登陆注册
5290900000116

第116章 LETTER XX(14)

The weather is still glorious, the winding Perak still mirrors in scarcely rippled blue the intensely blue sky, "never wind blows loudly," but soft airs rustle the trees. One could not lead a more tropical life than this, with apes and elephants about one under the cocoa-palms, and with the mercury ranging from 80 degrees to 90 degrees! Gorgeous, indeed, are the birds and butterflies and flowers; but often when the erythrina and the Poinciana regia are strewing the ground with their flaming blossoms, I think with a passionate longing of the fragile Trientalis Europae, of crimson-tipped lichens, of faint odors of half-hidden primroses, of whiffs of honey and heather from purple moorlands, and of all the homely, fragrant, unobtrusive flowers that are linked with you! I should like a chance of being "cold to the bone!"

I have wasted too much of my time to-day upon the apes. They fascinate me more daily. They look exactly like familiar demons, and certainly anyone having them about him two hundred years ago would have been burned as a wizard. When Mr. Low walks down the veranda, these two familiars walk behind him with a stealthy tread. He is having a business conversation just now with some Rajahs, whose numerous followers are standing and lying about, and Eblis is sitting on his shoulder with one arm round his neck, while Mahmoud sits on the table opening letters, and the siamang, sitting on the rafter, is looking down with an unpleasant look. Eblis condescends to notice me to-day, and occasionally sits on my shoulder murmuring "Ouf! ouf!" the sweet sound which means all varieties of affection and happiness. They say wah-wah distinctly, and scream with rage like children, but have none of the meaningless chatter of monkeys. It is partly their silence which makes them such very pleasant companions. At sunrise, however, like their forest brethren, they hail the sun for some minutes with a noise which I have never heard them make again during the day, loud and musical, as if uttered by human vocal organs, very clear and pleasant.

Doubtless the Malays like Mr. Low all the better for his love of pets.

At lunch they were both, as usual, sitting at the table. I am still much afraid of Mahmoud, but Captain Walker is infatuated with him, and likes his rough, jolly manners, and his love of fun and rough play. As Assam was bringing me a cup of coffee this creature put out his long arm, and with his face brimming over with frolic, threw the coffee over the mat. Then he took up a long glass of beer and began to drink it eagerly, but as Mr. Low disapproved of his being allowed to get tipsy a second time, it was taken from him, upon which he took up the breast of a fricasseed chicken and threw it at the offender. The miscreant did every kind of ludicrous thing, finishing by pulling everyone to go out with him, as he always does at that hour; and when he had succeeded in getting us all out was in a moment at the top of a high tree, leaping from branch to branch, throwing himself on coffee shrubs below, swinging himself up again in a flash, leaping, bounding! a picture of agility, strength, and happiness. The usual morning gathering of Rajahs and their followers, with Klings and Sikhs, was there, and I suspect that they thought adult Europeans very foolish for being amused with these harum-scarum antics.

A follower had brought a "baboon," an ape or monkey trained to gather cocoa-nuts, a hideous beast on very long legs when on all fours, but capable of walking erect. They called him a "dog-faced baboon," but I think they were wrong. He has a short, curved tail, sable-colored fur darkening down his back, and a most repulsive, treacherous, and ferocious countenance. He is fierce, but likes or at all events obeys his owner, who held him with a rope fifty feet long. At present he is only half tame, and would go back to the jungle if he were liberated.

He was sent up a cocoa-nut tree which was heavily loaded with nuts in various stages of ripeness and unripeness, going up in surly fashion, looking round at intervals and shaking his chain angrily. When he got to the top he shook the fronds and stalks, but no nuts fell, and he chose a ripe one, and twisted it round and round till its tenacious fibers gave way, and then threw it down and began to descend, thinking he had done enough, but on being spoken to he went to work again with great vigor, picked out all the ripe nuts on the tree, twisted them all off, and then came down in a thoroughly bad, sulky, temper. He was walking erect, and it seemed discourteous not to go and thank him for all his hard toil.

