The Surgeon's Log; Being Impressions of the Far East (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1911 edition. Excerpt: ... chapter iii pinang The pageant of the Orient: 'Rickishaws: An encounter with one of the Lost Legion: The fascination of the halfcaste i Concerning Japanese tea-houses: Malay philosophy: The gentle art of piracy: The tragedy of a sampan: Chang Wan Loo and tailoring by lightning: A morning climb: The luxury of the Malay bath: Women in the Far East: The unexpected behaviour of the Klings: An aside on frock-coats: To the memory of Captain Light chapter iii Next morning some one shouted down my ventilator, "Hi, Doc. Get up We're in sight of Pinang." It was about half-past six, and I rushed on deck as I was. This was what I had come 8000 miles to see, and every moment lost seemed wasted. It was twentyone days since we had touched solid ground, and my feet ached to be ashore again. The first impression was of a wonderful green: the land seemed smothered in vegetation. It rose precipitous from the water's edge, crag upon crag of naked rock jutting out grey amongst the green, with here and there the white outlines of verandahed bungalows, perched perilously on the heights, which, half hidden in the verdure, rose higher and higher, and culminated finally in one great peak 2700 feet above the sea. Passing Muka Head, a promontory on the extreme north-west end of the island, we swung round a red buoy for Georgetown, running between the island and the mainland. The deep blue of the Indian Ocean had ceased, and the water was a milky-white. The mainland, known as Province Wellesley, once part of the kingdom of Kedah, was a green belt of palm-trees, fringing a yellow strand, stretching back to the blue hills behind. All around us lay crazy-looking fishing praus, with batwing palm-leaf sails, brown and yellow, patched to the limit of patchiness, manned...