March 15th 1906
Lahat, Perak

Dear Muriel,

It seems odd to have you mention politics, as I didn’t think you were very interested. Perhaps you could tell me a bit about that in your next letter.
I think your last quote was from Ambrose Bierce. I too enjoy The Devil’s Dictionary.

You asked about Ipoh. Here are some of the bits of information written to attract people to the area.

The Ipoh Railway Station is an impressive landmark, which combines Gothic and Moorish architecture with modern embellishments. Surrounded by a beautiful floral garden, it also serves as a charming welcome to visitors arriving by rail. Some call it the Taj Mahal of Ipoh! In the grounds is the famous ‘Ipoh Tree’, a poisonous tree whose sap is used by the natives in the olden days to make fatal darts for their blow pipes.

Above the train station, on the second and third floors resides the Station Hotel, also known as The Majestic, and sometimes called The Heritage Hotel. The hotel boasts of 'first class accommodation' and 'excellent cuisine' (but I have heard differently). The 200 yard long verandah runs the length of the building. You see the planter bosses planted in rattan chairs, the smoke from their pipes whiffed away in clumps of tiny clouds up to the high ceilings where there are ceiling fans with ornate iron engravings trying all day long to cool the consistently sweating masters.

The banisters and wooden stairs stand firm and proud and charmingly pleasant with cool and carefully laid tiles.

I’m sorry if this sounds too much like a hotel advert – because of course it is.

Opposite the railway station is a neocolonial style building. Adjacent to that is the memorial where J.W.W. Birch, the first British Resident of the state was assassinated by a group of Malay chieftains in Paris Salak in 1875, but interestingly enough dedicated to the Malay warriors who murdered him and the others who fell with him. There are plans afoot to build a Clock Tower, as a proper memorial to Mr. Birch.

J.W.W. Birch was an unpopular character. He was arrogant and showed no sensitivity towards local customs, religion and nuances. He did not think much of the Malays. Likewise the feeling, too, was mutual amongst the Malays, especially the royalty. It wasn't surprising at all that he was eventually assassinated by them, headed by a chieftain called Dato Sago. Even after his death, he is still surrounded by scorn and derision from the Malays.

Regarding food, the early Chinese immigrants who poured into the state brought with them the cooking styles of their provinces, most of whom were from the south. These cooking styles blended well with the local air and a new breed of food came about, such as the Ipoh ‘Hor Fun’ or flat rice noodles and I also personally recommend the fish balls.

The Kinta River basically runs through the middle of the town. In 1892, a great fire gutted the East part of Ipoh. The town had to be rebuild, looking all new and grand, and rightfully so, it became to be known as ‘New Town.’ The reconstruction of the New Town also made way to deliberate town planning. And this explains why buildings file along roads that are set into systematic grids.

The buildings built from the money derived from tin (and amassed by the colonials) did everything to expose the identity of the nationality of the men who designed them. Big trees with wide canopy that line the suburban Ipoh roads provide glimpses of the British want for greenery and shade from the grueling tropical sun.
Perhaps the grandest and biggest of all the buildings in Ipoh is the local school. The Missionaries are trying to take it over and have it run by Brothers, but they have come up against quite a lot of opposition. (With your interests in architecture you would much appreciate the carefully decorated gables and the lovely wide arched verandahs.) Most of the new buildings reflect neo-classical architecture.

Padang is the Malay word for 'field', and this is exactly what it is - which is also exactly where we pale British males march into the field with our starched white cricket ensemble to hit a wicket or two, running every now and then out of the field to catch several gulps of the most refreshingly cool beer. At other times, the same men can also be seen kicking a football around this Padang attempting to score a few goals in a game of soccer.

So far the buildings of Ipoh have left the Padang unscathed, together with the beautiful casuarina trees that encircle it. Commonly known as the she-oak (sometimes sheoak), beefwood, or Australian pine, casuarinas are common in tropical and subtropical areas. The tree has delicate, slender ultimate branches and leaves that are no more than scales, making the tree look more like a wispy conifer. The plants do especially well in wind-swept locations, and are widely planted as wind-breaks.

And what's the use of a Padang without a Club? Tin miners and administrators as well as the rubber barons patronise a black and white Tudor style clubhouse. While the athletic ones (like me) trample or row about under the scorching hot sun, the more stationary ones work their lazy muscles trying hard to keep their cigars in between their fingers while downing their whisky.

FMS standing for ‘Federated Malay States’ is the building which I think you will enjoy most. It is believed to be Malaya's oldest functioning Bar!! As you walk by you can smell the savoury aroma of Szechuan Prawns and Belacan Kangkong, even though this is an exceptionally British institution.

I hope I haven’t bored you with all this, but I do think you will enjoy all that Ipoh has to offer. You can cover a great deal of country in books.

Love,

Harold

*****

Lansdowne Crescent, Worcester
April 10th 1906

Dear Harold,

I was certainly not bored. I long to visit Ipoh and see all those places that you have described so well, and sit at the FMS. Tell me, are women allowed in your Club? If not, I shall find another quest come upon me, I expect.

