the malay archipelago-2-第33节

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erty；　a　cooking　place　sheltered　by　a　few　mats　was　arranged　under　a　tree　close　by；　and　I　felt　that　degree　of　satisfaction　and　enjoyment　which　I　always　experience　when；　after　much　trouble　and　delay；　I　am　on　the　point　of　beginning　work　in　a　new　locality。

One　of　my　first　objects　was　to　inquire　for　the　people　who　are　accustomed　to　shoot　the　Paradise　birds。　They　lived　at　some　distance　in　the　jungle；　and　a　man　was　sent　to　call　them。　When　they　arrived；　we　had　a　talk　by　means　of　the　〃Orang…kaya　〃as　interpreter；　and　they　said　they　thought　they　could　get　some。　They　explained　that　they　shoot　the　birds　with　a　bow　and　arrow；　the　arrow　having　a　conical　wooden　cap　fitted　to　the　end　as　large　as　a　teacup；　so　as　to　kill　the　bird　by　the　violence　of　the　blow　without　making　any　wound　or　shedding　any　blood。　The　trees　frequented　by　the　birds　are　very　lofty；　it　is　therefore　necessary　to　erect　a　small　leafy　covering　or　hut　among　the　branches；　to　which　the　hunter　mounts　before　daylight　in　the　morning　and　remains　the　whole　day；　and　whenever　a　bird　alights　they　are　almost　sure　of　securing　it。　（See　Frontispiece。）　They　returned　to　their　homes　the　same　evening；　and　I　never　saw　anything　more　of　them；　owing；　as　I　afterwards　found；　to　its　being　too　early　to　obtain　birds　in　good　plumage。

The　first　two　or　three　days　of　our　stay　here　were　very　wet；　and　I　obtained　but　few　insects　or　birds；　but　at　length；　when　I　was　beginning　to　despair；　my　boy　Baderoon　returned　one　day　with　a　specimen　which　repaid　me　for　months　of　delay　and　expectation。　It　was　a　small　bird　a　little　less　than　a　thrush。　The　greater　part　of　its　plumage　was　of　an　intense　cinnabar　red；　with　a　gloss　as　of　spun　glass。　On　the　head　the　feathers　became　short　and　velvety；　and　shaded　into　rich　orange。　Beneath；　from　the　breast　downwards；　was　pure　white；　with　the　softness　and　gloss　of　silk；　and　across　the　breast　a　band　of　deep　metallic　green　separated　this　colour　from　the　red　of　the　throat。　Above　each　eye　was　a　round　spot　of　the　same　metallic　green；　the　bill　was　yellow；　and　the　feet　and　legs　were　of　a　fine　cobalt　ó111e；　strikingly　contrasting　with　all　the　other　parts　of　the　body。　Merely　in　arrangement　of　colours　and　texture　of　plumage　this　little　bird　was　a　gem　of　the　first　water；　yet　there　comprised　only　half　its　strange　beauty。　　Springing　from　each　side　of　the　breast；　and　ordinarily　lying　concealed　under　the　wings；　were　little　tufts　of　greyish　feathers　about　two　inches　long；　and　each　terminated　by　a　broad　band　of　intense　emerald　green。　These　plumes　can　be　raised　at　the　will　of　the　bird；　and　spread　out　into　a　pair　of　elegant　fans　when　the　wings　are　elevated。　But　this　is　not　the　only　ornament。　The　two　middle　feathers　of　the　tail　are　in　the　form　of　slender　wires　about　five　inches　long；　and　which　diverge　in　a　beautiful　double　curve。　About　half　an　inch　of　the　end　of　this　wire　is　webbed　on　the　outer　side　only；　awe　coloured　of　a　fine　metallic　green；　and　being　curled　spirally　inwards　form　a　pair　of　elegant　glittering　buttons；　hanging　five　inches　below　the　body；　and　the　same　distance　apart。　These　two　ornaments；　the　breast　fans　and　the　spiral　tipped　tail　wires；　are　altogether　unique；　not　occurring　on　any　other　species　of　the　eight　thousand　different　birds　that　are　known　to　exist　upon　the　earth；　and；　combined　with　the　most　exquisite　beauty　of　plumage；　render　this　one　of　the　most　perfectly　lovely　of　the　many　lovely　productions　of　nature。　My　transports　of　admiration　and　delight　quite　amused　my　Aru　hosts；　who　saw　nothing　more　in　the　〃Burong　raja〃　than　we　do　in　the　robin　of　the　goldfinch。

