the malay archipelago-2-第31节

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t…hunters；　who；　I　fear；　to　satisfy　their　gross　appetites；　destroy　many　gems　of　the　insect　world；　which　would　feast　the　eyes　and　delight　the　heart　of　our　more　discriminating　entomologists。　Another　curious　feature　of　the　jungle　here　was　the　multitude　of　sea…shells　everywhere　met　with　on　the　ground　and　high　up　on　the　branches　and　foliage；　all　inhabited　by　hermit…　crabs；　who　forsake　the　beach　to　wander　in　the　forest。　I　lave　actually　seen　a　spider　carrying　away　a　good…sized　shell　and　devouring　its　（probably　juvenile）　tenant。　On　the　beach；　which　I　had　to　walls　along　every　morning　to　reach　the　forest；　these　creatures　swarmed　by　thousands。　Every　dead　shell；　from　the　largest　to　the　most　minute；　was　appropriated　by　them。　They　formed　small　social　parties　of　ten　or　twenty　around　bits　of　stick　or　seaweed；　but　dispersed　hurriedly　at　the　sound　of　approaching　footsteps。　After　a　windy　night；　that　nasty…looking　Chinese　delicacy　the　sea…slug　was　sometimes　thrown　up　on　the　beach；　which　was　at　such　times　thickly　strewn　with　some　of　the　most　beautiful　shells　that　adorn　our　cabinets；　along　with　fragments　and　masses　of　coral　and　strange　sponges；　of　which　I　picked　up　more　than　twenty　different　sorts。　In　many　cases　sponge　and　coral　are　so　much　alike　that　it　is　only　on　touching　them　that　they　can　be　distinguished。　Quantities　of　seaweed；　too；　are　thrown　up；　but　strange　as　it　may　seem；　these　are　far　less　beautiful　and　less　varied　than　may　be　found　on　any　favourable　part　of　our　own　coasts。

The　natives　here；　even　those　who　seem　to　be　of　pare　Papuan　race；　were　much　more　reserved　and　taciturn　than　those　of　Ke。　This　is　probably　because　I　only　saw　them　as　yet　among　strangers　and　in　small　parties；　One　must　see　the　savage　at　home　to　know　what　he　really　is。　Even　here；　however；　the　Papuan　character　sometimes　breaks　out。　Little　boys　sing　cheerfully　as　they　walk　along；　or　talk　aloud　to　themselves　（quite　a　negro　characteristic）；　and　try　all　they　can；　the　men　cannot　conceal　their　emotions　in　the　true　Malay　fashion。　A　number　of　them　were　one　day　in　my　house；　and　having　a　fancy　to　try　what　sort　of　eating　tripang　would　be；　I　bought　a　couple；　paying　for　them　with　such　an　extravagant　quantity　of　tobacco　that　the　seller　saw　I　was　a　green　customer。　He　could　not；　however；　conceal　his　delight；　but　as　he　smelt　the　fragrant　weed；　and　exhibited　the　large　handful　to　his　companions；　he　grinned　and　twisted　and　gave　silent　chuckles　in　a　most　expressive　pantomime。　I　had　often　before　made　the　same　mistake　in　paying　a　Malay　for　some　trifle。　In　no　case；　however；　was　his　pleasure　visible　on　his　countenancea　dull　and　stupid　hesitation　only　showing　his　surprise；　which　would　be　exhibited　exactly　in　the　same　way　whether　he　was　over　or　under　paid。　These　little　moral　traits　are　of　the　greatest　interest　when　taken　in　connexion　with　physical　features。　They　do　not　admit　of　the　same　ready　explanation　by　external　causes　which　is　so　frequently　applied　to　the　latter。　Writers　on　the　races　of　mankind　have　too　often　to　trust　to　the　information　of　travellers　who　pass　rapidly　from　country　to　country；　and　thus　have　few　opportunities　of　becoming　acquainted　with　peculiarities　of　national　character；　or　even　of　ascertaining　what　is　really　the　average　physical　conformation　of　the　people。　Such　are　exceedingly　apt　to　be　deceived　in　places　where　two　races　have　long；　intermingled；　by　looking　on　intermediate　forms　and　mixed　habits　as　evidences　of　a　natural　transition　from　one　race　to　the　other；　instead　of　an　artificial　mixture　of　two　distinct　peoples；　and　they　will　be　the　more　readily　led　into　this　error　if；　as　in　the　present　case；　writers　on　the　subject　should　have　been　in　the　habit　of　classing　these　races　as　mere　varieties　of　one　stock；　as　closely　related　in　physical　conformation　as　from　their　geographical　proximity　one　might　suppose　they　ought　to　be。　So　far　as　I　have　yet　seen；　the　Malay　and　Papuan　appear　to　be　as　widely　separated　as　any　two　human　races　that　exist；　being　distinguished　by　physical；　mental；　and　moral　characteristics；　all　of　the　most　marked　and　striking　kind。

