My RSS Feedhttp://www.helengray.net/index.htmlHot News!enen2021-08-22T10:43:03+01:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Sat, 7 Aug 2021 06:03:28 +0100Part Twenty Two: A rough oblong box and no-one to be sorryIn The Footsteps of Isabella Bird2021-08-22T10:43:03+01:00http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/edd97101bf61230932098aad9a0985f2-21.html#unique-entry-id-21http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/edd97101bf61230932098aad9a0985f2-21.html#unique-entry-id-21


Two types of career in the tropics: glory, or at least ignominy, or a rough oblong box and no-one to be sorry.

]]>Part Twenty One: My Dinner With ApesIn The Footsteps of Isabella Bird2021-08-22T09:58:57+01:00http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/fdab3bb4d60de7c9e5b10ef9ea86252c-20.html#unique-entry-id-20http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/fdab3bb4d60de7c9e5b10ef9ea86252c-20.html#unique-entry-id-20Isabella journeys to Kuala Kangsar to see Hugh Low and finds herself dining alone with apes.

]]>Part Twenty: After SpeedyIn The Footsteps of Isabella Bird2021-08-22T09:45:44+01:00http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/d5b66ab5bd62c61344c4f3a7314d89f4-19.html#unique-entry-id-19http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/d5b66ab5bd62c61344c4f3a7314d89f4-19.html#unique-entry-id-19“Mr Maxwell is most abstemious and is energetically at work from an early hour in the morning. There is a perpetual coming and going of Malays and an air of business without fuss.”

]]>Part Nineteen: The Balad of Ngah IbrahimIn The Footsteps of Isabella Bird2021-08-21T06:57:06+01:00http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/dde4347b09ef5b01bf0313f97b9c5d07-18.html#unique-entry-id-18http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/dde4347b09ef5b01bf0313f97b9c5d07-18.html#unique-entry-id-18Ngah Ibrahim was on his way to become a Sultan of his own Sultanate but somehow things did not quite work out.

]]>Part Eighteen: Heavenly PeaceIn The Footsteps of Isabella Bird2021-08-21T06:49:37+01:00http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/caff278ffea519e7a8968f82fc113404-17.html#unique-entry-id-17http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/caff278ffea519e7a8968f82fc113404-17.html#unique-entry-id-17



After a bit of civil disturbance resulting in the deaths of about five thousand people, Captain Speedy renamed Larut, Tai Ping, Heavenly Peace.

]]>Part Seventeen: Smoking MosquitoesIn The Footsteps of Isabella Bird2021-08-21T05:33:45+01:00http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/42201b0f7110ef2c67bdf4ea4ea11354-16.html#unique-entry-id-16http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/42201b0f7110ef2c67bdf4ea4ea11354-16.html#unique-entry-id-16“We saw many Malay Kampongs,” she wrote, “under the palms, each with a fire lighted underneath it, and there were many other fires for the water buffaloes, with groups of these uncouth brutes gathered invariably on the leeward side, glad to be smoked rather than bitten by the mosquitoes.”

]]>Part Sixteen: White Man's GraveIn The Footsteps of Isabella Bird2021-08-19T11:54:15+01:00http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/c1be9c6daf2018e055a718ec3d5567ed-15.html#unique-entry-id-15http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/c1be9c6daf2018e055a718ec3d5567ed-15.html#unique-entry-id-15Empress good - coolie get money, keep it!

]]>Part Fifteen: Sit down and sign this!In The Footsteps of Isabella Bird2021-08-19T11:22:05+01:00http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/519140bbf52ea1692a8f24afab347a5b-14.html#unique-entry-id-14http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/519140bbf52ea1692a8f24afab347a5b-14.html#unique-entry-id-14


Sultan Abdullah invites in British advisors to Perak. However, there is that awkward problem of him not being the appointed Sultan.


]]>Part Fourteen: Delving into the DindingsIn The Footsteps of Isabella Bird2021-08-19T05:57:00+01:00http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/23476ac3d15672668a517c1499282658-13.html#unique-entry-id-13http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/23476ac3d15672668a517c1499282658-13.html#unique-entry-id-13



Isabella witnessed Bloomfield Douglas presiding over a court case concerning the murder of Superintendent Lloyd on Pangkor Island by a Chinese gang. Isabella Bird is finding her journey around the "Native States" increasingly alarming. She may continue her cool reporting of events but her dreams, as we shall see later on, are taking an alarming turn.

]]>Part Thirteen: Warm Heart, Strong ImpulseIn The Footsteps of Isabella Bird2021-08-18T09:51:23+01:00http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/ff39812a02a4388c54e71bcbac5d0477-12.html#unique-entry-id-12http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/ff39812a02a4388c54e71bcbac5d0477-12.html#unique-entry-id-12



Bloomfield Douglas was much maligned by Isabella Bird, but surely he cannot have been that bad?

