Palembang. 133 



that by taking a small boat it is easy to go to market and 

 purchase any thing that is to be had in Palembang. The 

 natives are true Malays, never building a house on dry land if 

 they can find water to set it in, and never going anywhere on 

 foot if they can reach the place in a boat. A considerable 

 portion of the population are Chinese and Arabs, who carry 

 on all the trade ; while the only Europeans are the civil and 

 military officials of the Dutch Government. The town is sit- 

 uated at the head of the delta of the river, and between it and 

 the sea there is very little ground elevated above high-water 

 mark ; while for many miles further inland, the banks of the 

 main stream and its numerous tributaries are swampy, and 

 in the wet season flooded for a considerable distance. Pal- 

 embang is built on a patch of elevated ground, a few miles 

 in extent, on the north bank of the river. At a spot about 

 three miles from the town this rises into a little hill the top 

 of which is held sacred by the natives, and is shaded by some 

 fine trees, inhabited by a colony of squirrels, which have be- 

 come half tame. On holding out a few crumbs of bread oi- 

 any fruit, they come running down the trunk, take the morsel 

 out of your fingers, and dart away instantly. Their tails are 

 carried erect, and the hair, which is ringed with gray, yellow, 

 and brown, radiates uniformly around them, and looks exceed- 

 ingly pretty. They have somewhat of the motions of mice,' 

 coming on with little starts, and gazing intently with their 

 large black eyes, before venturing to advance further. The 

 manner in which Malays often obtain the confidence of wild 

 animals is a very pleasing trait in their character, and is due 

 in some degree to the quiet deliberation of their manners, and 

 their love of repose rather than of action. The young are 

 obedient to the wishes of their elders, and seem to feel none 

 of that propensity to mischief which European boys exhibit. 

 How long would tame squirrels continue to inhabit trees in 

 the vicinity of an English village, even if close to the chui-ch ? 

 They would soon be pelted and driven away, or snared and 

 confined in a Avhirling cage. I have never heard of these pret- 

 ty animals being tamed in this way in England, but I should 

 think it might be easily done in any gentleman's park, and 

 they would certainly be as pleasing and attractive as they 

 would be uncommon. 



