chap, xvn] MY MALAY SERVANTS 



He spoke little, and only in the Kuching dialect. He was a Mussul- 

 man inasmuch as he was circumcised and ate no pork, the latter not 

 so much on religious principles as because he did not like the taste 

 of it. Religious observances he had none, nor did he bother himself 

 in the least about the how and why of things. For him the past was 

 not worth the trouble of thinking about, and I verily believe that no 

 idea of the future ever flashed across his mind. Good fortune he 

 accepted as naturally so — a thing which ought to be ; of bad he had 

 had little or no experience, and in any case he did not attribute it 

 to malicious spirits, which he declared he had never seen. He was 

 timid and courageous at the same time ; and, as he felt himself strong, 

 he never thought of consequences. Blindly obedient, he always 

 executed my orders without a word, unless some insurmountable 

 obstacle caused him to desist. His wants were few, and his desires 

 less. Alone in the forest he would have managed to supply all his 

 necessities. Excessively abstemious, some rice cooked in water and 

 a little fish were sufficient to content him. He was scrupulously 

 clean in his person ; and his greatest delight was to come out in a fine 

 new jacket or a pair of new trousers. 



The character of this Malay boy of mine is practically that of 

 numbers of his compatriots, but more amongst agriculturists and 

 fisher-folk than in those given to commercial pursuits. Bakar in my 

 eyes was a perfect philosopher, and the most happy man I have ever 

 known. He was much attached to me, had been two years in my 

 service, and was the only one of my servants who had accompanied 

 me on nearly all my excursions in Borneo. Sahat received eight 

 dollars per month ; Bakar, six ; and both were fed by me. 



Favoured by the tide, the Heartsease rapidly dropped down the 

 river. When we reached the trusan for Mattang, the Tuan Muda 

 left us, and we proceeded by the Maratabas channel out to sea. Out- 

 side the weather was fine, and towards sunset we reached the village 

 of Rejang, at the mouth of the river of that name, which is, in point 

 of fact, only the principal branch of the delta of the Baloi, the biggest 

 river of northern Borneo. The mouth of the Rejang is certainly 

 several miles wide, with a depth of five fathoms, and the river is 

 navigable for 130 miles, even to good-sized vessels. The delta of 

 the Baloi, or rather of the Rejang, the entire course of the river bear- 

 ing this name, is of vast area, and is mostly under mud and water, 

 although covered everywhere with the densest forest. As far as the 

 eye can reach it is quite flat, covered with nipa, nibong, and man- 

 groves. 



Mr. Cruickshank, the Resident of the Rejang district, came on 

 board the Heartsease here. His residence was at the fort at Sibu, 

 where the two principal branches of the great delta, the Rejang and 

 the Igan, meet. Mr. Cruickshank was going with us, for he was 

 delegated to represent the Tuan Muda with the Sultan. 



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