the malay archipelago-2-第25节

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gong　as　an　accompaniment；　concluding　with　all　wishing　each　other　〃Salaamat　jalan；〃　a　safe　and　happy　journey。　We　had　a　light　breeze；　a　calm　sea；　and　a　fine　morning；　a　prosperous　commencement　of　our　voyage　of　about　a　thousand　miles　to　the　far…famed　Aru　Islands。

The　wind　continued　light　and　variable　all　day；　with　a　calm　in　the　evening　before　the　land　breeze　sprang　up；　were　then　passing　the　island　of　〃Tanakaki　〃（foot　of　the　land）；　at　the　extreme　south　of　this　part　of　Celebes。　There　are　some　dangerous　rocks　here；　and　as　I　was　standing　by　the　bulwarks；　I　happened　to　spit　over　the　side；　one　of　the　men　begged　I　would　not　do　so　just　now；　but　spit　on　deck；　as　they　were　much　afraid　of　this　place。　Not　quite　comprehending；　I　made　him　repeat　his　request；　when；　seeing　he　was　in　earnest；　I　said；　〃Very　well；　I　suppose　there　are　'hantus'　（spirits）　here。〃　〃Yes；〃　said　he；　〃and　they　don't　like　anything　to　be　thrown　overboard；　many　a　prau　has　been　lost　by　doing　it。〃　Upon　which　I　promised　to　be　very　careful。　At　sunset　the　good　Mahometans　on　board　all　repeated　a　few　words　of　prayer　with　a　general　chorus；　reminding　me　of　the　pleasing　and　impressive　〃Ave。　Maria〃　of　Catholic　countries。

Dec。　20th。…At　sunrise　we　were　opposite　the　Bontyne　mountain；　said　to　be　one　of　the　highest　in　Celebes。　In　the　afternoon　we　passed　the　Salayer　Straits　and　had　a　little　squall；　which　obliged　us　to　lower　our　huge　mast；　sails；　and　heavy　yards。　The　rest　of　the　evening　we　had　a　fine　west　wind；　which　carried　us　on　at　near　five　knots　an　hour；　as　much　as　our　lumbering　old　tub　can　possibly　go。

Dec。　21st。…A　heavy　swell　from　the　south…west　rolling　us　about　most　uncomfortably。　A　steady　wind　was　blowing　however；　and　we　got　on　very　well。

Dec。　22d。…The　swell　had　gone　down。　We　passed　Boutong；　a　large　island；　high；　woody；　and　populous；　the　native　place　of　some　of　our　crew。　A　small　prau　returning　from　Bali　to　the；　island　of　Goram　overtook　us。　The　nakoda　（captain）　was　known　to　our　owner。　They　had　been　two　years　away；　but　were　full　of　people；　with　several　black　Papuans　on　board。　At　6　P。M。　we　passed　Wangiwangi；　low　but　not　flat；　inhabited　and　subject　to　Boutong。　We　had　now　fairly　entered　the　Molucca　Sea。　After　dark　it　was　a　beautiful　sight　to　look　down　on　our　rudders；　from　which　rushed　eddying　streams　of　phosphoric　light　gemmed　with　whirling　sparks　of　fire。　It　resembled　（more　nearly　than　anything　else　to　which　I　can　compare　it）　one　of　the　large　irregular　nebulous　star…clusters　seen　through　a　good　telescope；　with　the　additional　attraction　of　ever…changing　form　and　dancing　motion。