Feb　5th。I　took　advantage　of　a　very　fine　calm　day　to　pay　a　visit　to　the　island　of　Wokan；　which　is　about　a　mile　from　us；　and　forms　part　of　the　〃canna　busar；〃　or　mainland　of　Aru。　This　is　a　large　island；　extending　from　north　to　south　about　a　hundred　miles；　but　so　low　in　many　parts　as　to　be　intersected　by　several　creeks；　which　run　completely　through　it；　offering　a　passage　for　good…　sized　vessels。　On　the　west　side；　where　we　are；　there　are　only　a　few　outlying　islands；　of　which　ours　（Wamma）　is　the　principal；　but　on　the　east　coast　are　a　great　number　of　islands；　extending　some　miles　beyond　the　mainland；　and　forming　the　〃blakang　tang；〃　or　〃back　country；〃　of　the　traders；　being　the　principal　seat　of　the　pearl；　tripang；　and　tortoiseshell　fisheries。　To　the　mainland　many　of　the　birds　and　animals　of　the　country　are　altogether　confined；　the　Birds　of　paradise；　the　black　cockatoo；　the　great　brush…　turkey；　and　the　cassowary；　are　none　of　them　found　on　Wamma　or　any　of　the　detached　islands。　I　did　not；　however；　expect　in　this　excursion　to　see　any　decided　difference　in　the　forest　or　its　productions；　and　was　therefore　agreeably　surprised。　The　beach　was　overhung　with　the　drooping　branches　of　lame　trees；　loaded　with　Orchideae；　ferns；　and　other　epiphytal　plants。　In　the　forest　there　was　more　variety；　some　parts　being　dry；　and　with　trees　of　a　lower　growth；　while　in　others　there　were　some　of　the　most　beautiful　palms　I　have　ever　seen；　with　a　perfectly　straight；　smooth；　slender　stem；　a　hundred　feet　high；　and　a　crown　of　handsome　drooping　leaves。　But　the　greatest　novelty　and　most　striking　feature　to　my　eyes　were　the　tree…ferns；　which；　after　seven　years　spent　in　the　tropics；　I　now　saw　in　perfection　for　the　first　time。　All　I　had　hitherto　met　with　were　slender　species；　not　more　than　twelve　feet　high；　and　they　gave　not　the　least　idea　of　the　supreme　beauty　of　trees　bearing　their　elegant　heads　of　fronds　more　than　thirty　feet　in　the　air；　like　those　which　were　plentifully　scattered　about　this　forest。　There　is　nothing　in　tropical　vegetation　so　perfectly　beautiful。

My　boys　shot　five　sorts　of　birds；　none　of　which　we　had　obtained　during　a　month's　shooting　in　Wamma。　Two　were　very　pretty　flycatchers；　already　known　from　New　Guinea；　one　of　them　（Monarcha　chrysomela）；　of　brilliant　black　and　bright　orange　colours；　is　by　some　authors　considered　to　be　the　most　beautiful　of　all　flycatchers；　the　other　is　pure　white　and　velvety　black；　with　a　broad　fleshy　ring　round　the　eye　of　are　azure　blue　colour；　it　is　named　the　〃spectacled　flycatcher〃　（Monarcha　telescopthalma）；　and　was　first　found　in　New　Guinea；　along　with　the　other；　by　the　French　naturalists　during　the　voyage　of　the　discovery…ship　Coquille。

Feb。　18th。Before　leaving　Macassar；　I　had　written　to　the　Governor　of　Amboyna　requesting　him　to　assist　me　with　the　native　chiefs　of　Aru。　I　now　received　by　a　vessel　which　had　arrived　from　Amboyna　a　very　polite　answer　informing　me　that　orders　had　been　sent　to　give　me　every　assistance　that　I　might　require；　and　I　was　just　congratulating　myself　on　being　at　length　able　to　get　a　boat　and　men　to　go　to　the　mainland　and　explore　the　interior；　when　a　sudden　check　carne　in　the　form　of　a　piratical　incursion。　A　small　prau　arrived　which　had　been　attacked　by　pirates　and　had　a　man　wounded。　They　were　said　to　have　five　boats；　but　more　were　expected　to　be　behind　and　the　traders　were　all　in　consternation；　fearing　that　their　small　vessels　sent　trading　to　the　〃blakang　tana〃　would　be　plundered。　The　Aru　natives　were　of　course　　dreadfully　alarmed；　as　these　marauders　attack　their　villages；　burn　and　murder；　and　carry　away　women　and　children　for　slaves。　Not　a　man　will　stir　from　his　village　for　some　time；　and　I　must　remain　still　a　prisoner　in　Dobbo。　The　Governor　of　Amboyna；　out　of　pure　kindness；　has　told　the　chiefs　that　they　are　to　be　responsible　for　my　safety；　so　that　they　have　au　excellent　excuse　for　refusing　to　stir。

Several　praus　went　out　in　search　of　the　pirates；　sentinels　were　appointed；　and　watch…fires　lighted　on　the　beach　to　guard　against　the　possibility　of　a　night　attack；　though　it　was　hardly　thought　they　would　be　bold　enough　to　attempt　to　plunder　Dobbo。　The　next　day　the　praus　returned；　and　we　had　positive　information　that　these　scourges　of　the　Eastern　seas　were　really　among　us。　One　of　Herr　Warzbergen's　small　praus　also　arrived　in　a　sad　plight。　It　had　been　attacked　six　days　before；　just　as　it　was　returning；　from　the　〃blakang　tana。〃　The　crew　escaped　in　their　small　boat　and　hid　in　the　jungle；　while　the　pirates　came　up　and　plundered　the　vessel。　They　took　away　everything　but　the　cargo　of　mother…of…　pearl　shell；　which　was　too　bulky　for　them。　All　the　clothes　and　boxes　of　the　men；　and　the　sails　and　cordage　of　the　prau；　were　cleared　off。　They　had　four　large　war　boats；　and　fired　a　volley　of　musketry　as　they　came　up；　and　sent　off　their　small　boats　to　the　attack。　After　they　had　left；　our　men　observed　from　their　concealment　that　three　had　stayed　behind　with　a　small　boat；　and　being　driven　to　desperation　by　the　sight　of　the　plundering；　one　brave　fellow　swam　off　armed　only　with　his　parang；　or　chopping…　knife；　and　coming　on　them　unawares　made　a　desperate　attack；　killing　one　and　wounding　the　other　two；　receiving　himself　numbers　of　slight　wounds；　and　the