the malay archipelago-2-第16节

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nut；　but　I　have　met　with　nothing　else　superior　to　our　crabs；　oar　haws；　beech…nuts；　wild　plums；　and　　acorns；　fruits　which　would　be　highly　esteemed　by　the　natives　of　these　islands；　and　would　form　an　important　part　of　their　sustenance。　All　the　fine　tropical　fruits　are　as　much　cultivated　productions　as　our　apples；　peaches；　and　plums；　and　their　wild　prototypes；　when　found；　are　generally　either　tasteless　or　uneatable。

The　people　of　Matabello；　like　those　of　most　of　the　Mahometan　villages　of　East　Ceram　and　Goram；　amused　me　much　by　their　strange　ideas　concerning　the　Russian　war。　They　believe　that　the　Russians　were　not　only　most　thoroughly　beaten　by　the　Turks；　but　were　absolutely　conquered；　and　all　converted　to　Islamism！　And　they　can　hardly　be　convinced　that　such　is　not　the　case；　and　that　had　it　not　been　for　the　assistance　of　France　and　England；　the　poor　Sultan　world　have　fared　ill。　Another　of　their　motions　is；　that　the　Turks　are　the　largest　and　strongest　people　in　the　worldin　fact　a　race　of　giants；　that　they　eat　enormous　quantities　of　meat；　and　are　a　most　ferocious　and　irresistible　nation。　Whence　such　strangely　incorrect　opinions　could　have　arisen　it　is　difficult　to　understand；　unless　they　are　derived　from　Arab　priests；　or　hadjis　returned　from　Mecca；　who　may　have　heard　of　the　ancient　prowess　of　the　Turkish　armies　when　they　made　all　Europe　tremble；　and　suppose　that　their　character　and　warlike　capacity　must　be　the　same　at　the　present　time。

GORAM

A　steady　south…east　wind　having　set　in；　we　returned　to　Manowolko　on　the　25th　of　April；　and　the　day　after　crossed　over　to　Ondor；　the　chief　village　of　Goram。

Around　this　island　extends；　with　few　interruptions；　an　encircling　coral　reef　about　a　quarter　of　a　mile　from　the　shore；　visible　as　a　stripe　of　pale　green　water；　but　only　at　very　lowest　ebb…tides　showing　any　rock　above　the　surface。　There　are　several　deep　entrances　through　this　reef；　and　inside　it　there　is　hood　anchorage　in　all　weathers。　The　land　rises　gradually　to　a　moderate　height；　and　numerous　small　streams　descend　on　all　sides。　The　mere　existence　of　these　streams　would　prove　that　the　island　was　not　entirely　coralline；　as　in　that　case　all　the　water　would　sink　through　the　porous　rock　as　it　does　at　Manowolko　and　Matabello；　but　we　have　more　positive　proof　in　the　pebbles　and　stones　of　their　beds；　which　exhibit　a　variety　of　stratified　crystalline　rocks。　About　a　hundred　yards　from　the　beach　rises　a　wall　of　coral　rock；　ten　or　twenty　feet　high；　above　which　is　an　undulating　surface　of　rugged　coral；　which　slopes　downward　towards　the　interior；　and　then　after　a　slight　ascent　is　bounded　by　a　second　wall　of　coral。　Similar　walls　occur　higher　up；　and　coral　is　found　on　the　highest　part　of　the　island。

This　peculiar　structure　teaches　us　that　before　the　coral　was　formed　land　existed　in　this　spot；　that　this　land　sunk　gradually　beneath　the　waters；　but　with　intervals　of　rest；　during　which　encircling　reef's　were　formed　around　it　at　different　elevations；　that　it　then　rose　to　above　its　present　elevation；　and　is　now　again　sinking。　We　infer　this；　because　encircling　reefs　are　a　proof　of　subsidence；　and　if　the　island　were　again　elevated　about　a　hundred　feet；　what　is　now　the　reef　and　the　shallow　sea　within　it　would　form　a　wall　of　coral　rock；　and　an　undulating　coralline　plain；　exactly　similar　to　those　that　still　exist　at　various　altitudes　up　to　the　summit　of　the　island。　We　learn　also　that　these　changes　have　taken　place　at　a　comparatively　recent　epoch；　for　the　surface　of　the　coral　has　scarcely　suffered　from　the　action　of　the　weather；　and　hundreds　of　sea…shells；　exactly　resembling　those　still　found　upon　the　beach；　and　many　of　them　retaining　their　gloss　and　even　their　colour；　are　scattered　over　the　surface　of　the　island　to　near　its　summit。

Whether　the　Goram　group　formed　originally　part　of　New　Guinea　or　of　Ceram　it　is　scarcely　possible　to　determine；　and　its　productions　will　throw　little　light　upon　the　question；　if；　as　I　suppose；　the　islands　have　been　entirely　submerged　within　the　epoch　of　existing　species　of　animals；　as　in　that　case　it　must　owe　its　present　fauna　and　flora　to　recent　immigration　from　surrounding　lands；　and　with　this　view　its　poverty　in　species　very　well　agrees。　It　possesses　much　in　common　with　East　Ceram；　but　at　the　same　time　has　a　good　deal　of　resemblance　to　the　Ke　Islands　and　Banda。　The　fine　pigeon；　Carpophaga　concinna；　inhabits　Ke；　Banda；　11…Iatabello；　and　Goram；　and　is　replaced　by　a　distinct　species；　C。　neglecta；　in　Ceram。　The　insects　of　these　four　islands　have　also　a　common　faciesfacts　which　seem　to　indicate　that　some　more　extensive　land　has　recently　disappeared　from　the　area　they　now　occupy；　and　has　supplied　them　with　a　few　of　its　peculiar　productions。