I didn’t guess your last quote. Here is mine, also about books. Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers. I think that is so lovely. What would we do without books?

You asked about politics. The nation is full of the repercussions of the national elections in January, where the Liberals had an unbelievably big majority and swept to power. The main issues for the general election were Free Trade vs. Protectionism and Home Rule for Ireland vs. Rule from UK.

Now everyone is trying to put blame and find reasons for this huge shift in public opinion and of course the papers are full of stories of bribery and corruption. And as you no doubt know on the 18th of January there was dissolution of Parliament and all sorts of committees including an Election Commission were formed to look into the various scandals.

We in Worcester, unfortunately, are right in the middle of it. The main complaint is against our MP. He is accused of misappropriating a cheque for £100 and for bribing voters. Trying to sift through the facts is quite difficult as for every accusation by the Conservatives, there is a counter accusation against them by the Liberals. I’m sure many politicians are very nervous, thinking that skeletons in their cupboards will soon be revealed.

The way the common labourer was supposedly bribed to vote was by being offered a lift to the polling station, a drink of homemade rhubarb wine (or whatever else his tipple might have been) or 6d, presumably so he could buy and drink whatever in a location of his own choice. All sorts of accounts from people who say they were bribed have come forward, and as I say, it is a huge mess.

I will keep you posted as to how the situation evolves. The Church is becoming involved in the row now too, and that does not please everyone. My father, a staunch Conservative, is very upset that the Conservatives are blamed for the bribery. He so much wants to clear the party’s name and show that not all politics is corrupt. He gets on his high horse and speaks out about it not only at home, but at the Chamber of Commerce and Masonic Lodge and other organizations that he belongs to. He seems quite different from the quiet father that I normally see.

I can bring you up to date with a few more news items. Something dear to my heart – women’s suffrage has had another victory. In February, Finland, the first European country to do so, has given voting rights to all (including women) citizens over 24, except those supported by the state. I do so hope we can soon get similar legislation in this country, although my efforts previously do not seem to have had much impact. I will be working on it again when we have our local elections in November.

The rugby fans (which include May’s brother Tom) were very pleased when England beat France in the first ever international ever played against them.

We of course are working long and hard to get ready for May and John’s wedding – now only a week or so away. They will be married on Wednesday the 18th at Holy Trinity. We are very pleased that your uncle George, now the Reverend G. Duncan will come to help with the ceremony. Your parents’ new house, which of course is right down our road, has such a lot of space, so he will be staying with them for a period before and after. I wonder if he will get married, now that he has a way of life more or less established at Skipton on Cherwell. It is so much more convenient seeing your family now. We actually see quite a lot of your brother Jimmy who is nearly finished with Oxford and teacher training and hoping to get a job nearby. Una and I have become good friends and she intends to help me in my suffragette activities.

I don’t suppose you will be interested in all the details of the dresses and flowers etc. at the wedding, but you may be sure that I will be writing them to you, and you can read them or not as you wish. It could have been our wedding too, of course, but now we will have to wait a bit longer.

Love,

Muriel

*****

May 4th 1906
Lahat, Perak

Dear Muriel,

I don’t expect this will arrive in time for your birthday, but know that I am thinking of you.

I long to read whatever you write, down to the last button and ribbon on the dresses. I know that the wedding will have gone down well, and as you say, it might have been us, but we won’t be far behind. I have now had confirmation that I can have leave from December 1st to January 29th, so that will leave us time to get reacquainted before we finally say our vows on January 5th and have our long leisurely honeymoon on the boat coming back here. You will have quite a lot of organizing to do, deciding what clothes and furniture and other things you want to take, as we probably will not be given another home leave for several years.
Your last quote I recognized as Charles Eliot, and I agree with the sentiments. You said you couldn’t get my last one. It was Andrew Lang.

Just to whet your appetite a bit more, I have found some more information about this area. Ipoh has many limestone caves. The Sam Po Tong (Cavern of Three Precious) is a Chinese temple built within a gigantic limestone cave. It houses a few giant tortoises too. Its sister temple, Perak Tong (Perak Cave), has a steep, tall staircase in the interior of the cave up to the top of the hill where one is greeted by a panoramic view of Ipoh and its surroundings. The statue of Buddha in Perak Tong is the tallest and largest of its kind in Malaya.

Another sight worth seeing they say is the Kek Lok Tong (Cavern of Utmost Happiness) which is a cave temple that lies on the other side of the same range of limestone hills as Sam Po Tong. However, it is only accessible through the Gunung Rapat area.

Limestone hills extend 12.5 miles north and south of Ipoh. There are many caves in these hills. Gua Tempurung, near Gopeng south of Ipoh, is a very good one that I have visited.

Woe to him who reads but one book.

Until I hear from you again, I am your eagerly awaiting husband to be,

Harold