The ‘liplap’ has many good qualities, so has the European. Both have many bad qualities; in this way too they resemble each other. But the good and bad qualities which they have are too distinctive for intercourse between them to be, generally speaking, productive of mutual satisfaction. Moreover, and this is in a great measure the fault of the Government, the ‘liplap’ is often very badly educated. We are not now inquiring how the European would be if from youth he had been impeded in his mental development; but this is certain, that, generally speaking, the small mental development of the ‘liplap’ stands in the way of his equality with the European, and even where an individual ‘liplap’ is distinctly superior to a certain European, he is kept down on account of his origin. There is nothing new in this. It was a part of the policy of William the Conqueror to raise the most insignificant Normans above the most intelligent Saxons, and every Norman devoted himself to [[108]]furthering the ascendency of the Normans in general, for the advantage of himself in particular, because he often would have been most insignificant without the influence of his countrymen as the prevailing party.
From anything of this kind arises a priori a constraint, which can only be removed by philosophical liberal designs on the part of the Government.
That the European who belongs to the dominant race accommodates himself very easily to this artificial ascendency speaks for itself; but it is often curious to hear a person who received his education in one of the lowest streets of Rotterdam ridicule the ‘liplap’ because he makes mistakes in pronunciation and grammar. A ‘liplap’ may be polite, well educated, or learned—there are such——as well as the European, who counterfeiting illness stayed away from the ship in which he had dishes to wash, and is now at the head of a commercial undertaking which made prodigious profits on indigo in 18—, long before he had the shop in which he sells hams and fowling-pieces——as soon as this European perceives that the best educated ‘liplap’ has some difficulty not to confound the h and g, he laughs at the stupidity of the man who does not know what is the difference between a “gek” and a “hek” (fool and hedge).
But to prevent him from laughing at that, he ought to know that in the Arabic and Malay languages, the cha and the hha are expressed by one and the same sign[[109]]—that Hieronymus becomes Jerome, viâ Geronimo, that we make Guano out of Huano, and that we say in Dutch for Guild Heaume—Huillem or Willem (William). This is rather too much to expect of a person who made his fortune in the indigo trade.
Yet such a European cannot converse with such a ‘liplap.’
I understand how Willem (William) is derived from Guillaume, and must confess, that I have made acquaintance with many ‘liplaps,’ especially in the Moluccas or Spice Islands, who surprised me with the extent of their knowledge, and who gave me the idea that we Europeans, whatever advantages we possess, are often, and not comparatively speaking merely, much behind these poor pariahs, who have to struggle from their cradle upwards with an artificial, studied inferiority, and the prejudice against their colour.
But Madam Slotering was once for all guaranteed against faults in the Dutch language, because she spoke Malay. We shall see more of her afterwards when we are drinking tea with Havelaar, Tine, and little Max in the fore-gallery of the Assistant Resident’s mansion at Rankas-Betong, where our travelling company arrived at last safe and sound after having had to endure much jolting and bruising.
The Resident, who had only come along with us to install the new Assistant Resident in his office, intimated [[110]]his wish to return that same day to Serang, “because——he——”
Havelaar said he was likewise disposed to make all possible speed.
“——had——still——so——much——to——do.”