the malay archipelago-2-第28节

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ed　true　and　smooth　with　the　adze；　and　a　plank；　properly　curved　and　tapering　at　each　end；　is　held　firmly　up　against　it；　while　a　line　is　struck　along　it　which　allows　it　to　be　cut　so　as　to　fit　exactly。　A　series　of　auger　holes；　about　as　large　as　one's　finger；　are　then　bored　along　the　opposite　edges；　and　pins　of　very　hard　wood　are　fitted　to　these；　so　that　the　two　planks　are　held　firmly；　and　can　be　driven　into　the　closest　contact；　and　difficult　as　this　seems　to　do　without　any　other　aid　than　rude　practical　skill　in　forming　each　edge　to　the　true　corresponding　curves；　and　in　poring　the　holes　so　as　exactly　to　match　both　in　position　and　direction；　yet　so　well　is　it　done　that　the　best　European　shipwright　cannot　produce　sounder　or　closer…　fitting　joints。　The　boat　is　built　up　in　this　way　by　fitting　plank　to　plank　till　the　proper　height　and　width　are　obtained。　We　have　now　a　skin　held　together　entirely　by　the　hardwood　pins　connecting　the　edges　of　the　planks；　very　strong　and　elastic；　but　having　nothing　but　the　adhesion　of　these　pins　to　prevent　the　planks　gaping。　In　the　smaller　boats　seats；　in　the　larger　ones　cross…　beams；　are　now　fixed。　They　are　sprung　into　slight　notches　cut　to　receive　them；　and　are　further　secured　to　the　projecting　pieces　of　the　plank　below　by　a　strong　lashing　of　rattan。　Ribs　are　now　formed　of　single　pieces　of　tough　wood　chosen　and　trimmed　so　as　exactly　to　fit　on　to　the　projections　from　each　plank；　being　slightly　notched　to　receive　them；　and　securely　bound　to　them　by　rattans　passed　through　a　hole　in　each　projecting　piece　close　to　the　surface　of　the　plank。　The　ends　are　closed　against　the　vertical　prow　and　stern　posts；　and　further　secured　with　pegs　and　rattans；　and　then　the　boat　is　complete；　and　when　fitted　with　rudders；　masts；　and　thatched　covering；　is　ready　to　do　battle　with；　the　waves。　A　careful　consideration　of　the　principle　of　this　mode　of　construction；　and　allowing　for　the　strength　and　binding　qualities　of　rattan　（which　resembles　in　these　respects　wire　rather　than　cordage）；　makes　me　believe　that　a　vessel　carefully　built　in　this　manner　is　actually　stronger　and　safer　than　one　fastened　in　the　ordinary　way　with　nails。

During　our　stay　here　we　were　all　very　busy。　Our　captain　was　daily　superintending　the　completion　of　his　two　small　praus。　All　day　long　native　boats　were　coming　with　fish；　cocoa…nuts；　parrots　and　lories；　earthen　pans；　sirip　leaf；　wooden　bowls；　and　trays；　&c。　&e。；　which　every　one　of　the　fifty　inhabitants　of　our　prau　seemed　to　be　buying　on　his　own　account；　till　all　available　and　most　unavailable　space　of　our　vessel　was　occupied　with　these　miscellaneous　articles：　for　every　man　on　board　a　prau　considers　himself　at　liberty　to　trade；　and　to　carry　with　him　whatever　he　can　afford　to　buy。

Money　is　unknown　and　valueless　hereknives；　cloth；　and　arrack　forming　the　only　medium　of　exchange；　with　tobacco　for　small　coin。　Every　transaction　is　the　subject　of　a　special　bargain；　and　the　cause　of　much　talking。　It　is　absolutely　necessary　to　offer　very　little；　as　the　natives　are　never　satisfied　till　you　add　a　little　more。　They　are　then　far　better　pleased　than　if　you　had　given　them　twice　the　amount　at　first　and　refused　to　increase　it。

I；　too；　was　doing　a　little　business；　having　persuaded　some　of　the　natives　to　collect　insects　for　me；　and　when　they　really　found　that　I　gave　them　most　fragrant　tobacco　for　worthless　black　and　green　beetles；　I　soon　had　scores　of　visitors；　men；　women；　and　children；　bringing　bamboos　full　of　creeping　things；　which；　alas！　too　frequently　had　eaten　each　other　into　fragments　during　the　tedium　of　a　day's　confinement。　Of　one　grand　new　beetle；　glittering　with　ruby　and　emerald　tints；　I　got　a　large　quantity；　having　first　detected　one　of　its　wing…cases　ornamenting　the　outside　of　a　native's　tobacco　pouch。　It　was　quite　a　new　species；　and　had　not　been　found　elsewhere　than　on　this　little　island。　It　is　one　of　the　Buprestidae；　and　has　been　named　Cyphogastra　calepyga。

Each　morning　after　an　early　breakfast　I　wandered　by　myself　into　the　forest；　where　I　found　delightful　occupation　in　capturing　the　large　and　handsome　butterflies；　which　were　tolerably　abundant；　and　most　of　them　new　to　me；　for　I　was　now　upon　the　confines　of　the　Moluccas　and　New　Guinea；a　region　the　productions　of　which　were　then　among　the　most　precious　and　rare　in　the　cabinets　of　Europe。　Here　my　eyes　were　feasted　for　the　first　time　with　splendid　scarlet　lories　on　the　wing；　as　well　as　by　the　sight　of　that　most　imperial　butterfly；　the　〃Priamus　〃of　collectors；　or　a　closely　allied　species；　but　flying　so　high　that　I　did　not　succeed　in　capturing　a　specimen。　One　of　them　was　brought　me　in　a　bamboo；　bored　up　with　a　lot　of　beetles；　and　of　course　torn　to　pieces。　The　principal　drawback　of　the　place　for　a　collector　is　the　want　of　good　paths；　and　the　dreadfully　rugged　character　of　the　surface；　requiring　the　attention　to　be　so　continually　directed　to　securing　a　footing；　as　to　make　it　very　difficult　to　capture　active　winged　things；　who　pass　out　of　reach　while　one　is　glancing　to　see　that　the　next　step　may　not　plunge　one　into　a　chasm　or　over　a　precipice。　Another　inconvenience　is　that　there　are　no　running　streams；　the　rock　being　of　so　porous　a　nature　that　the　surface…　water　everywhere　penetrates　its　fissures；　at　least　such　is　the　character　of　the　neighbourhood　we　visited；　the　only　water　being　small　springs　trickling　out　close　to　the　sea…beach。

