The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1854-01-12
Scenes among the Nalays.

Scenes among the Nalays
We make the following extract from
letter in the N. Y. Tribune, narrating some
Of the authors adventures among this pc
euliar people
Ito my enquiries - towhare was good
position to find a tiger, man told ne
that short time before, little hi her up
the river, ore had been caunht in hole,
and offered himself to be my guide to the
place in question. As soon as il was high
water we were able = push forward up the
river at least five miles further, and found
that the river ultimately became kind Of
pond. Here, however, the boatman uhso-
luteiv refused 70 GO any further, 50 Shout
dered my rifle, gave my sailor a second one
and the guide double-barrel, which load
ed with ball, ana 50 began our walk through
the tall grass. / would recommend al!
those who ever think Of hunting in such n
marshy country, always to wear good thick
waterproof boots, fer my sailor who went
into the swamp bareEooted, brough, out
with him large quantity Of leeches stick
ing to his lers.
AT length We reaehed a kind Of footpath
WIZ IN uANtAAiht'tN w ~ FPSE PaslIN tAti5tis
How often though / as / walked along be-
tween the little hills, have heard people
at home wish others were in the land where
pepper grows, aud with how few Is the pious
wish ever fulfilled! May j, then prove a
comfortable consolation To those who doubt
lessly many times have wished me there TO
know that am at length one Of tie ex-
ceptions, and in pepper growing country
4 pepper plantation K not very unlike q
hop garden The plants climb up a tall pole
and bear fruit, at the end of dropping twgs
in appearance Ike anun-pe cluster 81 grapes,
consisting al berries of about the size of peas
the leaf is fresh and Of a brilliant green, be-
ng shaped like heart. The bottom was
stony and the hills thems Ives were dry, al
though the nei-hborhoo1 was swamp
and tie atmosphere heavy and moist.
Somewhat further up the country they
prepare the so-calied eamboge, which is ex-
pressed from the leaves Of shrub aud used
a. dye. We also saw some attempts at
nutmeg plantations. hut the trees were still
very young ard small, and nothing 10 be
compared to those which had seen a. Ccy-
lon. The appearance Of nutmeg grove.
with the yellow fruit, something ike a small
orange, pecping cut from amongst tha dark
green leaves, ia very agreeable; when the
fruit is thoroughly ripe il splits open. and
then beautiful red nat is seen covering u
black nut. The nut ID taken out III this
network, which is first washed in salt water
and then carefully dried IN the shade; this
i our mace. The outer covering OF all too,
preserved in sugar, is good sweetmeat.--
! The work on this plantation was carried on
by Chinese, but even this hardy rare did
+ not seem to bear the climate we'll; they
looked weak and thin, and some Of them
as ] had previously remarked Of those resi-
ding N the shore, were covered with sore.
and bois--one, indeed, that saw, has
lost nearly the whole OF his checks aha
nose.
'1'ae houses here, for greater s3te ", were
surrounded with palisades. Not far from
I here | was shown tgertrap--a trench
about twelve feet wide and fifteen deep
covered over with slight boughs and earth
4 on which, as bait, piece Of raw flesh was
laid, The rough uneouthness otthe Chinese
was a great contrast to the frendliness OIL
the Malays. They lay about in corners
4 either smoking opium or drunk with il, anC
would scarcely even oblge me with glas,
Of water. ] could not persuade any one tc
give me any eocoanuts, as no one could
climb the trees; SO | was at last obliged t.
rely upon my rifle, and shooting at twil
that held large bunch of them, plump
came five Of six large nuts, full Of fresh
sweet milk, which ! took off with me to tht
boat, satisfying the Chinese for their value
BY small piece Of silver. As the evening
envcloped Us in a thick, heavy cloud, w
made the best Of our way down the river
for although wished very much to fan il
with tiger, yet my respect for the jungle
fever was far to great to allow me to avail
his presence"