AND THE MALAY STATES 



77 



for me. When I ordered a bottle of Apollinaris he brought ink, and 

 I never could get him out of the habit of starting the water running 

 in the bathroom and leaving me to turn it off. 



During my enforced idleness I did go down to the billiard room 

 and play a few games, but more to hear the markers chant the score 

 in Malay than for the fun of the game. To be sure I roused up one 

 evening and went out to see some fifty rickshaw men try to thrash two 

 Russian sailors who would not pay for their rides, but it was more like 

 a game of tag than a fight. 



Or|: New Year's morning there were sampan races in the harbor, 

 where the native boatmen displayed surprising skill, and the spectators 



ISTANA OF THE SULT.AN OF SELANGOR. 



grew wildly enthusiastic in spite of the fact that it was exceedingly hot 

 and the glare of the sun on the water was almost unbearable. The 

 heavy rain that came up early in the afternoon, but lasted only an hour, 

 did not discourage the merrymakers, and as great crowds were going out 

 to the racetrack to see the natives compete with one another in a variety 

 of sports, I went too. The turf around the track was sodden with water 

 and the track heavy, but in spite of it all there were obstacles races, treacle 

 dipping for silver coins, rickshaw, pony, and hurdle races that were 

 both ludicrous and interesting. As on the evening before there had 

 been a great dinner followed by a dance at the Raffles Hotel, and at 

 midnight "Auld Lang Syne" and "God Save the King" had ushered 

 in the New Year, I could but feel that it had been heartilv welcomed. 



