the malay archipelago-2-第17节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ge；　it　was　necessary　to　make　them　pay　it　back；　or　I　should　get　ago　men　at　a11。　I　therefore　sent　the　village　constable　after　two；　and　kept　them　in　custody　a　day；　when　they　returned　about　three…　fourths　of　what　they　owed　me。　The　sick　man　also　paid；　and　the　steersman　found　a　substitute　who　was　willing　to　take　his　debt；　and　receive　only　the　balance　of　his　wages。

About　this　time　we　had　a　striking　proof　of　the　dangers　of　New　Guinea　trading。　Six　men　arrived　at　the　village　in　a　small　boat　almost　starved；　having　escaped　out　of　two　praus；　the　remainder　of　whose　crews　（fourteen　in　number）　had　been　murdered　by　the　natives　of　New　Guinea。　The　praus　had　left　this　village　a　few　months　before；　and　among　the　murdered　men　were　the　Rajah's　son；　and　the　relation　or　slaves　of　many　of　the　inhabitants。　The　cry　of　lamentation　that　arose　when　the　news　arrived　was　most　distressing。　A　score　of　women；　who　had　lost　husbands；　brothers；　sons；　or　more　distant　relatives；　set　up　at　once　the　most　dismal　shrieks　and　groans　and　wailings；　which　continued　at　intervals　till　late　at　night；　and　as　the　chief　houses　in　the　village　were　crowded　together　round　that　which　I　occupied；　our　situation　was　anything　but　agreeable。

It　seems　that　the　village　where　the　attack　took　place　（nearly　opposite　the　small　island　of　Lakahia）　is　known　to　be　dangerous；　and　the　vessels　had　only　gone　there　a　few　days　before　to　buy　some　tripang。　The　crew　were　living　on　shore；　the　praus　being　in　a　small　river　close　by；　and　they　were　attacked　and　murdered　in　the　day…time　while　bargaining　with　the　Papuans。　The　six　men　who　survived　were　on　board　the　praus；　and　escaped　by　at　once　setting　into　the　small　boat　and　rowing　out　to　sea。

This　south…west　part　of　New　Guinea；　known　to　the　native　traders　as　〃Papua　Kowiyee〃　and　〃Papua　Onen；〃　is　inhabited　by　the　most　treacherous　and　bloodthirsty　tribes。　It　is　in　these　districts　that　the　commanders　and　portions　of　the　crews　of　many　of　the　early　discovery　ships　were　murdered；　and　scarcely　a　year　now　passes　but　some　lives　are　lost。　The　Goram　and　Ceram　traders　are　themselves　generally　inoffensive；　they　are　well　acquainted　with　the　character　of　these　natives；　and　are　not　likely　to　provoke　an　attack　by　any　insults　or　open　attempt　at　robbery　or　imposition。　They　are　accustomed　to　visit　the　same　places　every　year；　and　the　natives　can　have　no　fear　of　them；　as　may　be　alleged　in　excuse　for　their　attacks　on　Europeans。　In　other　extensive　districts　inhabited　by　the　same　Papuan　races；　such　as　Mysol；　Salwatty；　Waigiou；　and　some　parts　of　the　adjacent　coast；　the　people　have　taken　the　first　step　in　civilization；　owing　probably　to　the　settlement　of　traders　of　mixed　breed　among　them；　and　for　many　years　no　such　attacks　have　taken　place。　On　the　south…west　coast；　and　in　the　large　island　of　Jobie；　however；　the　natives　are　in　a　very　barbarous　condition；　and　tale　every　opportunity　of　robbery　and　murder；a　habit　which　is　confirmed　by　the　impunity　they　experience；　owing　to　the　vast　extent　of　wild　mountain　and　forest　country　forbidding　all　pursuit　or　attempt　at　punishment。　In　the　very　same　village；　four　years　before；　more　than　fifty　Goram　men　were　murdered；　and　as　these　savages　obtain　an　immense　booty　in　the　praus　and　all　their　appurtenances；　it　is　to　be　feared　that　such　attacks　will　continue　to　be　made　at　intervals　as　long　as　traders　visit　the　same　spots　and　attempt　no　retaliation。　Punishment　could　only　be　inflicted　on　these　people　by　very　arbitrary　measures；　such　as　by　obtaining　possession　of　some　of　the　chiefs　by　stratagem；　and　rendering　them　responsible　for　the　capture　of　the　murderers　at　the　peril　of　their　own　heads。　But　anything　of　this　kind　would　be　done　contrary　to　the　system　adopted　by　the　Dutch　Government　in　its　dealings　with　natives。

GORAM　TO　WAHAI　IN　CERAM。

When　my　boat　was　at　length　launched　and　loaded；　I　got　my　men　together；　and　actually　set　sail　the　next　day　（May　27th）；　much　to　the　astonishment　of　the　Goram　people；　to　whom　such　punctuality　was　a　novelty。　I　had　a　crew　of　three　men　and　a　boy；　besides　my　two　Amboyna　lads；　which　was　sufficient　for　sailing；　though　rather　too　few　if　obliged　to　row　much。　The　next　day　was　very　wet；　with　squalls；　calms；　and　contrary　winds；　and　with　some　difficulty　we　reached　Kilwaru；　the　metropolis　of　the　Bugis　traders　in　the　far　East。　As　I　wanted　to　make　some　purchases；　I　stayed　here　two　days；　and　sent　two　of　my　boxes　of　specimens　by　a　Macassar　prau　to　be　forwarded　to　Ternate；　thus　relieving　myself　of　a　considerable　incumbrance。　I　bought　knives；　basins；　and　handkerchiefs　for　barter；　which　with　the　choppers；　cloth；　and　beads　I　had　brought　with　me；　made　a　pretty　good　assortment。　I　also　bought　two　tower　muskets　to　satisfy　my　crew；　who　insisted　on　the　necessity　of　being　armed　against　attacks　of　pirates；　and　with　spices　and　a　few　articles　of　food　for　the　voyage　nearly　my　last　doit　was　expended。

