the malay archipelago-2-第29节

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xclusively　confined　to　the　Malay　islands。　In　shape　it　resembles　a　very　large　ant；　more　than　an　inch　long；　and　of　a　purple　black　colour。　Like　an　ant　also　it　is　wingless；　and　is　generally　found　ascending　trees；　passing　around　the　trunks　in　a　spiral　direction　when　approached；　to　avoid　capture；　so　that　it　requires　a　sudden　run　and　active　fingers　to　secure　a　specimen。　This　species　emits　the　usual　fetid　odour　of　the　ground　beetles。　My　collections　during　our　four　days'　stay　at　Ke　were　as　follow：　Birds；　13　species；　insects；　194　species；　and　3　kinds　of　land…　shells。

There　are　two　kinds　of　people　inhabiting　these　islandsthe　indigenes；　who　have　the　Papuan　characters　strongly　marked；　and　who　are　pagans；　and　a　mixed　race；　who　are　nominally　Mahometans；　and　wear　cotton　clothing；　while　the　former　use　only　a　waist　cloth　of　cotton　or　bark。　These　Mahometans　are　said　to　have　been　driven　out　of　Banda　by　the　early　European　settlers。　They　were　probably　a　brown　race；　more　allied　to　the　Malays；　and　their　mixed　descendants　here　exhibit　great　variations　of　colour；　hair；　and　features；　graduating　between　the　Malay　and　Papuan　types。　It　is　interesting　to　observe　the　influence　of　the　early　Portuguese　trade　with　these　countries　in　the　words　of　their　language；　which　still　remain　in　use　even　among　these　remote　and　savage　islanders。　〃Lenco〃　for　handkerchief；　and　〃faca〃　for　knife；　are　here　used　to　the　exclusion　of　the　proper　Malay　terms。　The　Portuguese　and　Spaniards　were　truly　wonderful　conquerors　and　colonizers。　They　effected　more　rapid　changes　in　the　countries　they　conquered　than　any　other　nations　of　modern　times；　resembling　the　Romans　in　their　power　of　impressing　their　own　language；　religion；　and　manners　on　rode　and　barbarous　tribes。

The　striking　contrast　of　character　between　these　people　and　the　Malays　is　exemplified　in　many　little　traits。　One　day　when　I　was　rambling　in　the　forest；　an　old　man　stopped　to　look　at　me　catching　an　insect。　He　stood　very　quiet　till　I　had　pinned　and　put　it　away　in　my　collecting　box；　when　he　could　contain　himself　no　longer；　but　bent　almost　double；　and　enjoyed　a　hearty　roar　of　laughter。　Every　one　will　recognise　this　as　a　true　negro　trait。　A　Malay　would　have　stared；　and　asked　with　a　tone　of　bewilderment　what　I　was　doing；　for　it　is　but　little　in　his　nature　to　laugh；　never　heartily；　and　still　less　at　or　in　the　presence　of　a　stranger；　to　whom；　however；　his　disdainful　glances　or　whispered　remarks　are　less　agreeable　than　the　most　boisterous　open　expression　of　merriment。　The　women　here　were　not　so　much　frightened　at　strangers；　or　made　to　keep　themselves　so　much　secluded　as　among　the　Malay　races；　the　children　were　more　merry　and　had　the　〃nigger　grin；〃　while　the　noisy　confusion　of　tongues　among　the　men；　and　their　excitement　on　very　ordinary　occasions；　are　altogether　removed　from　the　general　taciturnity　and　reserve　of　the　Malay。

The　language　of　the　Ke　people　consists　of　words　of　one；　two；　or　three　syllables　in　about　equal　proportions；　and　has　many　aspirated　and　a　few　guttural　sounds。　The　different　villages　have　slight　differences　of　dialect；　but　they　are　mutually　intelligible；　and；　except　in　words　that　have　evidently　been　introduced　during　a　long…continued　commercial　intercourse；　seem　to　have　no　affinity　whatever　with　the　Malay　languages。

Jan。　6th。…The　small　boats　being　finished；　we　sailed　for　Aru　at　4　P。M。；　and　as　we　left　the　shores　of　Ke　had　a　line　view　of　its　rugged　and　mountainous　character；　ranges　of　hills；　three　or　four　thousand　feet　high；　stretching　southwards　as　far　as　the　eye　could　reach；　everywhere　covered　with　a　lofty；　dense；　and　unbroken　forest。　We　had　very　light　winds；　and　it　therefore　took　us　thirty　hours　to　make　the　passage　of　sixty　miles　to　the　low；　or　flat；　but　equally　forest…covered　Aru　Islands；　where　we　anchored　in　the　harbour　of　Dobbo　at　nine　in　the　evening　of　the　next　day。

My　first　voyage　in　a　prau　being　thus　satisfactorily　terminated；　I　must；　before　taking　leave　of　it　for　some　months；　bear　testimony　to　the　merits　of　the　queer　old…world　vessel。　Setting　aside　all　ideas　of　danger；　which　is　probably；　after　all；　not　more　than　in　any　other　craft；　I　must　declare　that　I　have　never；　either　before　or　since；　made　a　twenty　days'　voyage　so　pleasantly；　or　perhaps；　more　correctly　speaking；　with　so　little　discomfort。　This　I　attribute　chiefly　to　having　my　small　cabin　on　deck；　and　entirely　to　myself；　to　having　my　own　servants　to　wait　upon　me；　and　to　the　absence　of　all　those　marine…store　smells　of　paint；　pitch；　tallow；　and　new　cordage；　which　are　to　me　insupportable。　Something　is　also　to　be　put　down　to　freedom　from　all　restraint　of　dress；　hours　of　meals；　&c。；　and　to　the　civility　and　obliging　disposition　of　the　captain。　I　had　agreed　to　have　my　meals　with　him；　but　whenever　I　wished　it　I　had　them　in　my　own　berth；　and　at　what　hours　I　felt　inclined。　The　crew　were　all　civil　and　good…tempered；　and　with　very　little　discipline　everything　went　on　smoothly；　and　the　vessel　was　kept　very　clean　and　in　pretty　good　order；　so　that　on　the　whole　I　was　much　delighted　with　the　trip；　and　was　inclined　to　rate　the　luxuries　of　the　semi…barbarous　prau　as　surpassing　those　of　the　most　magnificent　screw…steamer；　that　highest　result　of　our　civilisation。

