Sequel to some glimpses into life in the Far East

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SEQUEL

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SOME GLIMPSES

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LIFE

IN THE

FAR EAST.

AUTHOR OF "SOME GLIMPSES INTO LIFE IN THE FAR EAST.*'

LONDON: RICHARDSON & COMPANY, 23, CORNHILL.

[The right of Translation is reserved.']

Contents

chaptp:r page I. — The Anglo-Indian Alligator and the Anglo- Saxon Flies .. .. .. .. 1

II. — The Aboriginal Mind .. .. .. 34

III. — The Malay Amok .. .. .. .. 48

Preface

In my Preface to " Grlimpses into Life in the Far East," I stated that if that work should be deemed worthy of public attention, I would bring out a second volume. Months went past, and I was held in suspense. The booksellers objected to place an anonymous book upon their shelves, and I could not find fault with their hesitation ; for I felt that a work without the guarantee of a name could, at the outset of its existence, command but small claims to confidence. At the same time my anticipations of financial success were moderate : I was content to obtain a few hundred readers ; and my ambition was that my readers should peruse the work with attention, and carefully consider the various subjects on which it treated.

In many of the sketches contained in my first volume, it was my lot to act as censor. I therefore felt that I had no right to expect tenderness from such critics as might honour my book with their notice. The sketches, I must confess, had more viii

PREFACE.

attention given them by several of the metropolitan magazines than I had ventured to anticipate, and the bias being decidedly against me, I have no reason to complain of their acute dissections. Amongst the hundred and more new works that at the same time passed under the review of those leviathan dictators of the literary world, mine appears to have had impartial justice meted out to it. ISTo patent chaff-cutting machines could be more equal in their operations in mincing literary fodder into inches.

My critics have very generally pointed out my carelessness of style. To this I would reply, that the sketches in my first volume pretended only to be rough daubs, taken from nature. A professional portrayer of character or events would, no doubt, have been more tasteful, at some sacrifice of truth. # One authoritative critic complains of the shortness of my chapters. To this I would reply, that I am glad he did not feel them to be too long. I must confess that I had much more to say on many subjects ; but, under the circumstances, I considered brevity to be desirable : I felt that an anonymous writer ought not, by his prolixity, to trespass on the patience of his good-natured readers. On subjects of delicacy, I etched with all the boldness that I dared ; but, in many cases, I had to forbear,

* I must here ask the Oriental scholar to forgive errors in the native quotations, as I was not in a position to correct the press in the former volume, nor am I able to do so in the present.

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ix as the genius and refinements of modern English taste forbade me to pursue such subjects to their end.

In issuing this " Sequel to Life in the Far East," I have been encouraged by partial friends who have perused the manuscript, and I have not been discouraged by the criticisms of the London Press on my first volume. My learned censors have in no case given tokens of impatience, and some show evidence of having perused my chapters attentively. I trust that my critics of the first volume will now look upon me as having "paid my footing" and will deign to treat me with less distrust. In these days, when almost every man and woman writes either a book or a pamphlet at least once in his or her lifetime, it would seem to be a superfluous task for an anonymous author to drop his copper mite amidst the golden talents ; but I have an apology for the intrusion : I have seen a good deal of life, in all its phases, in many parts of the world. It is true that literature has not been my profession (as my critics readily perceived), but my experiences have been varied. After leaving my native country (England), I sojourned for many years in Southeastern Asia, and since then I have visited many parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and the British temperate colonies, in which peregrinations I have mingled with all classes of society, under circum. stances most varied. The experiences thus gained formed vivid contrasts in the path of life, and have

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naturally led me, in my moments of repose, to ruminate over past events, and to recall my observations on man as he develops himself under the ever-changing influences of climate, and of varying social conditions.

