THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO 343 



and write. The Malays are invariably described as being 

 barbarous and bloodthirsty; and the Dyaks have only recently 

 ceased to think head-taking a necessity of their existence. 

 We are two days' journey from Sarawak, where, though the 

 government is nominally European, it only exists with the 

 consent and by the support of the native population. Yet I 

 can safely say that in any part of Europe where the same 

 opportunities for crime and disturbance existed, things would 

 not go so smoothly as they do here. We sleep with open 

 doors, and go about constantly unarmed ; one or two petty 

 robberies and a little fighting have occurred among the Chi- 

 nese, but the great majority of them are quiet, honest, decent 

 sort of people. They did not at first like the strictness and 

 punctuality with which the English manager kept them to 

 their work, and two or three ringleaders tried to get up a 

 strike for shorter hours and higher wages, but Mr. Coulson's 

 energy and decision soon stopped this by discharging the 

 ringleaders at once, and calling all the Malays and Dyaks in 

 the neighbourhood to come up to the mines in case any 

 violence was attempted. It was very gratifying to see how 

 rapidly they obeyed the summons, knowing that Mr. Coulson 

 represented the rajah, and this display of power did much 

 good, for since then everything has gone on smoothly. 

 Preparations are now making for building a ' joss-house,' a 

 sure sign that the Chinese have settled down contentedly." 



In my next letter, a month later, I gave the following ac- 

 count of an interesting episode: — 



'T must now tell you of the addition to my household of 

 an orphan baby, a curious little half-nigger baby, which I 

 have nursed now more than a month. I will tell you pres- 

 ently how I came to get it, but must first relate my inventive 

 skill as a nurse. The little innocent was not weaned, and I 

 had nothing proper to feed it with, so was obliged to give it 

 rice-water. I got a large-mouthed bottle, making two holes 

 in the cork, through one of which I inserted a large quill so 

 that the baby could suck. I fitted up a box for a cradle with 

 a mat for it to lie upon, which I had washed and changed 



