the malay archipelago-2-第18节

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　whole　process　of　making　it；　and　obtaining　some　interesting　statistics。　The　sago　tree　is　a　palm；　thicker　and　larger　than　the　cocoa…nut　tree；　although　rarely　so　tall；　and　having　immense　pinnate　spiny　leaves；　which　completely　cover　the　trunk　till　it　is　many　years　old。　It　has　a　creeping　root…stem　like　the　Nipa　palm；　and　when　about　ten　or　fifteen　years　of　age　sends　up　an　immense　terminal　spike　of　flowers；　after　which　the　tree　dies。　It　grows　in　swamps；　or　in　swampy　hollows　on　the　rocky　slopes　of　hills；　where　it　seems　to　thrive　equally　well　as　when　exposed　to　the　influx　of　salt　or　brackish　water。　The　midribs　of　the　immense　leaves　form　one　of　the　most　useful　articles　in　these　lands；　supplying　the　place　of　bamboo；　to　which　for　many　purposes　they　are　superior。　They　are　twelve　or　fifteen　feet　long；　and；　when　very　fine；　as　thick　in　the　lower　part　as　a　man's　leg。　They　are　very　light；　consisting　entirely　of　a　firm　pith　covered　with　a　hard　thin　rind　or　bark。　Entire　houses　are　built　of　these；　they　form　admirable　roofing…poles　for　thatch；　split　and　well…supported；　they　do　for　flooring；　and　when　chosen　of　equal　size；　and　pegged　together　side　by　side　to　fill　up　the　panels　of　framed　wooden　horses；　they　have　a　very　neat　appearance；　and　make　better　walls　and　partitions　than　boards；　as　they　do　not　shrink；　require　no　paint　or　varnish；　and　are　not　a　quarter　the　expense。　When　carefully　split　and　shaved　smooth　they　are　formed　into　light　boards　with　pegs　of　the　bark　itself；　and　are　the　foundation　of　the　leaf…covered　boxes　of　Goram。　All　the　insect…boxes　I　used　in　the　Moluccas　were　thus　made　at　Amboyna；　and　when　covered　with　stout　paper　inside　and　out；　are　strong；　light；　and　secure　the　insect…pins　remarkably　well。　The　leaflet　of　the　sago　folded　and　tied　side　by　side　on　the　smaller　midribs　form　the　〃atap　〃or　thatch　in　universal　use；　while　the　product　of　the　trunk　is　the　staple　food　of　some=　hundred　thousands　of　men。

When　sago　is　to　be　made；　a　full…grown　tree　is　selected　just　before　it　is　going　to　flower。　It　is　cut　down　close　to　the　ground；　the　leaves　and　leafstalks　cleared　away；　and　a　broad　strip　of　the　bark　taken　off　the　upper　side　of　the　trunk。　This　exposes　the　pithy　matter；　which　is　of　a　rusty　colour　near　the　bottom　of　the　tree；　but　higher　up　pure　white；　about　as　hard　as　a　dry　apple；　but　with　woody　fibre　running　through　it　about　a　quarter　of　an　inch　apart。　This　pith　is　cut　or　broken　down　into　a　coarse　powder　by　means　of　a　tool　constructed　for　the　purposea　club　of　hard　and　heavy　wood；　having　a　piece　of　sharp　quartz　rock　firmly　　imbedded　into　its　blunt　end；　and　projecting　about　half　an　inch。　By　successive　blows　of　this；　narrow　strips　of　the　pith　are　cut　away；　and　fall　down　into　the　cylinder　formed　by　the　bark。　Proceeding　steadily　on；　the　whole　trunk　is　cleared　out；　leaving　a　skin　not　more　than　half　an　inch　in　thickness。　This　material　is　carried　away　（in　baskets　made　of　the　sheathing　bases　of　the　leaves）　to　the　nearest　water；　where　a　washing…machine　is　put　up；　which　is　composed　almost　entirely　of　the　saga　tree　itself。　The　large　sheathing　bases　of　the　leaves　form　the　troughs；　and　the　fibrous　covering　from　the　leaf…stalks　of　the　young　cocoa…nut　the　strainer。　Water　is　poured　on　the　mass　of　pith；　which　is　kneaded　and　pressed　against　the　strainer　till　the　starch　is　all　dissolved　and　has　passed　through；　when　the　fibrous　refuse　is　thrown　away；　and　a　fresh　basketful　put　in　its　place。　The　water　charged　with　sago　starch　passes　on　to　a　trough；　with　a　depression　in　the　centre；　where　the　sediment　is　deposited；　the　surplus　water　trickling　off　by　a　shallow　outlet。　When　the　trough　is　nearly　full；　the　mass　of　starch；　which　has　a　slight　reddish　tinge；　is　made　into　cylinders　of　about　thirty　pounds'　weight；　and　neatly　covered　with　sago　leaves；　and　in　this　state　is　sold　as　raw　sago。