As I write I see a fascinating sight: three black apes sitting under the roof in such a position that I can only see their faces, and they are all leaning their chins on a beam, and with their wrinkled faces and gray beards are looking exactly like -----. It is most interesting to be among wild beasts, which, though tame, or partly so, are not in captivity, and to see their great sagacity and their singular likeness and unlikeness to us. I could dispense with the reptiles, though. Last night there were seventeen lizards in my room and two in my slippers.

During the profound stillness of about 3 A.M., a crowd, hooting, yelling, and beating clappers, passed not far off in the darkness, and there was a sound of ravaging and rending caused by a herd of elephants which had broken into the banana grounds.

Besides apes, elephants, dogs, and other pets, there are some fine jungle-fowls, a pheasant, a "fire-back," I think, and an argus pheasant of glorious beauty; but glorious is not quite the word either, for the hundred-eyed feathers of its tail are painted rather in browns than colors. These birds are under the charge of a poor Chinaman, who once had money, but has gone to complete ruin from opium-smoking. His frame is reduced to a skeleton covered with skin. I never saw such emaciation even in an advanced stage of illness.

同类推荐
  • 瘴疟指南

    瘴疟指南

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 楞伽阿跋多罗宝经

    楞伽阿跋多罗宝经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Captives

    The Captives

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 楞伽阿跋多罗宝经注解

    楞伽阿跋多罗宝经注解

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大法鼓经

    大法鼓经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 诸天幻想维度

    诸天幻想维度

    天空一声巨响,有人异界串场!陆跃看着眼前陌生的环境,惊愕的同时也不乏有点小激动:“穿越了?咳!多大点事,淡定!淡定!”不过......————战技位面......独孤九剑?!斗气位面......六脉神剑??!亡灵位面......保护伞公司??!!炼金位面......变形金刚!!!!!......————从位面大厅走出的陆跃一脸懵逼,忍不住开始低头沉思:Emmmm......好像,没毛病?(新人新书,不足之处多包涵......求收藏!求推荐!求包......咳!求一切。o(* ̄︶ ̄*)o)
  • 妃本惊华:腹黑王爷不好惹

    妃本惊华:腹黑王爷不好惹

    她是纳兰家孤女,背负着仇恨重生,辗转成为医神琥珀的徒弟。他是冷漠倨傲的凌王,她一无身材二无财宝,为何这腹黑王爷总是紧追着她不放。几次为她犯险,不惜性命,不顾身份,甚至同她一起跳入万丈深渊。她重伤醒来,身前的他如重获珍宝,“七儿,莫要再离我而去。”深情是他,无情也是他。诸多的海誓山盟,转身却娶他人为妻。一纸休书,两行薄泪,此一生不奢求举案齐眉,只愿你一生喜乐长安。
  • 国学十讲(人文大讲堂)

    国学十讲(人文大讲堂)

    中华民族礼乐兴邦,人文化成,国学乃五千年文明与三千载学术之集萃,它不仅有知识谱系与实用理性,更蕴涵着人文智慧与生命情怀,中华民族赖以安身立命,兴废继绝。近代以来,国学通过仁人志士的含弘光大,融入西学精华与创新精神,生生不息,在当今蔚然成风,从学院走入民间,成为我们共有的精神家园与身心寄托。《国学十讲》对国学的来龙去脉、国学与中华文化以及国学与现代社会的关系等问题进行了深入浅出的讲述,《国学十讲》可以帮助广大读者了解国学、走进国学、观赏国学,使国学与自己的人生和知识融会贯通。本书由袁济喜著。
  • 飘飞的野棉花

    飘飞的野棉花

    碗儿和外婆以及表妹藤儿一起生活。碗儿常被藤儿欺负,外婆又总让她让着藤儿,所以她常会想念爸爸妈妈。后来,借助城里的小宇哥送来的平板电脑,他们在一个摄影大赛中获奖,这给她们的留守生活增添了许多快乐与信心。她们像山坡上的野棉花一样艰难而倔强地成长着……因石龙门被列为文物保护单位,要进行修复,碗儿和藤儿终于实现了进城跟爸爸妈妈生活在一起的愿望。她们进城那天,碗儿最好的伙伴丑丑让外婆告诉他在城里的妈妈,他也想进城去……
  • 末世重生之泪灵