Meadows tells us, that before he wrote his work on China, he climbed to the tops of the pyramid of Cheops, from whence he scanned all Egypt. When meditating over past scenes, I have imagined myself looking at them, as Meadows scanned the Delta, from the far distance. Though separated for many years from East India, I feel bound to it by the strong ties of early associations ; and in this volume it has been my endeavour to give a simple exposition of my views on several topics connected with the social and political systems there.

The gentle reader must not think that I flatter myself on having seen much life. To see life, it is not necessary to leave England. The inner core of society is best studied there. There humanity is seen in perfection, — there its structure is most delicately elaborated, — its nerves are most sensitive, — its powers most extensive, — its aspirations most noble — its fall most sordid, — its misfortunes most harrowing. The savage or half-civilized man is more obtuse — more blunt in all things : his nerves are not so delicately strung. The phases of life in him do not present such vivid contrasts ; but there is one thing the observer may gain by travel, and that is, freedom from narrow prejudice — more just views

PREFACE. xi

regarding men of other races, and more especially in regard to races under the tropics. He will more readily perceive the causes which maintain principles in social polity at variance with his own. He will see that nature delights in variety, — that the condition of the world and its races of men continually vary, and with these the political circumstances vary, and demand constant watchfulness. The untiring energy of the Englishman at home leads him to attempt the task of moulding all races under his dominion in his own model : the travelled Englishman perceives that nature opposes this consummation. History tells us that whenever princes have doggedly determined to mould their subjects to an unvarying system of government or religious persuasion, destruction has come upon them. All communities of interest, whether tribal or national, are held together by mutual concessions, ever varying in circumstances and directions. Rulers, therefore, must study the signs of the times.

There have been numerous writers on the Far East, from Marco Polo and Sir John de Mandeville downwards, but I need here only mention some of the modern writers. I have always considered Captain Forrest to be the father of Far Eastern historic voyagers. He was another Dampier. His numerous expeditions, and erratic enterprises, vied in boldness and equalled in adventure the more extensive wanderings of the illustrious buccanier.

Marsden, the Malay grammarian, has given xii

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much interesting matter in his " History of Sumatra." His descriptions of the social system of the

Malavs on the West Coast of that Island afford 1/

many subjects deserving of thoughtful consideration. His minute details of the different modes of marriage and concubinage which exist there, one would have thought should have served as a beacon to warn the papas and mammas of old England against consigning their " Young Hopefuls" to influences in the Far East so contrary to their own moral principles.

Sir Stamford Baffles has attained celebrity even in Europe. In the Ear East he was better known as a compiler and absorber of the labours of others. His knowledge of native literature was superficial, but he made himself useful to the savans of England by his collections of curiosities — animal, vegetable, and mineral. The selection of Singapore as a trading port has been attributed to him, though the credit was also claimed by a distinguished officer of the Company's service, viz., Colonel Earquhar. When Governor of Java, his ultra-liberalism led him indiscreetly to alter the ancient system of landed tenures, which involved his government in financial difficulties, and for many succeeding years caused undue pressure on his successors — the Dutchgovernment of Netherlands India.

Crawfurd, a contemporary of Baffles — a living record of the past — will always hold a distinguished position, whether as a historian, lexicographer, or

PREFACE. xiii

ethnologist — honest, dogmatical, laborious, acute, and searching. The numerous writings of this great man will long illustrate many important branches of knowledge in the Far East. It is dangerous to oppose the judgment of such a man ; yet, on a very material point I am constrained to differ from him. Crawfurd, like most covenanted servants of the late East India Company, dilated much on the " intemperance," " avarice/' " rapacity," " violence," and " injustice " of Europeans in India, — these Europeans in India being no other than his own countrymen. Forty years ago it was considered to be true policy on the part of the monopolizing East India Company to vilify their countrymen, and exclude them. This subject is so closely connected with my present theme, that, in mentioning Crawfurd, I could not avoid noticing it. During my long residence in the East, I observed many and long-continued examples of the above artificial prejudices, practically carried out. The dissolution of the East India Company, and the more close connection that is now maintained by steam between England and India, have, no doubt, during these last six years, worked wonders in breaking the unholy fetters riveted by the scions of a bygone monopoly.

