The trees above us were literally
alive with monkeys, and the curiosity of some of them about us was so
great that they came down on "monkey ropes" and branches for the fun of
touching the roof of the boat with their hands while they hung by their
tails. They were all full of frolic and mischief.
Then we had a slim repast of soda water and bananas, the Hadji
worshiped with his face toward Mecca, and the boatmen prepared an
elaborate curry for themselves, with salt fish for its basis, and for
its tastiest condiment blachang - a Malay preparation much relished by
European lovers of durion and decomposed cheese. It is made by
trampling a mass of putrefying prawns and shrimps into a paste with
bare feet. This is seasoned with salt. The smell is penetrating and
lingering. Our men made the boat fast, rinsed their mouths, washed
their hands, and ate, using their fingers instead of chopsticks. Poor
fellows! they had done twelve hours of splendid work.
Then one of them prepared the betel-nut for the rest. I think I have
not yet alluded to this abominable practice of betel-nut chewing, which
is universal among the inhabitants of the Malay Peninsula; the
betel-nut being as essential to a Malay as tobacco is to a Japanese, or
opium to the confirmed Chinese opium-smoker.