Dec。　23d。…Fine　red　sunrise；　the　island　we　left　last　evening　barely　visible　behind　us。　The　Goram　prau　about　a　mile　south　of　us。　They　have　no　compass；　yet　they　have　kept　a　very　true　course　during　the　night。　Our　owner　tells　me　they　do　it　by　the　swell　of　the　sea；　the　direction　of　which　they　notice　at　sunset；　and　sail　by　it　during　the　night。　In　these　seas　they　are　never　（in　fine　weather）　more　than　two　days　without　seeing　land。　Of　course　adverse　winds　or　currents　sometimes　carry　them　away；　but　they　soon　fall　in　with　some　island；　and　there　are　always　some　old　sailors　on　board　who　know　it；　and　thence　take　a　new　course。　Last　night　a　shark　about　five　feet　long　was　caught；　and　this　morning　it　was　cut　up　and　cooked。　In　the　afternoon　they　got　another；　and　I　had　a　little　fried；　and　found　it　firm　and　dry；　but　very　palatable。　In　the　evening　the　sun　set　in　a　heavy　bank　of　clouds；　which；　as　darkness　came　on；　assumed　a　fearfully　black　appearance。　According　to　custom；　when　strong　wind　or　rain　is　expected；　our　large　sails　…were　furled；　and　with　their　yards　let　down　on　deck；　and　a　small　square　foresail　alone　kept　up。　The　great　mat　sails　are　most　awkward　things　to　manage　in　rough　weather。　The　yards　which　support　them　are　seventy　feet　long；　and　of　course　very　heavy；　and　the　only　way　to　furl　them　being　to　roll　up　the　sail　on　the　boom；　it　is　a　very　dangerous　thing　to　have　them　standing　when　overtaken　by　a　squall。　Our　crew；　though　numerous　enough　for　a　vessel　of　700　instead　of　one　of　70　tons；　have　it　very　much　their　own　way；　and　there　seems　to　be　seldom　more　than　a　dozen　at　work　at　a　time。　When　anything　important　is　to　be　done；　however；　all　start　up　willingly　enough；　but　then　all　think　themselves　at　liberty　to　give　their　opinion；　and　half　a　dozen　voices　are　heard　giving　orders；　and　there　is　such　a　shrieking　and　confusion　that　it　seems　wonderful　anything　gets　done　at　all。

Considering　we　have　fifty　men　of　several　tribes　and　tongues　onboard；　wild；　half…savage　looking　fellows；　and　few　of　them　feeling　any　of　the　restraints　of　morality　or　education；　we　get　on　wonderfully　well。　There　is　no　fighting　or　quarrelling；　as　there　would　certainly　be　among　the　same　number　of　Europeans　with　as　little　restraint　upon　their　actions；　and　there　is　scarcely　any　of　that　noise　and　excitement　which　might　be　expected。　In　fine　weather　the　greater　part　of　them　are　quietly　enjoying　themselves…　…some　are　sleeping　under　the　shadow　of　the　sails；　others；　in　little　groups　of　three　or　four；　are　talking　or　chewing　betel；　one　is　making　a　new　handle　to　his　chopping…knife；　another　is　stitching　away　at　a　new　pair　of　trousers　or　a　shirt；　and　all　are　as　quiet　and　well…conducted　as　on　board　the　best…ordered　English　merchantman。　Two　or　three　take　it　by　turns　to　watch　in　the　bows　and　see　after　the　braces　and　halyards　of　the　great　sails；　the　two　steersmen　are　below　in　the　steerage；　our　captain；　or　the　juragan；　gives　the　course；　guided　partly　by　the　compass　and　partly　by　the　direction　of　the　wind；　and　a　watch　of　two　or　three　on　the　poop　look　after　the　trimming　of　the　sails　and　call　out　the　hours　by　the　water…clock。　This　is　a　very　ingenious　contrivance；　which　measures　time　well　in　both　rough　weather　and　fine。　It　is　simply　a　bucket　half　filled　with　water；　in　which　floats　the　half　of　a　well…scraped　cocoa…nut　shell。　In　the　bottom　of　this　shell　is　a　very　small　hole；　so　that　when　placed　to　float　in　the　bucket　a　fine　thread　of　water　squirts　up　into　it。　This　gradually　fills　the　shell；　and　the　size　of　the　hole　is　so　adjusted　to　the　capacity　of　the　vessel　that；　exactly　at　the　end　of　an　hour；　plump　it　goes　to　the　bottom。　The　watch　then　cries　out　the　number　of　hours　from　sunrise　and　sets　the　shell　afloat　again　empty。　This　is　a　very　good　measurer　of　time。　I　tested　it　with　my　watch　and　found　that　it　hardly　varied　a　minute　from　one　hour　to　another；　nor　did　the　motion　of　the　vessel　have　any　effect　upon　it；　as　the　water　in　the　bucket　of　course　kept　level。　It　has　a　great　advantage　for　a　rude　people　in　being　easily　understood；　in　being　rather　bulky　and　easy　to　see；　and　in　the　final　submergence　being　accompanied　with　a　little　bubbling　and　commotion　of　the　water；　which　calls　the　attention　to　it。　It　is　also　quickly　replaced　if　lost　while　in　harbour。