The　Goram　people　（among　whom　I　stayed　a　month）　are　a　race　of　traders。　Every　year　they　visit　the　Tenimber；　Ke；　and　Aru　Islands；　the　whole　north…west　coast　of　New　Guinea　from　Oetanata　to　Salwatty；　and　the　island　of　Waigiou　and　Mysol。　They　also　extend　their　voyages　to　Tidore　and　Ternate；　as　well　as　to　Banda　and　Amboyna；　Their　praus　are　all　made　by　that　wonderful　race　of　boatbuilders；　the　Ke。　islanders；　who　annually　turn　out　some　hundreds　of　boats；　large　and　small；　which　can　hardly　be　surpassed　for　beauty　of　form　and　goodness　of　workmanship；　They　trade　chiefly　in　tripang；　the　medicinal　mussoi　bark；　wild　nutmegs；　and　tortoiseshell；　which　they　sell　to　the　Bugis　traders　at　Ceram…laut　or　Aru；　few　of　them　caring　to　take　their　products　to　any　other　market。　In　other　respects　they　are　a　lazy　race；　living　very　poorly；　and　much　given　to　opium　smoking。　The　only　native　manufactures　are　sail…matting；　coarse　cotton　cloth；　and　pandanus…　leaf　boxes；　prettily　stained　and　ornamented　with　shell…work。

In　the　island　of　Goram；　only　eight　or　ten　miles　long；　there　are　about　a　dozen　Rajahs；　scarcely　better　off　than　the　rest　of　the　inhabitants；　and　exercising　a　mere　nominal　sway；　except　when　any　order　is　received　from　the　Dutch　Government；　when；　being　backed　by　a　higher　power；　they　show　a　little　more　strict　authority。　My　friend　the　Rajah　of　Ammer　（commonly　called　Rajah　of　Goram）　told　me　that　a　few　years　ago；　before　the　Dutch　had　interfered　in　the　affairs　of　the　island；　the　trade　was　not　carried　on　so　peaceably　as　at　present；　rival　praus　often　fighting　when　on　the　way　to　the　same　locality；　or　trafficking　in　the　same　village。　Now　such　a　thing　is　never　thought　of…one　of　the　good　effects　of　the　superintendence　of　a　civilized　government。　Disputes　between　villages　are　still；　however；　sometimes　settled　by　fighting；　and　I　one　day　saw　about　fifty　men；　carrying　long　guns　and　heavy　cartridge…belts；　march　through　the　village。　They　had　come　from　the　other　side　of　the　island　on　some　question　of　trespass　or　boundary；　and　were　prepared　for　war　if　peaceable　negotiations　should　fail。

While　at　Manowolko　I　had　purchased　for　100　florins　￡9。）　a　small　prau；　which　was　brought　over　the　next　day；　as　I　was　informed　it　was　more　easy　to　have　the　necessary　alterations　made　in　Goram；　where　several　Ke　workmen　were　settled。

As　soon　as　we　began　getting　my　prau　ready　I　was　obliged　to　give　up　collecting；　as　I　found　that　unless　I　was　constantly　on　the　spot　myself　very　little　work　would　be　clone。　As　I　proposed　making　some　long　voyages　in　this　boat；　I　determined　to　fit　it　up　conveniently；　and　was　obliged　to　do　all　the　inside　work　myself；　assisted　by　my　two　Amboynese　boys。　I　had　plenty　of　visitors；　surprised　to　see　a　white　man　at　work；　and　much　astonished　at　the　novel　arrangements　I　was　making　in　one　of　their　native　vessels。　Luckily　I　had　a　few　tools　of　my　own；　including　a　small　saw　and　some　chisels；　and　these　were　now　severely　tried；　cutting　and　fitting　heavy　iron…wood　planks　for　the　flooring　and　the　posts　that　support　the　triangular　mast。　Being　of　the　best　London　make；　they　stood　the　work　well；　and　without　them　it　would　have　been　impossible　for　me　to　have　finished　my　boat　with　half　the　neatness；　or　in　double　the　time。　I　had　a　Ke　workman　to　put　in　new　ribs；　for　which　I　bought　nails　of　a　Bugis　trader；　at　8d。　a　pound。　My　gimlets　were；　however；　too　small；　and　having　no　augers　we　were　obliged　to　bore　all　the　holes　with　hot　irons；　a　most　tedious　and　unsatisfactory　operation。

Five　men　had　engaged　to　work　at　the　prau　till　finished；　and　then　go　with　me　to　Mysol；　Waigiou；　and　Ternate。　Their　ideas　of　work　were；　however；　very　different　from　mine；　and　I　had　immense　difficulty　with　them；　seldom　more　than　two　or　three　coming　together；　and　a　hundred　excuses　being　given　for　working　only　half　a　day　when　they　did　come。　Yet　they　were　constantly　begging　advances　of　money；　saying　they　had　nothing　to　eat。　When　I　gave　it　them　they　were　sure　to　stay　away　the　next　day；　and　when　I　refused　any　further　advances　some　of　them　declined　working　any　more。　As　the　boat　approached　completion　my　difficulties　with　the　men　increased。　The　uncle　of　one　had　commenced　a　war；　or　sort　of　faction　fight；　and　wanted　his　assistance；　another's　wife　was　ill；　and　would　not　let　him　come；　a　third　had　fever　and　ague；　and　pains　in　his　head　and　back；　and　a　fourth　had　an　inexorable　creditor　who　would　not　let　him　go　out　of　his　sight。　They　had　all　received　a　month's　wages　in　advance；　and　though　the　amount　was　not　large；　it　was　necessary　to　make　them　pay　it　back；　or　I　should　get　ago　men　at　a11。　I　therefore　sent　the