190 IN THE EYE OF DAY 



most recent rumor concerning Russia's Indian 

 ambitions. 



Jelebu is 'the governmental centre for all that 

 part of Negri Sembilan lying above north latitude 

 3° where it touches the States of Pahang and Se- 

 langor on the west. In common with all the Pe- 

 ninsular federated or protected States, it has a 

 native sultan acting under the advice and sugges- 

 tion of the British Resident, who, in Jelebu, is 

 paid five hundred silver dollars a month ; which is 

 a good bit more than the Resident receives. What 

 the Sultan is given by the government and what 

 the Sultan saves for his own personal net income, 

 however, are two different and widely separated 

 amounts. The dependents of a Malay chieftain 

 are many, and he must maintain himself and his 

 household of women in liberal style as to retinue 

 and entertainment; to do this in accordance with 

 native tradition leaves the Sultan no over boun- 

 tiful remainder of his seemingly large honorarium. 

 Were his income, however, twice the really liberal 

 fee now given him by the government for serving 

 as figure head, the net result would be no greater ; 

 the Malay is no economist. The Resident is a kind 

 of paternal chief justice, magistrate and legal ad- 

 viser combined; he is well taken care of by his 



7 «/ 



government, and thoroughly respected, sometimes 

 even liked, by the natives. Ordinarily his official 