Of other writers, such as Earle, Newbold, Begbie, Davidson, Anderson, Keppel, Brooke, Macmeikan, &c, I need not say anything further than that each has furnished a good quota of information regardxiv

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ing their times ; but it would be an unpardonable oversight were I not to pay a passing tribute, insufficient as it may be, to the unwearied labours of Mr. J. R. Logan, whose writings on various scientific subjects are widely known ; and I hope that time, health, and opportunity will be vouchsafed to him to bring before the world the results of his long-continued and extensive inquiries into the ethnology and philology of mankind in Asia and Polynesia.

In this present volume I have little of incident to relate : my attention has been confined to short essays, and translations, on social topics. In handling the different subjects, my endeavour has been to scan them with a bird's-eye view. I can never be connected with India again, so I hope my views and opinions will appear to be disinterested. I have endeavoured to treat my topics fearlessly ; and, though the details be incomplete, the whole effect of the picture will, I trust, be allowed to be true.

Regarding the fourth and fifth chapters of this volume, viz., <£ Slavery " and " Polygamy," there never will be a concurrence of sentiment amongst mankind. More than 2,000 years ago the Grecian philosopher Socrates had demonstrated that " All things are produced contraries from contraries."* Human sentiment (cceteris paribus) will fluctuate between these two extremes. In the material world, heat is the

* See " Pha^do, 42, Plato's Works."

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xv contrary of cold — height is the contrary of depth. In the mental world, pride is the contrary of humility — in the moral world, virtue is the contrary of depravity ; and between these contraries there will be constant vacillation, constant reciprocation, the one giving off its properties to the other: constant alteration, as the vapours ascend to the clouds but to return to the earth again. On mankind the temperate zones induce energy — the torrid zone, apathy. The former is the c< habitat " of the white man; the latter that of the black man. In the middle distance there is constant tendency to mingle ; but remove either to his opposite, and he dies out : for a generation or two only can either be propagated out of his contrary zone. Between these extremes, however, there are constant attractions as powerful as between the poles of a galvanic battery; attractions induced not alone by the differences of climate, products, and commodities, but by the differences of social condition — boldness and its contrary, timidity — strength and its contrary, weakness. These opposing influences cause men to intermingle from equator to pole — conquering here — - being conquered there. The bolder of the north overcoming the weaker of the south — conquering but for a period — mingling but to imbibe the surrounding weakening influences — or to die out.

In the temperate zones virtue has a meaning — in the torrid, it has none. It is not known. The virtue of the Romans, even, was not the virtue of xvi PREFACE.

the Britons. Freedom and virtue go together; they are bound hand to hand by bonds the most powerful ; so, also, slavery and the degradation of women go together. Opposite principles are indigenous to opposite zones. Any radical change of principle can only be partial. The pure Englishwoman in India, by the force of her character, maintains her privileges for one generation, it may be for two generations ; but her descendants at length give way 3 and acquiesce in the habits of those who surround them.

England now acts as if she had never been a slaveholder, yet it is only thirty-six years ago that I, with thousands of others, signed a petition to the British Parliament that she should abolish slavery within her wide dominions * * * * will this be for ever ? Or will her close relations with her tropical possessions change first her interests, and then her sentiments ? Or will the modern agencies of steam and a free press cause her to rise superior to those influences which have hitherto governed the world ? If there be danger, is it not better that she should loosen the chains ? What has made Burton, the great African traveller, an advocate of polygamy ?* Is it that his long residence amongst tropical influences has undermined the virtue of the original indomitable Briton?

Slavery and polygamy are so intimately con-

See " Jour. Geographical Society, 1863."

PREFACE.

xvii nected, that, in treating of them, they cannot be disjoined. They are necessary to each other.

