Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-09-27
A Tramp Through the Malay Jungle

! The day was not yet done when we
reached the outpost of SIAM to be picked
up at the edge of the jungle by Sia-
mese of ape-like countenance and con-
Quoted to the hut of the village head man.
! We made ourselves comfortable on the
plant floor with our backs to the wall,
and lighted the saybullies" that had
done service for three days past. For
more than an hour the head man and
his satellites sat motonless, staring fix
eddy at us, and mumbing in an undertone
without once turning their heads toward
those they were addressing. The sun
sank into the jungle and swift darkness
| fell. The parchmcnt-sknned female
drifted into the room and set on the floor
an oil torch that gave a poor imitation of
a Night. At the dictation of the babu of
rhenganyenam | had jotted down a few
! vital words of Siamese When CONVERSE
ton Jagged, l put this newly acquired vo-
cabulary. to the test by calling for food
The head man growled, the female fIoated
in once more and placed at our feet Il
small wash-tub of boiled rice.
| Now this Orienta staff of life is not
the tasteless stuff without any trim
mings' whatever is rather pleasureless
task. l dragged out my notebook and
again ran my eyes down the list Of STA
was represented. The only word that an
peared to be of any value under the cir
lcumstances was that for sugar l bel
lowed it at the head mn. He stared open
! in"t'ieu Until ldu repeated. IL SeNeld
times.
| Sugar" he echoed. with an infection
of Interrogation and establishment.
Yes. sugar. I cried, shrinking an
. imaginary handful over the lice.
The councillors gaZed at one another
with wondering eyes. and the word passed
! from mouth to mouth-'Sugar?''
Sure. sugar cried James, taking W
the refrain.
y man rose slowy to his feet, marched
across to us, and. squatting before the
dish. began to run his bony fingers
Sugar" he nueried, pncrins into gu,
faces NO, no. He took pinch of the
food between his fingers. put it into his
mouth. and munched it slowly and quiz
zically. Then he shook his head vigor-
ously and spat the mouthful out on The
floor.
No! no! Sugar no." he cried
| "Of course there's no sugar" ShOutcf
James. That's why were making i
bloody boiler. Sugar, you thick headed
mummy
The official faster retired to his placr
tinued to shout. Suddenly ray of intel
| ligence lighted up the face of the heaC
man. Could it be because we wantac
sugar that we were raising such a hub,
Ibub. rather than because we fancied thai
foreign substance had been inadvertently
piled on our supper. He called to the
female When she appeared with a joint
of bamboo filled with muddy brown sugar
| the councillors rose gravely and grouped
themselves about us. | sprinkled halt
Il the contents of the bamboo on the rice
stirred up the mess, and began to eat.
| AT the first mouthful such roar OF
laughter went up from the assembly thai
| / choked in my establishment. Who ever
would have guessed that these gloomy
faced dignitaries could laugh? The chief
| tain fell to shaking as if with fit, his
advisers doubled up with mirth anG
reused tho entire community with theil
shrieks. Wild-cyed Siamese tumblcd out
| of the neighhoring huts Within two
minutes half the village had hocked into
the room, and the other half WIS bowling
| for admittance and a glimpse of those
strange beings who ate their rice with
sugar.-Harper's Weekly.