Page 50 - Malay sketches

MALAY SKETCHES
half way up the slide, but soon grow bolder, and
mixed parties of four, six, and eight in rows of two,
three, or four each, start together and, with a good
deal of laughter and ill-directed attempts at mutual
into the which is almost
assistance, dash wildly pool
constantly full of a struggling, screaming crowd of
of both sexes.
young people
If you understand the game, the slide is a graceful
progress, but, if you don't, if you fail to sit erect, if
you do not keep your feet together, above all, if you
lose balance and do not remain
your absolutely
straight on the slide, then your descent will be far
from graceful, it may even be slightly painful, and
the final plunge into the lynn will be distinctly
undignified. It is well to leave your dignity at
home, if you go to meng-gtlunchor with a Malay
party, for those who do not weary themselves with
become exhausted with
tobogganing absolutely
laughing at the sliders. The fascination of the
thing is extraordinary, and, to read this poor de-
scription, you would think it impossible that any
sane person would spend hours in struggling up a
and slippery rock to slide down it on two
steep
inches of water, and, having gained a startling
into a shallow where half a dozen
velocity, leap pool
will be on before can out of the
people you you get
34