Some of the material and physiological conditions which propagate and maintain these institutions, and their contraries, may be put down as follows : —

Slavery and Polygamy. Freedom and Monogamy.

Enervating climates, Bracing climates,

Rich oases, Wide plains,

Ignorance, Knowledge,

Weakness. Strength.

results, —

Decay. Conservation.

Men in opposite zones accept opposite conditions, and each supports the view he was born to by arguments not convincing to the other. Man goes to war in the middle distance to support opposite principles.

In the sixth and seventh subjects, viz., " Mahomedan Proselytism " and "Christian Missionaries," T have endeavoured to provide illustrations of the contraries in religion. It will be seen, by reference to any physical atlas, that the stronghold of the polygamic Mahomedan faith is in the hottest region of the world, viz., the Red Sea — its capital being Mecca — and the stronghold of the monogamic Christain faith, it will be admitted, is in the most temperate region of the world, viz., North-western Europe. Between these two contraries there has been constant warfare of sentiment in the middle distance. The different faiths uphold opposite

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practices genial to their climates. The Mahomedan accepts the position of woman as a degraded one ; the Christian upholds her in an honourable equality. The Mahomedan avoids stimulating liquors, injurious in his climate ; the Christian partakes of them as useful in his. The Mahomedan avoids the flesh of certain of the grosser animals ; the Christian partakes of it with advantage. These contrarieties maintain a mutual misunderstanding, and the opponent faiths meet, but to war and to overturn — to mingle, or to die out. The Christian, settling beyond the boundaries of his natural "habitat," deteriorates in the pure principles and practices of his peculiar region. In Abyssinia and Mexico his practices cling to those of the contrary faith — his moral condition becomes tropical. Pure Christianity, in the English sense of the term, has withered there. Christianity, more or less pure, had, a thousand years ago, penetrated all over Asia, and much of Africa, but only to die out or deteriorate. Christianity has never been the same in all regions ; persuasions differ even at home ; they differ still more abroad, till the similarity is no longer recognizable. The highest development of Christianity is only attainable by a few. Man is but the mirror of the Creator. As he is pure, so does he reflect this image unimpaired — as he is filthy, so is the reflection deadened and distorted. Then it may be asked, Why attempt to propagate a system which experience shows cannot be maintained pure in all regions for

PREFACE.

xix ever ? To this I would reply, Why do men take fire to the Arctic regions ? Is it not to warm their shivering limbs ? And why do men take ice to the tropics ? Is it not to cool their fevered lips ? We may as well abandon the lights on a stormy rockbound coast because the oil requires replenishing. As well abandon any good work, because labourers in it must be constant, as abandon the carrying of English Christianity to all regions. " All things are produced contraries from contraries/' and when this law of nature ceases, then will the Christian's mission have ended — then will there be no longer the war of the elements, the struggle of opponent faiths and practices. The mission of the Christian is a great one ; it has taught the savage cannibal Maori to cry out in the heat of deadly warfare, " If I conquer, I will treat the prisoners kindly — the dead with respect." The mission of the Christian is more onerous than I dare to contemplate ; for his personal influence is everywhere necessary — he must never be absent.

The translations from native authors I trust that the reader will find interesting, and that he will not fail to detect singular differences in them. The writings of the Mahomedan Apostle of Keddah are genuine and characteristic. They lay bare the religious polity of the Moslem, and, at the same time, the besetting sins and weaknesses of the children of passion, amongst whom he labours. In his writings we perceive the Mahomedan apostle, rude as the un-

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cultivated thistle — bold as the stump -orator of the Ear West. His faith, like the quill of the porcupine, pierces or is crushed. It is like the wild waste thorn, it opposes till trodden down under the feet.

