very　shy　and　timid。　They　look　very　innocent；　and　are　docile；　gentle　and
  obedient；　spending　much　of　their　time　in　taming　their　pets　and　playing
  with　them；　and　in　playing　games　peculiar　to　their　age。　Except　in　one　or
  two　cases　in　Sungei　Ujong；　I　have　not　seen　a　child　with　eye　or　skin
  disease；　or　any　kind　of　deformity。
  There　have　been　Rajahs　all　day　in　the　veranda；　and　their　followers
  sitting　on　the　steps；　all　received　by　Mr。　Low　with　quiet　courtesy；　and
  regaled　with　tea　or　coffee　and　cigarettes。　A　short　time　ago　the
  reigning　prince；　who　does　not　appear　to　be　a　cypher；　came　with　a　great
  train　of　followers；　some　of　them　only　wearing　sarongs；　a　grandson；　to
  whom　he　is　much　attached；　and　the　deposed　Sultan's　two　boys；　of　whom　I
  told　you　before。　They　are　in　Malay　clothing；　and　seem　to　have　lost
  their　vivacity；　or　at　least　it　is　in　abeyance。　Before　I　came　here；　I
  understood　from　many　people　that　〃His　Highness〃　is　very　generally
  detested。　　So；　also；　says　Sir　Benson　Maxwell　in　_Our　Malay　Conquests_。
  Major　M'Nair　in　his　amusing　book　on　Perak　says：　〃He　is　a　man　over
  middle　age；　and　is　described　as　being　of　considerable　ability；　feared
  and　hated　by　many　of　the　chiefs；　and　as　being　of　a　fierce　and　cruel
  disposition；　but　he　was　a　proved　man　as　to　his　loyalty〃　（to　British
  interests）；　〃and　there　being　no　desire　on　the　part　of　the　Government　to
  annex　the　State　of　Perak；　his　appointment　was　the　wisest　course　that；
  under　the　circumstances；　could　be　pursued。〃　This　is　all　that　the
  greatest　apologist　for　British　proceedings　in　Perak　has　to　say。
  I　was　not　prepossessed　in　his　favor　before　I　came；　for　among　other
  stories　of　his　cruel　disposition；　I　was　told　that　it　was　〃absolutely
  true〃　that　three　years　ago　he　poured　boiling　water　down　the　back　of　a
  runaway　female　slave　who　had　been　recaptured；　and　then　put　a　red　ant's
  nest　upon　it。　If　〃piracy〃　is　to　be　the　term　applied　to　levying
  blackmail；　he　was　certainly　a　pirate；　for　he　exacted　a　tenth　of　the
  cargo　of　every　boat　which　passed　up　his　river；　a　Rajah　higher　up　doing
  the　same　thing。　He　is　said　to　have　a　very　strong　character；　to　be
  grasping；　and　to　be　a　〃brute；〃　but　Mr。　Low　gets　on　very　well　with　him
  apparently。　He　is　an　elderly　man；　wearing　a　sort　of　fez　on　a　shaven
  head。　He　has　a　gray　mustache。　His　brow　is　a　fine　one；　and　his　face　has
  a　look　of　force；　but　the　lower　part　of　it　is　coarse　and　heavy。　He　was
  fanning　himself　with　his　fez；　and　when　I　crossed　the　veranda　and　gave
  him　a　fan；　he　accepted　it　without　the　slightest　gesture　of　thanks；　as
  if　I　had　been　a　slave。　When　Mr。　Low　told　him　that　I　had　been　at
  Koto…lamah；　he　said　that　the　chief　in　whose　house　I　had　rested　deserved
  to　be　shot；　and　ought　to　be　shot。　He　and　Mr。　Low　talked　business　for　an
  hour；　but　all　important　matters　are　transacted　in　what　is　called　a
  native　council。
  I　wrote　that　I　believed　myself　to　be　the　only　European　in　Kwala　Kangsa；
  but　I　find　that　there　was　another　at　the　time　when　I　wrote　thusa
  young　man　of　good　family；　who　came　out　here　seeking　an　appointment。　He
  was　sun…stricken　three　days　ago；　and　violent　fever　and　delirium　set　in；
  during　the　height　of　which　he　overpowered　four　Sikhs　who　were　taking
  care　of　him；　rushed　out　of　doors；　fell　down　exhausted；　was　carried
  home；　and　died　at　four　in　the　morning；　his　last　delirious　dreams　being
  of　gambling　and　losing　heavily。
  The　lamentable　burial　took　place　in　the　evening　as　the　shadows　fell。
  This　sums　up　the　storya　career　of　dissipation；　death　at　twenty…one；　a
  rough；　oblong　box；　no　one　to　be　sorry。　It　made　my　heart　ache　for　the
  mother；　who　would　have　given　much　to　be　where　I　was；　and　see　〃the