]]>Part Twelve: Rafflesia ArnoldiIn The Footsteps of Isabella Bird2021-08-17T09:28:23+01:00http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/d7ca7e04c812fdf0cffacc8cdfb4a916-11.html#unique-entry-id-11http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/d7ca7e04c812fdf0cffacc8cdfb4a916-11.html#unique-entry-id-11Just when Abdul Samad seem to be reassuring his grip on the situation…

]]>Part Eleven: Murder Mayhem MadnessIn The Footsteps of Isabella Bird2021-08-16T12:06:15+01:00http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/4246e936a368518b956aa3b765f6dc76-10.html#unique-entry-id-10http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/4246e936a368518b956aa3b765f6dc76-10.html#unique-entry-id-10

Who's head ended up on the gate? Who's underpants were those?

]]>Part Ten: The Selangor Civil WarIn The Footsteps of Isabella Bird2021-08-16T08:44:50+01:00http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/5221b552f8d87f5294f04d052ec37e9e-9.html#unique-entry-id-9http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/5221b552f8d87f5294f04d052ec37e9e-9.html#unique-entry-id-9



Selangor is a most wretched place - worse than Klang!

]]>Part Nine: A Right KlangerIn The Footsteps of Isabella Bird2021-08-15T09:51:59+01:00http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/40f1de623339cb699fe027944c52dae4-8.html#unique-entry-id-8http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/40f1de623339cb699fe027944c52dae4-8.html#unique-entry-id-8



“Klang is a most misthriven, decayed, dejected, miserable looking place,” announced Isabella.

]]>Part Eight: The Battle of Bukit PutusIn The Footsteps of Isabella Bird2021-08-15T05:16:30+01:00http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/41cad9d283a33a70883b7992bd3ce33a-7.html#unique-entry-id-7http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/41cad9d283a33a70883b7992bd3ce33a-7.html#unique-entry-id-7

Another little war.]]>Part Seven: Captain Murray the self exiled manIn The Footsteps of Isabella Bird2021-08-14T05:31:16+01:00http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/10d7582e84bd604f75027cf5e1a77dbd-6.html#unique-entry-id-6http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/10d7582e84bd604f75027cf5e1a77dbd-6.html#unique-entry-id-6

Captain Murray, the British Resident of Sungei Ujong was not a happy man.]]>Part Six: Restless NativesIn The Footsteps of Isabella Bird2021-08-12T11:09:07+01:00http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/4e0acbcc570ee61ef4f7574d93e19f63-5.html#unique-entry-id-5http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/4e0acbcc570ee61ef4f7574d93e19f63-5.html#unique-entry-id-5
Isabella Bird carries on up the river into Sungei Ujong and finds herself confronting hostile villagers. But trusty Captain Hayward saves the day with a quick flex of his muscles, snap of his rifle, and a slug of whisky down the throats of the teenage girls suddenly overcome with a fit of the vapours.]]>Part Five: Hayward of The RiverIn The Footsteps of Isabella Bird2021-08-11T11:47:10+01:00http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/d68178f33ed7ab446548265d2c5681ea-4.html#unique-entry-id-4http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/d68178f33ed7ab446548265d2c5681ea-4.html#unique-entry-id-4
Isabella is invited by the Dato Klana to stay at his home in Sungei Ujong and so she, and a couple of all too lady like teenagers, join forces with hairy chested Captain Hayward who manages to bag a couple of crocodiles on the way.]]>Part Four: MelakaIn The Footsteps of Isabella Bird2021-08-10T04:19:49+01:00http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/5801710162292390bf1d6d59cf4cd992-3.html#unique-entry-id-3http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/5801710162292390bf1d6d59cf4cd992-3.html#unique-entry-id-3



Melaka was the centre of an empire that controlled Sumatra and most of the Malay peninsula.]]>Part Three: ArrivalIn The Footsteps of Isabella Bird2021-08-08T09:23:15+01:00http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/407de3f420cce9c6f8da58322093f603-2.html#unique-entry-id-2http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/407de3f420cce9c6f8da58322093f603-2.html#unique-entry-id-2

Isabella arrives in Melaka and meets the British Resident, Captain Shaw!]]>Part Two: The MissionHistoryTravelMalaysiaThe British EmpireBritish Malaya2021-08-08T09:23:15+01:00http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/a98cda4f47b6d3528197f74120717739-1.html#unique-entry-id-1http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/a98cda4f47b6d3528197f74120717739-1.html#unique-entry-id-1
Who was Isabella Bird and what was she up to in Malaya?
]]>INTRODUCTIONHistoryTravelMalaysia2021-08-07T06:04:54+01:00http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/ca6dc5ecc9d9d2fdc3061d4f12bd9e94-0.html#unique-entry-id-0http://www.helengray.net/blog-2/files/ca6dc5ecc9d9d2fdc3061d4f12bd9e94-0.html#unique-entry-id-0
In 1879 Victorian Travel Writer, Isabella Bird, visited the "Native States" of Malaya.]]>