The Golden Chersonese and The Way Thither, page 169 by Isabella L. Bird (Mrs Bishop)
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sing through some roughish clearings, on which tapioca is being planted, we arrived here at 4 P.M., having traveled sixty miles in thirty-three hours.
The Residency is on a steepish hill in the middle of an open valley, partially cleared and much defaced by tin diggings. The Chinese town of Serambang lies at the foot of the hill. The valley is nearly surrounded by richly wooded hills, some of them fully three thousand feet high. These, which stretch away to the northern State of Selangor, are bathed in indigo and cobalt, slashed with white here and there, where cool streams dash over forest-shaded ledges. The house consists of two attap roofed bungalows, united by their upper verandas. Below there are a garden of acclimatization and a lawn, on which the Resident instructs the bright little daughter of the Datu Klana in lawn tennis. It was very hot, but the afternoon airs were strong enough to lift the British ensign out of its heavy folds and to rustle the graceful fronds of the areca palms.
Food was the first necessity, then baths, then sleep, then dinner at 7:30, and then ten hours more sleep.
I. L. B.
LETTER XIII
The Appurtenances of Civilization--Babu--Characteristics of Captain Murray--An Embodied Government--Chinese Mining Enterprise--A Chinese Gaming-House--The "Capitans China"--New-Year Visits--Sittings "In Equity"--A Court of Justice--The Serambang Prison--"Plantation Hill"--A Monster Bonfire--An Ant World--An Ant Funeral--Night on "Plantation Hill"--The Murder of Mr. Lloyd--A Chinese Dragon Play--A Visit to a Malay Prince--The Datu Bandar's House--A Great Temptation--The Return Journey--An Obituary Quotation
RESIDENCY, SUNGEI UJONG, January 30.
We have been here for four days. The heat is so great that it is wonderful that one can walk about in the sunshine; but the nights, though the mercury does not fall below 80 degrees, are cool and refreshing, and the air and soil are both dry, though a hundred inches of rain fall in the year. These wooden bungalows ar