CHAPTER　XXX

THE　ARU　ISLANDSRESIDENCE　IN　DOBBO

（JANUARY　TO　MARCH　　1857。）

On　the　8th　of　January；　1857；　I　landed　at　Dobbo；　the　trading　settlement　of　the　Bugis　and　Chinese；　who　annually　visit　the　Aru　Islands。　It　is　situated　on　the　small　island　of　Wamma；　upon　a　spit　of　sand　which　projects　out　to　the　north；　and　is　just　wide　enough　to　contain　three　rows　of　houses。　Though　at　first　sight　a　most　strange　and　desolate…looking　place　to　build　a　village　on；　it　has　many　advantages。　There　is　a　clear　entrance　from　the　west　among　the　coral　reefs　that　border　the　land；　and　there　is　good　anchorage　for　vessels；　on　one　side　of　the　village　or　the　other；　in　both　the　east　and　west　monsoons。　Being　fully　exposed　to　the　sea…breezes　in　three　directions　it　is　healthy；　and　the　soft　sandy　heath　offers　great　facilities　for　hauling　up　the　praus；　in　order　to　secure　them　from　sea…worms　and　prepare　them　for　the　homeward　voyage。　At　its　southern　extremity　the　sand…bank　merges　in　the　beach　of　the　island；　and　is　backed　by　a　luxuriant　growth　of　lofty　forest。　The　houses　are　of　various　sizes；　but　are　all　built　after　one　pattern；　being　merely　large　thatched　sheds；　a　small　portion　of　which；　next　the　entrance；　is　used　as　a　dwelling；　while　the　rest　is　parted　oft；　and　often　divided　by　one　or　two　floors；　in　order　better　to　stow　away　merchandise　and　native　produce。

As　we　had　arrived　early　in　the　season；　most　of　the　houses　were　empty；　and　the　place　looked　desolate　in　the　extremethe　whole　of　the　inhabitants　who　received　us　on　our　landing　amounting　to　about　half…a…dozen　Bugis　and　Chinese。　Our　captain；　Herr　Warzbergen；　had　promised　to　obtain　a　house　for　me；　but　unforeseen　difficulties　presented　themselves。　One　which　was　to　let　had　no　roof；　and　the　owner；　who　was　building　it　on　speculation；　could　not　promise　to　finish　it　in　less　than　a　month。　Another；　of　which　the　owner　was　dead；　and　which　I　might　therefore　take　undisputed　possession　of　as　the　first　comer；　wanted　considerable　repairs；　and　no　one　could　be　found　to　do　the　work；　although　about　four　times　its　value　was　offered。　The　captain；　therefore；　recommended　me　to　take　possession　of　a　pretty　good　house　near　his　own；　whose　owner　was　not　expected　for　some　weeks；　and　as　I　was　anxious　to　be　on　shore；　I　immediately　had　it　cleared　out；　and　by　evening　had　all　my　things　housed；　and　was　regularly　installed　as　an　inhabitant　of　Dobbo。　I　had　brought　with　me　a　cane　chair；　and　a　few　light　boards；　which　were　soon　rigged　up　into　a　table　and　shelves。　A　broad　bamboo　bench　served　as　sofa　and　bedstead；　my　boxes　were　conveniently　arranged；　my　mats　spread　on　the　floor；　a　window　cut　in　the　palm…leaf　wall　to　light　my　table；　and　though　the　place　was　as　miserable　and　gloomy　a　shed　as　could　be　imagined；　I　felt　as　contented　as　if　I　had　obtained　a　well…furnished　mansion；　and　looked　forward　to　a　month's　residence　in　it　with　unmixed　satisfaction。

The　next　morning；　after　an　early　breakfast；　I　set　off　to　explore　the　virgin　forests　of　Aru；　anxious　to　set　my　mind　at　rest　as　to　the　treasures　they　were　likely　to　yield；　and　the　probable　success　of　my　long…meditated　expedition。　A　little　native　imp　was　our　guide；　seduced　by　the　gift　of　a　German　knife；　value　three…　halfpence；　and　my　Macassar　boy　Baderoon　brought　his　chopper　to　clear　the　path　if　necessary。

We　had　to　walk　about　half　a　mile　along　the　beach；　the　ground　behind　the　village　being　mostly　swampy；　and　then　turned　into　the　forest　along　a　path　which　leads　to　the　native　village　of　Wamma；　about　three　miles　off　on　the　other　side　of　the　island。　The　path　was　a　narrow　one；　and　very　little　used；　often　swampy　and　obstructed　by　fallen　trees；　so　that　after　about　a　mile　we　lost　it　altogether；　our　guide　having　turned　back；　and　we　were　obliged　to　follow　his　example。　In　the　meantime；　however；　I　had　not　been　idle；　and　my　day's　captures　determined　the　success　of　my　journey　in　an　entomological　point　of　view。　I　had　taken　about　thirty　species　of　butterflies；　more　than　I　had　ever　captured　in　a　day　since　leaving　the　prolific　banks　of　the　Amazon；　and　among　them　were　many　most　rare　and　beautiful　insects；　hitherto