The Arab missionary, in depicting the besetting sins of the natives of the Ear East, especially dilates on liawa nafsu (sensuality). He would level this mountain, but he labours without hope. In his forcible pictures of the crime and immorality of the people, he indignantly assails " beauty." He cries, " this comes of beauty !" And why should beauty have this stigma cast upon it ? a Western reader might ask,- — Does it not embellish the virtues of the possessor, as the flower decorates the graceful stalk ? The answer may be given, that beauty in the tropics has not the high functions which it exercises amidst the family circles of the temperate zone ; it ministers but to lascivious desires ; it is hidden from sight with the jealousy of an ill-gotten treasure ; it is sold only to stimulate the surfeited appetites of the wealthy. It is not permitted to illuminate the outward world ; for it would fire the hearts of the slaves of God. Hence the stigma cast on beauty by the Mahomedan missionary.

In the writings of the Indo-Malay, Abdulla, the observant reader will readily perceive the influence of the English missionary. His book, though written in Malay, was intended for the European reader, whose higher morality, intelligence, and power, Abdulla had learnt to respect. Although

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xxi lie lived and died a Mahomedan, he was held in bad odour by his co-religionists ; and his open condemnation of the depravity of native rulers would have rendered his life insecure beyond the protection of the British crown. His lamentations on the fallen condition of his countrymen are touching, and his hopes for their elevation are nil.

While considering these translations, I would desire to say a few words regarding a remarkable revolution now going on in China ; and, for this purpose I have extracted, in as succinct a manner as I am able, the necessary information from the work of Mr. Meadows, published in 1856. That author informs us that Hung-seu-tseuen, the originator and acknowledged chief of the present religious political insurrection in China, is the youngest son of a poor peasant proprietor (he may yet be living as far as I know). His friends established him as a village schoolmaster, with the view of his pursuing literary studies, so as to prepare him for the public examinations. In this object of his and his friends' ambition, however, he was never successful, as he could not pass the decisive examination conducted by the provincial examiner. On one of his visits to Canton, in the year 1833, he met a native Protestant convert and preacher, named Leang-a-fah, from whom he received a collection of tracts, which consisted of essays and extracts from the Bible. Hung-seu-tseuen took these home with him, glanced them over, and put them into his book-case. In 1837 he xxii

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was again unsuccessful in his endeavour to pass the required examinations, so he was deeply disappointed and fell sick. During a long-continued sickness he had a succession of dreams and visions. The details of these I need not extract further than to state that in one of them he saw a man whom he called his elder brother, and from whom he obtained instructions to search to the uttermost regions for evil spirits, and to exterminate them.

He got well again, and, in the year 1843, he fell in with some further Christian tracts, the former having been forgotten. These corresponded in a remarkable manner with what he saw and heard in his dreams and visions (no doubt the impress of the former tracts of Leang-a-fah on the memory). The demons were the idols of his country, the brothers and sisters were the people of the world. He now rejoiced that he had found a way to heaven, and a sure hope of eternity and happiness. He and a friend named Le baptized each other, in the manner in which they were taught by the Christian tracts : they then commenced to preach.

Hung-seu-tseuen, seeing that the Christian tracts corresponded in a striking manner with his former visions, was confirmed in their truth, and concluded that to himself was given the work of restoring the worship of the True God. In the chapters taken from the psalmists and prophets, descriptions of the grandeur and might of a One True God were to him sublimity of ideas of which nothing whatsoever

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xxiii is found in the writings of the Chinese sage Confucius. He was enraptured with the newly -found knowledge and doctrines. In 1846 he applied to a Protestant missionary for baptism, but was refused the rite ; so, again disappointed, he left, and taught his own converts how to baptize themselves. At length his own preachings took effect : his congregations increased — -were persecuted — gained further strength — and assumed the position of political revolutionists. The movement, thus begun, assumed such importance as to shake the throne of a prince ruling over 360 millions of people. Mr. Meadows further informs us that he has often been asked, Are the followers of Hung-seu-tseuen, now called Taepings, Christians or not ? He (I presume being a Scotchman) replied by another question : What kind of Christian? Romanist? Lutheran? Nestorian? Calvinist ? Armenian ? Abyssinian ? Coptic ? or Greek ?