Thus　one　of　my　objects　in　coming　to　the　far　fast　was　accomplished。　I　had　obtained　a　specimen　of　the　King　Bird　of　Paradise　（Paradisea　regia）；　which　had　been　described　by　Linnaeus　from　skins　preserved　in　a　mutilated　state　by　the　natives。　I　knew　how　few　Europeans　had　ever　beheld　the　perfect　little　organism　I　now　gazed　upon；　and　how　very　imperfectly　it　was　still　known　in　Europe。　The　emotions　excited　in　the　minds　of　a　naturalist；　who　has　long　desired　to　see　the　actual　thing　which　he　has　hitherto　known　only　by　description；　drawing；　or　badly…preserved　external　coveringespecially　when　that　thing　is　of　surpassing　rarity　and　beauty；　require　the　poetic　faculty　fully　to　express　them。　The　remote　island　in　which　I　found　myself　situated；　in　an　almost　unvisited　sea；　far　from　the　tracks　of　merchant　fleets　and　navies；　the　wild　luxuriant　tropical　forest；　which　stretched　far　away　on　every　side；　the　rude　uncultured　savages　who　gathered　round　me；　all　had　their　influence　in　determining　the　emotions　with　which　I　gazed　upon　this　〃thing　of　beauty。〃　I　thought　of　the　long　ages　of　the　past；　during　which　the　successive　generations　of　this　little　creature　had　run　their　courseyear　by　year　being　born；　and　living　and　dying　amid　these　dark　and　gloomy　woods；　with　no　intelligent　eye　to　gaze　upon　their　loveliness；　to　all　appearance　such　a　wanton　waste　of　beauty。　Such　ideas　excite　a　feeling　of　melancholy。　It　seems　sad；　that　on　the　one　hand　such　exquisite　creatures　should　live　out　their　lives　and　exhibit　their　charms　only　in　these　wild　inhospitable　regions；　doomed　for　ages　yet　to　come　to　hopeless　barbarism；　while　on　the　other　hand；　should　civilized　man　ever　reach　these　distant　lands；　and　bring　moral；　intellectual；　and　physical　light　into　the　recesses　of　these　virgin　forests；　we　may　be　sure　that　he　will　so　disturb　the　nicely…balanced　relations　of　organic　and　inorganic　nature　as　to　cause　the　disappearance；　and　finally　the　extinction；　of　these　very　beings　whose　wonderful　structure　and　beauty　he　alone　is　fitted　to　appreciate　and　enjoy。　This　consideration　must　surely　tell　us　that　all　living　things　were　_not_　made　for　man。　Many　of　them　have　no　relation　to　him。　The　cycle　of　their　existence　has　gone　on　independently　of　his；　and　is　disturbed　or　broken　by　every　advance　in　man's　intellectual　development；　and　their　happiness　and　enjoyment；　their　loves　and　hates；　their　struggles　for　existence；　their　vigorous　life　and　early　death；　would　seem　to　be　immediately　related　to　their　own　well…being　and　perpetuation　alone；　limited　only　by　the　equal　well…being　and　perpetuation　of　the　numberless　other　organisms　with　which　each　is　more　or　less　intimately　connected。

After　the　first　king…bird　was　obtained；　I　went　with　my　men　into　the　forest；　and　we　were　not　only　rewarded　with　another　in　equally　perfect　plumage；　but　I　was　enabled　to　see　a　little　of　the　habits　of　both　it　and　the　larger　species。　It　frequents　the　lower　trees　of　the　less　dense　forests：　and　is　very　active；　flying　strongly　with　a　whirring　sound；　and　continually　hopping　or　flying　from　branch　to　branch。　It　eats　hard　stone…bearing　fruits　as　large　as　a　gooseberry；　and　often　flutters　its　wings　after　the　manner　of　the　South　American　manakins；　at　which　time　it　elevates　and　expands　the　beautiful　fans　with　which　its　breast　is　adorned。　The　natives　of　Aru　call　it　〃Goby…goby。〃

One　day　I　get　under　a　tree　where　a　number　of　the　Great　Paradise　birds　were　assembled；　but　they　were　high　up　in　the　thickest　of　the　foliage；　and　flying　and　jumping　about　so　continually　that　I　could　get　no　good　view　of　them。　At　length　I　shot　one；　but　it　was　a　young　specimen；　and　was　entirely　of　a　rich　chocolate…brown　colour；　without　either　the　metallic　green　throat　or　yellow　plumes　of　the　full…grown　bird。　All　that　I　had　yet　seen　resembled　this；　and　the　natives　told　me　that　it　would　be　about　two　months　before　any　would　be　found　in　full　plumage。　I　still　hoped；　therefore；　to　get　some。　Their　voice　is　most　extraordinary。　At　early　morn；　before　the　sun　has　risen；　we　hear　a　loud　cry　of　〃Wawk…wawk…wawk；　wók…wók…wók；〃　which　resounds　through　the　forest；　changing　its　direction　continually。　This　is　the　Great　Bird　of　Paradise　going　to　seek　his　breakfast。　Others　soon　follow　his　example；　lories　and　parroquets　cry　shrilly；　cockatoos　scream；　king…hunters　croak　and　bark；　and　the　various　smaller　birds　chirp　and　whistle　their　morning　song。　As　I　lie　listening　to　these　interesting　sounds；　I　realize　my　position　as　the　first　European　who　has　ever　lived　for　months　together　in　the　Aru　islands；　a　place　which　I　had　hoped　rather　than　expected　ever　to　visit。　I　think　how　many　besides　my　self　have　longed　to　reach　these　almost　fairy　realms；　and　to　see　with　their　own　eyes　the　many　wonderful　and　beautiful　things　which　I　am　daily　encountering。　But　now　Ali　and　Baderoon　are　up　and　getting　ready　their　guns　and　ammunition；　and　little　Brio　has　his　fire　lighted　and　is　boiling　my　coffee；　and　I　remember　that　I　had　a　black　cockatoo　brought　in　late　last　night；　which　I　must　skin　immediately；　and　so　I　jump　up　and　begin　my　day's　work　very　happily。

This　cockatoo　is　the　first　I　have　seen；　and　is　a　great　prize。　It　has　a　rather　small　and　weak　body；　long　weak　legs；　large　wings；　and　an　enormously　developed　head；　ornamented　with　a　magnificent　crest；　and　armed　with　a　sharp…pointed　hoofed　bill　of　immense　size　and　strength。　The　plumage　is　entirely　black；　but　has　all　over　it　the　curious　powdery　white　secretion　characteristic　of　cockatoo。　The　cheeks　are　bare；　and　of　an　intense　blood…red　colour。　Instead　of　the　harsh　scream　of　the　white　cockatoos；　its　voice　is　a　somewhat　plaintive　whistle。　The　tongue　is　a　curious　organ；　being　a　slender　fleshy　cylinder　of　a　deep　red　colour；　terminated　by　a　horny　black　plate；　furrowed　across　and　somewhat　prehe