The　little　island　of　Kilwaru　is　a　mere　sandbank；　just　large　enough　to　contain　a　small　village；　and　situated　between　the　islands　of　Ceram…laut；　and　Kissastraits　about　a　third　of　a　mile　wide　separating　it　from　each　of　them。　It　is　surrounded　by　coral　reefs；　and　offers　good　anchorage　in　both　monsoons。　Though　not　more　than　fifty　yards　across；　and　not　elevated　more　than　three　or　four　feet　above　the　highest　tides；　it　has　wells　of　excellent　drinking　watera　singular　phenomenon；　which　would　seem　to　imply　deep…seated　subterranean　channels　connecting　it　with　other　islands。　These　advantages；　with　its　situation　in　the　centre　of　the　Papuan　trading　district；　lead　to　its　being　so　much　frequented　by　the　Bugis　traders。　Here　the　Goram　men　bring　the　produce　of　their　little　voyages；　which　they　exchange　for　cloth；　sago　cakes；　and　opium；　and　the　inhabitants　of　all　the　surrounding　islands　visit　it　with　the　game　object。　It　is　the　rendezvous　of　the　praus　trading　to　various　parts　of　New　Guinea；　which　here　assort　and　dry　their　cargoes；　and　refit　for　the　voyage　home。　Tripang　and　mussoi　bark　are　the　most　bulky　articles　of　produce　brought　here；　with　wild　nutmegs；　tortoiseshell；　pearls；　and　birds　of　Paradise；　in　smaller　quantities。　The　villagers　of　the　mainland　of　Ceram　bring　their　sago；　which　is　thus　distributed　to　the　islands　farther　east；　while　rice　from　Bali　and　Macassar　can　also　be　purchased　at　a　moderate　price。　The　Goram　men　come　here　for　their　supplies　of　opium；　both　for　their　own　consumption　and　for　barter　in　Mysol　and　Waigiou；　where　they　have　introduced　it；　and　where　the　chiefs　and　wealthy　men　are　passionately　fond　of　it。　Schooners　from　Bali　come　to　buy　Papuan　slaves；　while　the　sea…wandering　Bugis　arrive　from　distant　Singapore　in　their　lumbering　praus；　bringing　thence　the　produce　of　the　Chinamen's　workshops　and　Kling's　bazaar；　as　well　as　of　the　looms　of　Lancashire　and　Massachusetts。

One　of　the　Bugis　traders　who　had　arrived　a　few　days　before　from　Mysol；　brought　me　news　of　my　assistant　Charles　Allen；　with　whom　he　was　well　acquainted；　and　who；　he　assured　me；　was　making　large　collections　of　birds　and　insects；　although　he　had　not　obtained　any　birds　of　Paradise；　Silinta；　where　he　was　staying；　not　being　a　good　place　for　them。　This　was　on　the　whole　satisfactory；　and　I　was　anxious　to　reach　him　as　soon　as　possible。

Leaving　Kilwaru　early　in　the　morning　of　June　1st；　with　a　strong　east　wind　we　doubled　the　point　of　Ceram　about　noon；　the　heavy　sea　causing　my　prau　to　roll　abort　a　good　deal；　to　the　damage　of　our　crockery。　As　bad　weather　seemed　coming　on；　we　got　inside　the　reefs　and　anchored　opposite　the　village　of　Warns…warns　to　wait　for　a　change。

The　night　was　very　squally；　and　though　in　a　good　harbour　we　rolled　and　jerked　uneasily；　but　in　the　morning　I　had　greater　cause　for　uneasiness　in　the　discovery　that　our　entire　Goram　crew　had　decamped；　taking　with　them　all　they　possessed　and　a　little　more；　and　leaving　us　without　any　small　boat　in　which　to　land。　I　immediately　told　my　Amboyna　men　to　load　and　fire　the　muskets　as　a　signal　of　distress；　which　was　soon　answered　by　the　village　chief　sending　off　a　boat；　which　took　me　on　shore。　I　requested　that　messengers　should　be　immediately　sent　to　the　neighbouring　villages　in　quest　of　the　fugitives；　which　was　promptly　done。　My　prau　was　brought　into　a　small　creek；　where　it　could　securely　rest　in　the　mud　at　low　water；　and　part　of　a　house　was　given　me　in　which　T　could　stay　for　a　while。　I　now　found　my　progress　again　suddenly　checked；　just　when　I　thought　I　had　overcome　my　chief　difficulties。　As　I　had　treated　my　men　with　the　greatest　kindness；　and　had　given　them　almost　everything　they　had　asked　for；　I　can　impute　their　running　away　only　to　their　being　totally　unaccustomed　to　the　restraint　of　a　European　master；　and　to　some　undefined　dread　of　my　ultimate　intentions　regarding　them。　The　oldest　man　was　an　opium　smoker；　and　a　reputed　thief；　but　I　had　been　obliged　to　take　him　at　the　last　moment　as　a　substitute　for　another。　I　feel　sure　it　was　he　who　induced　the　others　to　run　away；　and　as　they　knew　the　country　well；　and　had　several　hours'　start　of　us；　there　was　little　chance　of　catching　them。

We　were　here　in　the　great　sago　district　of　East　Ceram　which　supplies　most　of　the　surrounding　islands　with　their　daily　bread；　and　during　our　week's　delay　I　had　an　opportunity　of　seeing　the　whole　process　of　making　it；　and　obtaining　some　interesting　statistics。　The　sago　tree　is　a　palm；　thi