  dreary　death　train〃　move　slowly　to　the　dreary　inclosure　on　a　hill…top；
  where　the　grass　grows　rank　and　very　green　round　a　number　of　white
  wooden　crosses；　which　mark　the　graves　of　the　officers　and　soldiers　who
  fell　in　1876。　The　Union　Jack　was　thrown　over　the　coffin；　which　was
  carried　by　six　Sikhs；　and　Mr。　Low；　Major　Swinburne；　Rajah　Dris　and　some
  followers；　and　Sultan　Abdullah's　two　boys；　who　had　nothing　better　to
  do；　followed　it。　By　the　time　the　grave　was　reached　torches　were
  required；　and　the　burial　service　was　read　from　my　prayer…book。　It　was
  all　sad　and　saddening。
  The　weather　is　still　glorious；　the　winding　Perak　still　mirrors　in
  scarcely　rippled　blue　the　intensely　blue　sky；　〃never　wind　blows
  loudly；〃　but　soft　airs　rustle　the　trees。　　One　could　not　lead　a　more
  tropical　life　than　this；　with　apes　and　elephants　about　one　under　the
  cocoa…palms；　and　with　the　mercury　ranging　from　80　degrees　to　90
  degrees！　　Gorgeous；　indeed；　are　the　birds　and　butterflies　and　flowers；
  but　often　when　the　erythrina　and　the　Poinciana　regia　are　strewing　the
  ground　with　their　flaming　blossoms；　I　think　with　a　passionate　longing
  of　the　fragile　Trientalis　Europae；　of　crimson…tipped　lichens；　of　faint
  odors　of　half…hidden　primroses；　of　whiffs　of　honey　and　heather　from
  purple　moorlands；　and　of　all　the　homely；　fragrant；　unobtrusive　flowers
  that　are　linked　with　you！　I　should　like　a　chance　of　being　〃cold　to　the
  bone！〃
  I　have　wasted　too　much　of　my　time　to…day　upon　the　apes。　They　fascinate
  me　more　daily。　They　look　exactly　like　familiar　demons；　and　certainly
  anyone　having　them　about　him　two　hundred　years　ago　would　have　been
  burned　as　a　wizard。　When　Mr。　Low　walks　down　the　veranda；　these　two
  familiars　walk　behind　him　with　a　stealthy　tread。　He　is　having　a
  business　conversation　just　now　with　some　Rajahs；　whose　numerous
  followers　are　standing　and　lying　about；　and　Eblis　is　sitting　on　his
  shoulder　with　one　arm　round　his　neck；　while　Mahmoud　sits　on　the　table
  opening　letters；　and　the　siamang；　sitting　on　the　rafter；　is　looking
  down　with　an　unpleasant　look。　Eblis　condescends　to　notice　me　to…day；
  and　occasionally　sits　on　my　shoulder　murmuring　〃Ouf！　ouf！〃　the　sweet
  sound　which　means　all　varieties　of　affection　and　happiness。　They　say
  wah…wah　distinctly；　and　scream　with　rage　like　children；　but　have　none
  of　the　meaningless　chatter　of　monkeys。　It　is　partly　their　silence　which
  makes　them　such　very　pleasant　companions。　At　sunrise；　however；　like
  their　forest　brethren；　they　hail　the　sun　for　some　minutes　with　a　noise
  which　I　have　never　heard　them　make　again　during　the　day；　loud　and
  musical；　as　if　uttered　by　human　vocal　organs；　very　clear　and　pleasant。
  Doubtless　the　Malays　like　Mr。　Low　all　the　better　for　his　love　of　pets。
  At　lunch　they　were　both；　as　usual；　sitting　at　the　table。　I　am　still
  much　afraid　of　Mahmoud；　but　Captain　Walker　is　infatuated　with　him；　and
  likes　his　rough；　jolly　manners；　and　his　love　of　fun　and　rough　play。　As
  Assam　was　bringing　me　a　cup　of　coffee　this　creature　put　out　his　long
  arm；　and　with　his　face　brimming　over　with　frolic；　threw　the　coffee　over
  the　mat。　Then　he　took　up　a　long　glass　of　beer　and　began　to　drink　it
  eagerly；　but　as　Mr。　Low　disapproved　of　his　being　allowed　to　get　tipsy　a
  second　time；　it　was　taken　from　him；　upon　which　he　took　up　the　breast　of
  a　fricasseed　chicken　and　threw　it　at　the　offender。　The　miscreant　did
  every　kind　of　ludicrous　thing；　finishing　by　pulling　everyone　to　go　out
  with　him；　as　he　always　does　at　that　hour；　and　when　he　had　succeeded　in
  getting　us　all　out　was　in　a　moment　at　the　top　of　a　high　tree；　leaping
  from　branch　to　branch；　throwin