The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-10-18


have been much injured. The sympathies Of ma
j0rity OF the business men OF the island generally
r. sea MIN dealings sSa oos
THE MALAY SETTLEMENT.
-->~~~~~>~-~>--,~
Observation-Disclosures OF the CHy-The Old
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Of the British Cow
ernment-Decay OF Trade-What Malacca
Was in the Past-The "Portuguese Of the
Enst.0
MALACcA August 4, 1859.
Ancient, dirty, picturesque, the city Of Malacca,
having lived out an eventu history Of $50 years OF
European occupation is now peacefully slumbering
In ingorous inactivity 1t is not difficult to de-
scribe what 1t Is at the present writing. From any
point at which It is possible to view 1t o whole
| from the deck OF the steamer which has brought
you from Singapore or Penang, from the tower OF
the ruined Cathedral 1t appears simply TO be mass
| OF red-tie roofs, supported on Wondering brick
walls, and crowded 80 closely together that only BY
the severest scrutiny can you discover the narrow
lanes that serve as highways between them-anes 80
narrow that they viii scarcely allow your chaise
and four feet high Malay pony to lumber and Jolt
through them. The houses, with the exception OF
single block, seem all squalid and poverty stricken
and dismal with the signs Of unheeded decay. And
they were, You notice, at no period very magni1.
cent erections; they rarely boast second story and
| In many cases have only o single noor Here and
| there Malay mosque or o Chinese temple or
| European church catches the eye; but they look
unnaturally new amid the crumblng mass OF innab-
| tied ruins by which they are surrounded. On 0
little HILL close Dy the sea- 10 the rooness Cathedral
Of st. Pauls, and little to the south Of 1t very
searching examination will bring to light moulder
ing gateway, blackened by centuries Of rainy sea-
sons. which constitutes all that remains OF the cold
fnrtS, To rtp otn ~ yn,vuf ho
added that this decayed city lies In little curve
OF the coast, scarcely well enough defined
to be named bay; that fringe OF shin
ing yellow sand divides 1t from the
sea, and that it is enclrced on its remaining sides
by thick jungle from which here and there cocoa,
or bete PALM springs gracefully FORTH Away IN the
background peaked mountain looms dimly through
tropical haze ana that, you are told Is the Ophr
Of the Scriptures, just the Peninsula Is the Aurea
Chersonnesus Of the Greeks. Very little gold has
been got there since the times Of the Portuguese, but
the natives firmly believe that there is plenty of 1t
left. The main ground for liking upon this noun
tam as Mount Ophr Is the fact that ophir IN the
Malay language means ..gold.n
Such Is the Maacca OF the present In Its external
aspects, and closer acquaintance with 1t will but
confirm the differences they suggest. Malacca az q
to the produce OF Its immediate vicinity and even
that Is only shipped to Singapore or Penang to be
there reshpped to the markets OF the world During
the past thirty or forty years the population OF the
province has increased, owing to the immigration OF
Chinese planters; but this has been scarcely any gain
to the city which has lost forever its chance OF being
one OF the entrepots of the East.
No one, OF course, leaves Maacca without examin-
grandeur. First in the list Of these is the old
Cathedral OF st. Paul. which was established In the
cary par OF Inc mes sixteensa century climbing up
belfry OF the church. and four crumbing brick walls,
enclosing little oblong plot OF ground paved with
are IN Portuguese, Dutch or English, according to
their dates and some few are In Latin. The Oldest
is that OF nun who died here IN 1868, but by far
the most interesting Is that OF Peter whom the
tombstone reports to have been the second Lord
Bishop OF Japan, and to have died here February
1898. Many OF the other graves those Of deceased
Dutch residents and merchants, and some few are
OF English officials who ruled here In the beginning
Leaving the body Of the church, not without won.
derng what has become Of the roof which must
s0lutely disappeared leaving no vestge behind the
visitor makes his way up the staircase OF the befry
teous gentleman OF Portuguese descent and OF de.
cided color who will spread out before HIM, In very
He will now be told many things that he would be
very much ashamed to leave the city without know.
nS Ss sSus from the @ NED
with historic associations. Three centuries and
half ago. Jorge de Albuquerque, that strange COM
reckless daring, planted here for the first time
In the far East European standard Soon after,
Magellan, having discovered the passage round Cape
Horn that bears his name and having arrived at the
Moluccas In time to assist In rescuing q number OF
King Of Madura, sailed past Malacca on his home.
ward voyage. And soon after that again came Ig-
natius Loyala, the founder Of the Society OF Jesus
who labored here for many years. saying mass in
the sefsame cathedral church OF st. Paul, aud COM
manding the Portuguese neet when the settlement
died here and was buried on one OF the two little
hills that lie some half mile behind us, but which
however, suffered to repose here long; after two
DAYS u was exhumed, taken to Goa, again buried,
again exhnmed ana tnen forwarded to Rome And
captain in the English Eaat India Company's ser.
wee sailed by here on his way to China ana the
But the most interesting thing about the old Co.
thedral, perhaps after all Is mysterious subterra-
mean passage, which no one can nnd, leading from
the hill TO some opening on the Shore That it was
constructed there can be doubt 1t is mentioned in
many old Portuguese and Dutch histories; but the
authorities have In vain sought to discoverit Some.
where IN ths passage are said TO be hidden treasures
douboons and pieces OF eight and ingots Of gold and
bars OF silver ana all sorts precious stones, which
were slowed away there on some occasion OF peril
and have never since been disturbed. The govern.
from the church, not. OF course, from any lust
Of gain, but simply to satisfy antiquarian curiosity
Itself with little more respect taking into account
all that has occurred and the men who have minis.
tered 10 II; the cnance OF the church for instance.
magazine and the belfry into an ONCE for the ship
ping sgnalman. Surely the British government
cannot say that 1t has taken these crumbling runs
because the revenues OF the province Will not afford
the erection OF new powder magazine 1t is hard,
indeed, TO ind any reason for their conversion TO
these "base uses except desire to wanlonly insult
the race VINO founded both the Cathedral and the
settlement.
The other sights OF Malacca-the ruins OF the
fort the Stadthouse, the Chinese temple, the
new Catholic cathedral, the PADRES house.
are none OF them, OF very much interest.
The fort has almost Disappeared all that
now remains Of II ID an old ruined gateway, sur.
mounted by the stone framework OF what was once
the home OF the alarm bell The Stadtnouse has
been repaired, and is used as government buildings.
II Is remarkable only for the possession OF some an
tlque and very uncomfortable Dutch furniture. The
Chinese temple consists OF much paint and many
1ags, and some half dozen shrines, whose resident
deltles are little squat ruddyfaced, black bearded
laois. The new Catholic cathedral 10 noticeable
belng very spaciOua. and the padre'a house Is an