第 67 节
作者:
无边的寒冷 更新:2021-03-11 18:29 字数:9319
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