278 IN MALAY FORESTS. 



is advanced against them in the justice halls of the 

 states under British rule, nay, even in the Great 

 Court -House of Singapore, does not the judge 

 convict them?" 



I made an expostulation, and was painfully aware 

 that I was begging the question. To'Kaya politely, 

 but firmly, pointed this out, and I then attacked the 

 evidence, saying that it was merely circumstantial. 



To'Kaya bowed and said, " That may be ; but have 

 not men been hanged on slighter evidence ? " 



I could not think of a suitable reply : and it must 

 be remembered that I was on a somewhat delicate 

 mission in a state of which To'Kaya was one of the 

 principal chiefs. There was, therefore, silence for 

 a space as our little boat broke the sparkle of the 

 river. We were now passing the village: the banks 

 were covered with green turf cropped close by 

 buffaloes, a few of whom animals that perhaps had 

 often seen the tiger which poor Haji Brahim had met 

 raised their heads to stare at us. Farther back 

 from the river was a grove of cocoanut-palms, whose 

 slender heads and graceful curves were outlined 

 against the blue sky; and at their feet, dotted at 

 intervals, were the Malay houses, which are built 

 of bamboo and plaited bertam palm - fronds, and 

 whose colour is that of ripe dead leaves. A woman 

 was pounding rice with a pestle worked by her foot, 

 and in the river a number of children were play- 

 ing and splashing ; but the men were for the most 

 part in their houses seeking a refuge from the heat 

 of the day. Then suddenly a little dug-out shot 

 forth from the bank to cross the river. One man 