    末世重生之泪灵

    【(正文完结,无男主)前四十章与末世无关,看末世的请跳到四十章后】 末世第十年,林灵死了。十年的忍辱负重,为了报仇她苟延残喘地活着,生不如死。最后,为了所谓的“大局为重”,竟眼睁睁地看着仇人笑着离开……而她,只落得一个被丧尸分食的结局?可笑的是,在死亡的前一刻,她发现她所求的,不是复仇,而是好好地活下去。神秘声音出现,她在黑暗中向祂许下一个看似可笑的愿望。然后,当林灵再次睁开眼时,她发现,她真的重生在了一切错误都未开始的二十五年前。满心欢喜地开始重启的人生,封存的记忆也被拾回,命运的轨迹开始改变。这一世,她会还曾欠下的债,守护好想要守护的人。只是……非人类是什么鬼?
  • 玩转职场你缺什么

    玩转职场你缺什么

    如果你是金子,任凭环境改变,你还是金子。所以,决定你本身价值的不是公司,也不是老板,而你自己。你在职场上郁郁不得志,原因并不能全怪外界的环境,更重要的是你并没有你自认为的那么优秀,你身上一定还缺点什么。本书收张笑恒所著,分别从就业能力、适应能力、责任心、合作精神、自觉意识、解决问题的能力、迎合的技巧、圆融的智慧等十三个方面进行了详细阐述,如果你能找到自己缺的那一点,然后去积极地调整自己,当你以全新的姿态去面对,那么你发现原本存在一堆问题的职场瞬间换了新颜,未来也变得清晰和明亮起来。
  • 重生之八福晋的奋斗

    重生之八福晋的奋斗

    生长在福利院她忍了,死于飞机失事她认了。可为什么老天就是不放过她。她居然赶时髦,赶上清穿了!赶上清穿也就算了,为什么分给她的是八福晋?天哪!地啊!有没有天理啊!那个被挫骨扬灰的大清第一妒妇,她可不可以再死一次?她的丈夫漂亮到人见人爱,她的婆婆美到艳冠紫禁城,可这些和她全无关系,她就是一只扔在灰堆里的丑小鸭,为了不悲剧,为了能善终,她要奋斗,要加油,要反转,历史神马的都是浮云!新鲜出炉的书友群,欢迎大家来敲门:114017185
  • 艺文

    艺文

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 妃不弃医

    妃不弃医

    接急诊却接到了本该出差的男票。他和一个陌生女人在一起,鲜血刺红了她的眼。手术结束睁开眼睛,却发现自己冷不丁穿成了一个快要被大伯埋掉的小可怜。从此日子水深火热,斗恶奶,斗坏伯,斗斗更健康。心地善良捡了个快没命的绝世美男回来,悉心照料到痊愈。却不料男人没脸没皮,轻笑:“救命之恩无以为报,以身相许可好?”于是白秋落白天治病救人,晚上还要防着某人,日子简直不要太悲催!只是时光流转,男人的身份逐渐浮出水面,她这才发现,有些人注定成劫,挣不脱,逃不开……情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 古玩圈阴谋:古瓷谜云

    古玩圈阴谋:古瓷谜云

    古玩鉴定专业科班出身的秦明,接到恩师钱立行的电话,邀请他参加国内首次发现的柴窑青釉碟的鉴定。然而,就在秦明兴奋地赶到拍卖现场时,却传来恩师在赶来现场途中意外身亡的消息……柴窑青釉在没有钱教授签字的情况下,天价拍出!是巧合?是意外?还是谋杀?喜获珍宝的喜悦弥漫在古玩圈还未散去……秦明已经开始对钱教授留下的打满问号的笔记本,着手调查。警方提供的调查结果疑点重重,朋友与红颜知己的背叛接踵而来。越是调查,越是在古玩圈的阴谋里越陷越深。每个戴着面具的人,都在用逢场作戏的言行释放烟雾弹。接近真相的路上,每一步都走得险象环生……