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. 
On New Year's morning there were sampan races in the harbor, 
where the native boatmen displayed surprising skill, and the spectators 
JSTANA OF THE SULTAN 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 onlv 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 heartily welcomed. 
