126 LABUAX AXD BRUXEI. [chap. 



personage of considerable importance. Throughout the length and 

 breadth of Malaysia the Chinaman has made his way. How he 

 swarms in Singapore we are all aware, but that he is equally at 

 home in the Aru Islands, and bids fau' to monopolise the trade of 

 the Philippines is, perhaps, not so generally known. At Macassar 

 he shares the mercantile plum with the German. In the Moluccas, 

 the vast amount of graves around Ternate testify to the number of 

 his race who liave lived and died there. In Xew Guinea alone he 

 is not to be found, for neither white man nor Malay has, as yet, 

 fairly established himself there, and the Celestial is rarely or never 

 a pioneer. Every one who has visited Australia and California has 

 seen what he can do where competition runs high, and money- 

 making is the chief object, and should chance lead the traveller 

 afterwards to the islands of the Malay Archipelago, the almost 

 universal success of the Chinese population will cause him but 

 little astonishment. The free-masonry existmg among their race 

 obtains work for the new-comer from the moment of his arrival, 

 and as soon as he is able he embarks in trade. The indolent, 

 dreamy Malay is as a child in his hands. Little by little his 

 money-bags gTOw. Soon he has a clerk, and ceases to pare his 

 finger-nails. An air of commercial prosperity beams upon his 

 countenance, and he is clad in purple and fine linen. It is not 

 long before he is owner of a highly-ornamented house, a small, but 

 select harem, and the best brands of Champagne. He has reached 

 the summit of all eartlily ambition, and life has nothing further to 

 offer. 



Our host had long ago acquired this furniture of a terrestrial 

 paradise, and produced some of it in the shape of a bottle of 

 excellent Jules Mumm, which we discussed while chatting over 

 Brunei politics and examining his goods. The city is renowned 

 for its sarongs and krisses, and the goldsmiths' work is also 

 tolerably good. The latter is, however, chiefly limited to cylindrical 

 earrings, kris hilts or sheaths — which, by the way, have a large 

 admixture of silver in their composition — and thin gold plaques. 



