Page 122 - Malay sketches

MALAY SKETCHES
The and his friends recovered
Viceroy possession
of Klang and secured the friendship and assistance
of the Chinese miners at Kuala Lumpor.
These Chinese were led by one Ah Loi, a re-
markable man, styled the " Capitan China," whose
instincts were distinctly warlike and his authority
with his countrymen supreme.
Raja Mahdi also had friends who were acting
against the Chinese in the interior, and supporters
outside the State who helped him with money,
stores, and arms, and thus the ball rolled merrily
along.
Dame Fortune was, as usual, fickle, and success
was now with the Viceroy and now with Mahdi and
his friends. The Capitan China did his share in
his own way. He offered fifty silver dollars for
every enemy's head delivered in the market-place in
front of his house at Kuala Lumpor, and he told me
himself that his man who stood there to
ready
receive the hideous and the did
trophies pay money
quite a brisk business.
As with all Malay war, the operations languished
and revived by fits and starts. Plenty of money
meant of and and
plenty men, arms, ammunition,
with them a spasmodic effort would be made and
probably a success gained. Then would follow dire
106