Boiled　with　water　this　forms　a　thick　glutinous　mass；　with　a　rather　astringent　taste；　and　is　eaten　with　salt；　limes；　and　chilies。　Sago…bread　is　made　in　large　quantities；　by　baking　it　into　cakes　in　a　small　clay　oven　containing　six　or　eight　slits　side　by　side；　each　about　three…quarters　of　an　inch　wide；　and　six　or　eight　inches　square。　The　raw　sago　is　broken　up；　dried　in　the　sun；　powdered；　and　finely　sifted。　The　oven　is　heated　over　a　clear　fire　of　embers；　and　is　lightly　filled　with　the　sago…powder。　The　openings　are　then　covered　with　a　flat　piece　of　sago　bark；　and　in　about　five　minutes　the　cakes　are　turned　out　sufficiently　baked。　The　hot　cakes　are　very　nice　with　butter；　and　when　made　with　the　addition　of　a　little　sugar　and　grated　cocoa…nut　are　quite　a　delicacy。　They　are　soft；　and　something　like　corn…flour　cakes；　but　leave　a　slight　characteristic　flavour　which　is　lost　in　the　refined　sago　we　use　in　this　country。　When　not　wanted　for　immediate　use；　they　are　dried　for　several　days　in　the　sun；　and　tied　up　in　bundles　of　twenty。　They　will　then　keep　for　years；　they　are　very　hard；　and　very　rough　and　dry；　but　the　people　are　used　to　them　from　infancy；　and　little　children　may　be　seen　gnawing　at　them　as　contentedly　as　ours　with　their　bread…and…butter。　If　dipped　in　water　and　then　toasted；　they　become　almost　as　good　as　when　fresh　baked；　and　thus　treated　they　were　my　daily　substitute　for　bread　with　my　coffee。　Soaked　and　boiled　they　make　a　very　good　pudding　or　vegetable；　and　served　well　to　economize　our　rice；　which　is　sometimes　difficult　to　get　so　far　east。

It　is　truly　an　extraordinary　sight　to　witness　a　whole　tree…trunk；　perhaps　twenty　feet　long　and　four　or　five　in　circumference；　converted　into　food　with　so　little　labour　and　preparation。　A　good…sized　tree　will　produce　thirty　tomans　or　bundles　of　thirty　pounds　each；　and　each　toman　will　make　sixty　cakes　of　three　to　the　pound。　Two　of　these　cakes　are　as　much　as　a　man　can　eat　at　one　meal；　and　five　are　considered　a　full　day's　allowance；　so　that；　reckoning　a　tree　to　produce　1；800　cakes；　weighing　600　pounds；　it　will　supply　a　man　with　food　for　a　whole　year。　The　labour　to　produce　this　is　very　moderate。　Two　men　will　finish　a　tree　in　five　days；　and　two　women　will　bake　the　whole　into　cakes　in　five　days　more；　but　the　raw　sago　will　keep　very　well；　and　can　be　baked　as　wanted；　so　that　we　may　estimate　that　in　ten　days　a　man　may　produce　food　for　the　whole　year。　This　is　on　the　supposition　that　he　possesses　sago　trees　of　his　own；　for　they　are　now　all　private　property。　If　he　does　not；　he　has　to　pay　about　seven　and　sixpence　for　one；　and　as　labour　here　is　five　pence　a　day；　the　total　cost　of　a　year's　food　for　one　man　is　about　twelve　shillings。　The　effect　of　this　cheapness　of　food　is　decidedly　prejudicial；　for　the　inhabitants　of　the　sago　countries　are　never　so　well　off　as　those　where　rice　is　cultivated。　Many　of　the　people　here　have　neither　vegetables　nor　fruit；　but　live　almost　entirely　on　sago　and　a　little　fish。　Having　few　occupations　at　home；　they　wander　about　on　petty　trading　or　fishing　expeditions　to　the　neighbouring　islands；　and　as　far　as　the　comforts　of　life　are　concerned；　are　much　inferior　to　the　wild　hill…Dyaks　of　Borneo；　or　to　many　of　the　more　barbarous　tribes　of　the　Archipelago。

