312 TWO TEARS IN THE JUNGLE. 



The next day, while I was busy packing up to leave, in walked 

 my patient, so briskly as to take me by surpi-ise, to express Jiis 

 gratitude. He certainly did recover much quicker than I expected. 

 Data Pudeh begged me to give him some of that wonderful " obat " 

 (medicine) ; and, having used up my supph', I earned his gratitude 

 by sending him some from Klang on my return. 



At Jerom I had a very good opportunity to study Malay 

 character, in one phase at least. I had to respect them for their 

 sobriety, their quiet, dignified manner under all circumstances, 

 their entire disinclination to loud-mouthed brawling, and their 

 freedom from all symptoms of the offensive and imi^ertinent curi- 

 osity so characteristic of the higher races of men. I was con- 

 strained to regret their characteristic indolence, and lack of enter- 

 prise, for this national failing, and this alone, has kept the Malays 

 from holding all Malasia securely in their grasp. Procrastination 

 is the evil genius of the Malay, and the exasperation of whoever 

 looks to him for help in time of need. 



The people of Jerom treated me well from first to last, but their 

 ways were too slow for me. Somehow they seemed never ready to 

 start, and delay was ever the order of the day. Being totally un- 

 used to their deliberate ways, I lost my temper more than once 

 when depending upon them as boatmen and guides. Even when 

 we were ready to return to Klang, and the boat and crew en- 

 gaged well in advance, neither were ready on the day appointed, nor 

 had a move been made except by ourselves. At last, when we got 

 the boat all ready to load, the Datu declared it had no sail, and we 

 must wait a day, or until one could be procured. After we had 

 given up in despair, the Datu bestirred himself and enabled us to 

 get off with a loss of only two days. And what are two days to a 

 Malay ! 



Before leaving I gave the Datu's wife a very nice figured sarong, 

 which pleased her mightily, and called forth from her most earnest 

 apologies for their inability to entertain me in better style during 

 my stay. She insisted on cooking a hot dinner for me just before 

 we were to start, to which I finally consented, to please both the 

 lady and myself. There was presently forthcoming a very nice and 

 highly palatable meal of fried bananas, preserves of nutmeg and 

 pomegranate, and a dry short-cake to eat with butter and sugar, 

 made by the Datu's mother-in-law. In one sense it was not much, 

 ail told, but in another it was a feast, for it was the very best tho 

 house could offer. 