Here I may leave Mr. Meadows. It is evident that Christianity, to be universal, must have many phases, and Oxford divines, to preserve their church, need not split hairs. Hung-seu-tseuen's Christianity took that phase which climate and constitution of body and mind prescribed. It had not the light and influence of the white man to guide it, so it ran to seed. It did not teach him to exalt the companion of man above the position of a mere minister to his passions. His followers ran loose into rapine, wholesale indiscriminate slaughter, and cold-blooded ferocity.

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Now let us return to my subject — British India, and let us pursue the train of thought suggested by the above translations and extracts, and then let us ask by what means can English Christianity be best introduced amongst 150 millions of subjects of the British Crown? By the spread of the "Book" only ? Or by the English missionary in person ? I think no answer can come more clearly home to the mind. Eor the elevation of the native, for the introduction of a pure religion and morality, the white man's presence is necessary ; and so long as England can afford the drain on her blood, so long will the population of India draw health and virtue from the fountain, till England's own vitality is on the wane.

The subjects of Chapters II., III., X., and XL, are " Malay Governments, 400 years ago," " Malay Governments at this present Time," " The Malay Amok," and " The Aboriginal Mind." These have given us illustrations of the mental standard in tropical races. To a person who has resided in one climate alone, it is difficult to arrive at a just conception of the extent to which climate alters the physical as well as the mental constitution of man. To elevate the black man to the standard of the white one is the darling project and hope of many amiable and well-meaning enthusiasts ; but when the subject of this paternal interest asks for the sympathizer's daughter, then comes (as I have seen) the reaction. Experience of

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XXV many climates has brought me to this conclusion, that, unless you can put all mankind into one climate, to attempt to level it (by elevation or depression) is futile. Inexorable nature forces us to accept her conditions, and to confine our efforts for good to operations consistent with, and not opposed to these conditions. As it is, races will meet, but not on equal terms. Individuals may triumph over adverse circumstances, but it is in God's sight alone, not in man's, that all are equal. God's sight is universal — man's most limited. The demigods and heroes of the dark heathen are always painted white, and their evil spirits and devils are always painted black. As Socrates said to Cebes, <( Between all two contraries a mutual twofold production, from one to the other, and from that other back again, exists." The opposing races will meet, and when the white man intrudes on the " habitat " of the black man, the superior will give off his virtue to the inferior, and the inferior will give off his weakness to the superior, as heat and cold draw off each other's properties. If England has too many children, India is large enough to absorb them all. Monopoly suggested the rejection of the children of England, — that policy was false to India alone. Population is but material — it is spirit that governs humanity : the higher the spirit infused into a nation or tribe, so much the more elevated will its worldly reputation be. There should be no hesitaxxvi PREFACE.

tion in sending the Englishman to India, so long as England can bear the drain.

In Chapters L, VIII., IX,, and XII., viz., " The Anglo-Indian Alligator and The Anglo- Saxon Flies," « The Civil Service/' " The Uncovenanted," and u The Mystery," I have endeavoured to give glimpses of the social and political state of my countrymen in India. The Great Western Company was the Hudson Bay one ; the Great Eastern — " The Honourable Company of Merchant Adventurers," &c. The aspirations of the former were to get beaver- skins and sell blankets : the original aspirations of the latter were to obtain pepper and sell iron. As long as these monopolies were sanctioned by the British Parliament, no question could be asked. The fact of such broad territories being monopolies under such high sanction was a clenching answer, if not a convincing argument. Were monopolies sanctioned by the wisdom of the Greeks ? Let us see, by returning to old Socrates, who, though not so learned or scientific as our modern philosophers, was quite as wise as any of them. Socrates told Cebes that, " if one class of things were not constantly given back in the place of another, revolving as it were in a circle, but generation were direct from one thing alone into its apposite, and did not turn round again to the other, or retrace its course — do you know that all things would at length have the same form,