The　country　round　Warus…warus　is　low　and　swampy；　and　owing　to　the　absence　of　cultivation　there　were　scarcely　any　paths　leading　into　the　forest。　I　was　therefore　unable　to　collect　much　during　my　enforced　stay；　and　found　no　rare　birds　or　insects　to　improve　my　opinion　of　Ceram　as　a　collecting　ground。　Finding　it　quite　impossible　to　get　men　here　to　accompany　me　on　the　whole　voyage；　I　was　obliged　to　be　content　with　a　crew　to　take　me　as　far　as　Wahai；　on　the　middle　of　the　north　coast　of　Ceram；　and　the　chief　Dutch　station　in　the　island。　The　journey　took　us　five　days；　owing　to　calms　and　light　winds；　and　no　incident　of　any　interest　occurred　on　it；　nor　did　I　obtain　at　our　stopping　places　a　single　addition　to　my　collections　worth　naming。　At　Wahai；　which　I　reached　on　the　15th　of　June；　I　was　hospitably　received　by　the　Commandant　and　my　old　friend　Herr　Rosenberg；　who　was　now　on　an　official　visit　here。　He　lent　me　some　money　to　pay　my　men；　and　I　was　lucky　enough　to　obtain　three　others　willing　to　make　the　voyage　with　me　to　Ternate；　and　one　more　who　was　to　return　from　Mysol。　One　of　my　Amboyna　lads；　however；　left　me；　so　that　I　was　still　rather　short　of　hands。

I　found　here　a　letter　from　Charles　Allen；　who　was　at　Silinta　in　Mysol；　anxiously　expecting　me；　as　he　was　out　of　rice　and　other　necessaries；　and　was　short　of　insect…pins。　He　was　also　ill；　and　if　I　did　not　soon　come　would　return　to　Wahai。

As　my　voyage　from　this　place　to　Waigiou　was　among　islands　inhabited　by　the　Papuan　race；　and　was　an　eventful　and　disastrous　one；　I　will　narrate　its　chief　incidents　in　a　separate　chapter　in　that　division　of　my　work　devoted　to　the　Papuan　Islands。　I　now　have　to　pass　over　a　year　spent　in　Waigiou　and　Timor；　in　order　to　describe　my　visit　to　the　island　of　Bouru；　which　concluded　my　explorations　of　the　Moluccas。

CHAPTER　XXVI。

BOURU。

MAY　AND　JUNE　1861。

I　HAD　long　wished　to　visit　the　large　island　of　Bouru；　which　lies　due　west　of　Ceram；　and　of　which　scarcely　anything　appeared　to　be　known　to　naturalists；　except　that　it　contained　a　babirusa　very　like　that　of　Celebes。　I　therefore　made　arrangements　for　staying　there　two　months　after　leaving　Timor　Delli　in　1861。　This　I　could　conveniently　do　by　means　of　the　Dutch　mail…steamers；　which　make　a　monthly