Our　captain　and　owner　I　find　to　be　a　quiet；　good…tempered　man；　who　seems　to　get　on　very　well　with　all　about　him。　When　at　sea　he　drinks　no　wine　or　spirits；　but　indulges　only　in　coffee　and　cakes；　morning　and　afternoon；　in　company　with　his　supercargo　and　assistants。　He　is　a　man　of　some　little　education；　can　read　and　write　well　both　Dutch　and　Malay；　uses　a　compass；　and　has　a　chart。　He　has　been　a　trader　to　Aru　for　many　years；　and　is　well　known　to　both　Europeans　and　natives　in　this　part　of　the　world。

Dec。　24th。…Fine；　and　little　wind。　No　land　in　sight　for　the　first　time　since　we　left　Macassar。　At　noon　calm；　with　heavy　showers；　in　which　our　crew　wash　their　clothes；　anti　in　the　afternoon　the　prau　is　covered　with　shirts；　trousers；　and　sarongs　of　various　gay　colours。　I　made　a　discovery　to…day　which　at　first　rather　alarmed　me。　The　two　ports；　or　openings；　through　which　the　tillers　enter　from　the　lateral　rudders　are　not　more　than　three　or　four　feet　above　the　surface　of　the　water；　which　thus　has　a　free　entrance　into　the　vessel。　I　of　course　had　imagined　that　this　open　space　from　one　side　to　the　other　was　separated　from　the　hold　by　a　water…tight　bulkhead；　so　that　a　sea　entering　might　wash　out　at　the　further　side；　and　do　no　more　harm　than　give　the　steersmen　a　drenching。　To　my　surprise　end　dismay；　however；　I　find　that　it　is　completely　open　to　the　hold；　so　that　half…a…dozen　seas　rolling　in　on　a　stormy　night　would　nearly；　or　quite；　swamp　us。　Think　of　a　vessel　going　to　sea　for　a　month　with　two　holes；　each　a　yard　square；　into　the　hold；　at　three　feet　above　the　water…line；…holes；　too；　which　cannot　possibly　be　closed！　But　our　captain　says　all　praus　are　so；　and　though　he　acknowledges　the　danger；　〃he　does　not　know　how　to　alter　itthe　people　are　used　to　it；　he　does　not　understand　praus　so　well　as　they　do；　and　if　such　a　great　alteration　were　made；　he　should　be　sure　to　have　difficulty　in　getting　a　crew！〃　This　proves　at　all　events　that　praus　must　be　good　sea…boats；　for　the　captain　has　been　continually　making　voyages　in　them　for　the　last　ten　years；　and　says　he　has　never　known　water　enough　enter　to　do　any　harm。

Dec。25th。…Christmas…day　dawned　upon　us　with　gusts　of　wind；　driving　rain；　thunder　and　lightning；　added　to　which　a　short　confused　sea　made　our　queer　vessel　pitch　and　roll　very　uncomfortably。　About　nine　o'clock；　however；　it　cleared　up；　and　we　then　saw　ahead　of　us　the　fine　island　of　Bouru；　perhaps　forty　or　fifty　miles　distant；　its　mountains　wreathed　with　clouds；　while　its　lower　lands　w