In　the　forests　of　Ke；　arboreal　Liliaceae　and　Pandanaceae　abound；　and　give　a　character　to　the　vegetation　in　the　more　exposed　rocky　places。　Flowers　were　scarce；　and　there　were　not　many　orchids；　but　I　noticed　the　fine　white　butterfly…orchis；　Phalaenopsis　grandiflora；　or　a　species　closely　allied　to　it。　The　freshness　and　vigour　of　the　vegetation　was　very　pleasing；　and　on　such　an　arid　rocky　surface　was　a　sure　indication　of　a　perpetually　humid　climate。　Tall　clean　trunks；　many　of　them　buttressed；　and　immense　trees　of　the　fig　family；　with　aerial　roots　stretching　out　and　interlacing　and　matted　together　for　fifty　or　a　hundred　feet　above　the　ground；　were　the　characteristic　features；　and　there　was　an　absence　of　thorny　shrubs　and　prickly　rattans；　which　would　have　made　these　wilds　very　pleasant　to　roam　in；　had　it　not　been　for　the　sharp　honeycombed　rocks　already　alluded　to。　In　damp　places　a　fine　undergrowth　of　broadleaved　herbaceous　plants　was　found；　about　which　swarmed　little　green　lizards；　with　tails　of　the　most　〃heavenly　blue；〃　twisting　in　and　out　among　the　stalks　and　foliage　so　actively　that　I　often　caught　glimpses　of　their　tails　only；　when　they　startled　me　by　their　resemblance　to　small　snakes。　Almost　the　only　sounds　in　these　primeval　woods　proceeded　from　two　birds；　the　red　lories；　who　utter　shrill　screams　like　most　of　the　parrot　tribe；　and　the　large　green　nutmeg…pigeon；　whose　voice　is　either　a　loud　and　deep　boom；　like　two　notes　struck　upon　a　very　large　gong；　or　sometimes　a　harsh　toad…like　croak；　altogether　peculiar　and　remarkable。　Only　two　quadrupeds　are　said　by　the　natives　to　inhabit　the　islanda　wild　pig　and　a　Cuscus；　or　Eastern　opossum；　of　neither　of　which　could　I　obtain　specimens。

The　insects　were　more　abundant；　and　very　interesting。　Of　butterflies　I　caught　thirty…five　species；　most　of　them　new　to　me；　and　many　quite　unknown　in　European　collections。　Among　them　was　the　fine　yellow　and　black　Papilio　euchenor；　of　which　but　few　specimens　had　been　previously　captured；　and　several　other　handsome　butterflies　of　large　size；　as　well　as　some　beautiful　little　〃blues；〃　and　some　brilliant　dayflying　moths。　The　beetle　tribe　were　less　abundant；　yet　I　obtained　some　very　fine　and　rare　species。　On　the　leaves　of　a　slender　shrub　in　an　old　clearing　I　found　several　fine　blue　and　black　beetles　of　the　genus　Eupholus；　which　almost　rival　in　beauty…　the　diamond　beetles　of　South　America。　Some　cocoa…nut　palms　in　blossom　on　the　beach　were　frequented　by　a　fine　green　floral　beetle　（Lomaptera　which；　when　the　flowers　were　shaken；　flew　off　like　a　small　swarm　of　bees。　I　got　one　of　our　crew　to　climb　up　the　tree；　and　he　brought　me　a　good　number　in　his　hand；　and　seeing　they　were　valuable；　I　sent　him　up　again　with　my　net　to　shake　the　flowers　into；　and　thus　secured　a　large　quantity。　My　best　capture；　however；　was　the　superb　insect　of　the　Buprestis　family；　already　mentioned　as　having　been　obtained　from　the　natives；　who　told　me　they　found　it　in　rotten　trees　in　the　mountains。

In　the　forest　itself　the　only　common　and　conspicuous　coleoptera　were　two　tiger　beetles。　One；　Therates　labiata；　was　much　larger　than　our　green　tiger　beetle；　of　a　purple　black　colour；　with　green　metallic　glosses；　and　the　broad　upper　lip　of　a　bright　yellow。　It　was　always　found　upon　foliage；　generally　of　broad…leaned　herbaceous　plants；　and　in　damp　and　gloomy　situations；　taking　frequent　short　flights　from　leaf　to　leaf；　and　preserving　an　alert　attitude；　as　if　always　looking　out　for　its　prey。　Its　vicinity　could　be　immediately　ascertained；　often　before　it　was　seen；　by　a　very　pleasant　odour；　like　otto　of　roses；　which　it　seems　to　emit　continually；　and　which　may　probably　be　attractive　to　the　small　insects　on　which　it　feeds。　The　other；　Tricondyla　aptera；　is　one　of　the　most　curious　forms　in　the　family　of　the　Cicindelidae；　and　is　almost　exclusively　confined　to　the　Malay　islands。　In　shape　it　resembles　a　very　large　ant；　more　than　an　inch