My Friends the Savages

eaded immigration?-?A glance into the past?-?A rape which was not a rape?-?A noble task?-?Towards the mou

berated from its thrall and I turned with alacrity to t

inced that fortune (if indeed fortune was reserved for me)

habit of going in search of poisons, and sometimes I would even go by myself. During these excursio

t itself answered

ch are called in England Indian and Malacca cane; there was resin ooz

d transport them to where I might exchange them for other articles that we were without. It wa

submitting themselves to any regular, ordinate labour. Knowing, however, with whom I had to deal, and divining what a great amount of patience would be necessary to bring them round to my

from the forest abundantly la

erchandise coming back well provided with tobacco, iron, coloured beads, matches, salt, rice padi and maize. These things I dispensed amongst my friends and they,

d deal of energy, but I let no grass grow under my feet and wen

f these journeys that somethin

n. I was carrying with me six nice loaves and a piece of venison that I had bought in t

woodland track, which lay before me, ere night fell. In spite of the 30 miles already done that

wly moving. Thinking to meet with a party of coolies from a neighbouring mine, who were perhaps going for provisions, I advanced for ano

In that atom of time, which seemed to me a century, I could not even think, but across the deadened faculty of my mind flashed a warn

the mo

5

imprudent idea had suggested itself. My senses were so paralyzed by the unexpected encounter that I did not entirely realize my position an

ound, to find out what animal had lately passed by, now raised its

t the impulse of looking towards it. All my nerves were quivering with anguish as if in a supreme protest against the imminent slaughter. Already I felt the te

sible motion my eyes t

eared into the forest without taking even the least

-again ran through all my being, filling the veins and relaxing muscles and nerves, I did not then think of the sligh

ange sensations, awful impressions, and m

was still stretching and rubbing my limbs, a

had increased to a singular degree after my fright. It was equally impossible for me to think of stopping where I was. And to penetrate into the forest following in th

to take I was obliged to make my decision in favour

have to quicken my pace, by making a supreme

ides, who could say that the one I had seen was really gone towards my home? It would

agical spot where, according to the brief agony of my feelings and the likelihood of procedu

ct; a snake or a lizard gliding out of my path; the squeal of a monkey; the flutterin

d cruelly glittering eyes. The horrible vision gave new vigour to

rd or panther whose brindled and glossy skin you have admired; who knows how many times you have absently played with its head, still ferocious-looking, in spite of its glass eyes and r

animated; if that ugly mouth should open wider; if those white fangs should gleam with life; if those splendid claws should be

ainty supper I had brought with me from Ta

ttom of the little river which flowed past my humble dwelling soon spread outside

igenes who cannot easily forget how they were

eir villages, carrying off everything they could lay their hands upo

f course, had their primitive simplicity corrupted, and little by little learnt the vices and habits of their masters. For this they were considered by their brethren as inferior beings and were looked upon with grave suspicion, when, taking advantage of the first occasion that offered itself, they fled back to the forest.

who had been, and continued to be, in contact with comparatively civilized people, who knew their languages and thei

because it officially abolished slavery and shortened th

and imposing upon these good but ignorant creatures. Instead of devastating their rude homes and arbitrarily takin

e, and had to be frequently replaced. As a matter of course this fraudulent manner of trading made the poor Sakais' debts amount to fabulous proportions and then their swindling creditor dictated th

il, who had come there for nothing else but to ravage their land and disperse its inhabitants. The orang pute

s true friends, whilst the relation of imaginary and fantastic perils dist

ctions had been abused and outraged, would appeal to a British magistrate for justice, believing him to be a worse enemy than the a

atever misdeed, debt, and even crime was attributed to him, responding to the demand if wh

active part when I was the Superintenden

ildly into my hut, crying desperately. The parents, sobbing, told me that a C

t of the incident to the Magistrate. A case for abduction was made out, and the English law does not jest on such matters. The Chinese declared that a

er and mother of the young woman were interrogated and although t

e says

f her own free will or if violence had been used in takin

e says

-called to their memory the pitiful state they had been in when they ran into my house, crying and invoking justice. It was all in vain; but fortunately for them the legal of

t shoot

5

r if only to discover why the Sakais, by nature so

e family if they made any complaint about his way of proceeding, and had also terrified them by stories of

f they had spoken in time the scoundrel

that still oppresses them. But the British Government is quite equal to the task it has undertaken, and there is no reason to doubt that before long it will have reduced to impotency t

I wish it here to be distinctly understood that when I speak of the villainous acts and thievish propensities of these latter (who being too well-known and despised in their

all three, especially those who faithfully follow the way

to understand with what inquietude and uneasiness the Saka

r calumnious stories of the white man (whose vigilant and not very lenient control troubled them a great deal) made little or no impre

down the little river Bidor. This sudden change of locality did not cause me any serious sacrifice as the spot where we had been living was not very healthy owing to the frequently stagnant condition of the stream and, apart from hygienic motives, I was not altogether sorry at being thus compelled to seek new quarters as I was anxious to get well acquainte

t climbers within the circle drawn out for the clearing. The thick interlaced boughs and bushy underwood were alive with reptiles, and our advent, with

and we were soon able to re

ger was seen to stealthily approach our clearing and snatching up a dog in its mouth, it fl

or its meal? It is however well known, that this dreadful feline creature does not devour its prey all at once but invariably leaves a part of the flesh sticking to the carcass, reserving the picking of its bones for the following night. Therefore there was a good chance of

tiger must be killed if we wished to remain in peace and safety. It was a

e a small house up one of the trees we considered to be in the best position. A

he high grass. I took careful aim and fired. The sharp report was instantly answered by a fearful roar, and the form

dismayed by the thunder

the wounded animal so we thought it advisab

not ceased, some of the men went to ascertain its refuge whilst I, with my l

f In spite of its fury it was unable to move as on

ts skull now displays its beauties

was obliged to rep

rest would be devoured within a few hours by the same beast of prey we made a little sh

ss its mark and he rushed off howling with pain and rage. All night long the forest echoes were awakened by

ed me to accumulate a considerable quantity of Malacca cane, rattan, re

onducting with me some of my friends, the savages,

to follow up my desire but finally I persua

which we crossed in order to do a part of the journey in train and then boa

companions beyond a great wonder, not unmixed with

and were immensely interested in the noisy move

ith numerous friends, they soon

ed it all without enthusiasm but threw away the sweetmeats as soon as they had tasted them. When I asked them why they did so th

o appreciate the most were ci

at in the midst of the bewilderment which those simple souls must have experienced at being surrounded by people and thing

They stopped their ears with their fingers and gave clear signs of the unpleasant feelings they were suffering from. But it was quite different when they heard the higher-toned instruments, especially t

did not find its way to the Sakai heart and after having witnessed the spect

y were caressed by the English, received heaps of gifts and lived without the slightest fatigue, yet they were not happy. I saw them change

to let them return to their families that, impressed by their sickly

hen the steamer left the harbour at Penang and bore us towards the river Perak. No o

age, to walk twenty miles a day, at Penang, after strolling through a few streets, they had been weary. Exposed to privations and hards

for the vicissitudes of their wild life in the woods where comfort was unknown and food was sometimes scarce. Their thoughts, their very souls were always back in the remote forest, i

t change from profound darkness to the most dazzling light, or from the temperature of the pole to that of the equator, inevitably produces grave

em; they remember well all they have heard and seen, and will mimic and describe it in their poor, strange language to their relations and friends; they carry with them presents which are a tangible record of their travels; they explain to the others how the houses were protected from wind, sun

w, patient and-to them-imperceptible introduction of civilizing elements in their midst will be able to weaken this a