I 



GOVERNMENT 271 



Chinese bazaar, i,e. a compact village of Chinese 

 traders and shopkeepers, and a Malay Kampong, 

 generally spring up under the shelter of the fort ; 

 and thus the station becomes the headquarters of 

 trade as well as of administration. To this centre 

 the workers of jungle produce bring their stuff, 

 floating down river on rafts of rattans or in their 

 canoes ; from it the Malay and Chinese traders or 

 pedlars set out in their boats for long journeys 

 among the up-river people ; and to it come 

 occasional parties of the up-river tribesmen, to 

 consult with the Resident, to seek redress for 

 wrongs, to report the movements of tribes in the 

 adjacent territories, or to obtain permission to go on 

 the war-path in order to punish offences committed 

 against them. 



Since the river is the one great high road, and 

 since the Resident and his assistants are seated 

 generally near the point where it leaves the district, 

 the coming and going of all visitors can hardly 

 escape their observation. And, since the station 

 sees every few days the arrival of visitors or the 

 return of parties of its own people from up river, the 

 Resident can keep himself pretty well informed of 

 the state of the country, and all news of importance 

 will reach him after no long delay, if only he is 

 always accessible and willing to turn a sympathetic 

 ear to all comers. 



But the successful administration of one of the 

 larger and wilder districts, such as the Rejang or 

 the Baram, requires that the Resident shall not be 

 content with the zealous discharge of his many duties 

 at his headquarters. He can only establish intimate 

 relations of reciprocal knowledge and confidence 

 with the chiefs of the many scattered communities 

 of his district by making long journeys up river 

 several times a year. And situations not in- 

 frequently arise which urgently demand his presence 



