the malay archipelago-2-第34节

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cylinder　of　a　deep　red　colour；　terminated　by　a　horny　black　plate；　furrowed　across　and　somewhat　prehensile。　The　whole　tongue　has　a　considerable　extensile　power。　I　will　here　relate　something　of　the　habits　of　this　bird；　with　which　I　have　since　become　acquainted。　It　frequents　the　lower　parts　of　the　forest；　and　is　seen　singly；　or　at　most　two　or　three　together。　It　flies　slowly　and　noiselessly；　and　may　be　killed　by　a　comparatively　slight　wound。　It　eats　various　fruits　arid　seeds；　but　seems　more　particularly　attached　to　the　kernel　of　the　kanary…　nut；　which　grows　on　a　lofty　forest　tree　（Canarium　commune）；　abundant　in　the　islands　where　this　bird　is　found；　and　the　manner　in　which　it　gets　at　these　seeds　shows　a　correlation　of　structure　and　habits；　which　would　point　out　the　〃kanary〃　as　its　special　food。　The　shell　of　this　nut　is　so　excessively　hard　that　only　a　heavy　hammer　will　crack　it；　it　is　somewhat　triangular；　and　the　outside　is　quite　smooth。　The　manner　in　which　the　bird　opens　these　nuts　is　very　curious。　Taking　one　endways　in　its　bill　and　keeping　it　firm　by　a　pressure　of　the　tongue；　it　cuts　a　transverse　notch　by　a　lateral　sawing　motion　of　the　sharp…edged　lower　mandible。　This　done；　it　takes　hold　of　the　nut　with　its　foot；　and　biting　off　a　piece　of　leaf　retains　it　in　the　deep　notch　of　the　upper　mandible；　and　again　seizing　the　nut；　which　is　prevented　from　slipping　by　the　elastic　tissue　of　the　leaf；　fixes　the　edge　of　the　lower　mandible　in　the　notch；　and　by　a　powerful　nip　breaks　of　a　piece　of　the　shell。　again　taking　the　nut　in　its　claws；　it　inserts　the　very　long　and　sharp　point　of　the　bill　and　picks　out　the　kernel；　which　is　seized　hold　of；　morsel　by　morsel；　by　the　extensible　tongue。　Thus　every　detail　of　form。　and　structure　in　the　extraordinary　bill　of　this　bird　seems　to　have　its　use；　and　we　may　easily　conceive　that　the　black　cockatoos　have　maintained　themselves　in　competition　with　their　more　active　and　more　numerous　white　allies；　by　their　power　of　existing　on　a　kind　of　food　which　no　other　bird　is　able　to　extract　from　its　stony　shell。　The　species　is　the　Microglossum　aterrimum　of　naturalists。

During　the　two　weeks　which　I　spent　in　this　little　settlement；　I　had　good　opportunities　of　observing　the　natives　at　their　own　home；　and　living　in　their　usual　manner。　There　is　a　great　monotony　and　uniformity　in　everyday　savage　life；　and　it　seemed　to　me　a　more　miserable　existence　than　when　it　had　the　charm　of　novelty。　To　begin　with　the　most　important　fact　in　the　existence　of　uncivilized　peoplestheir　foodthe　Aru　men　have　no　regular　supply；　no　staff　of　life；　such　as　bread；　rice；　mandiocca；　maize；　or　sago；　which　are　the　daily　food　of　a　large　proportion　of　mankind。　They　have；　however；　many　sorts　of　vegetables；　plantains；　yams；　sweet　potatoes；　and　raw　sago；　and　they　chew　up　vast　quantities　of　sugar…cane；　as　well　as　betel…nuts；　gambir；　and　tobacco。　Those　who　live　on　the　coast　have　plenty　of　fish；　but　when　inland；　as　we　are　here；　they　only　go　to　the　sea　occasionally；　and　then　bring　home　cockles　and　other　shell…fish　by　the　boatload。　Now　and　then　they　get　wild　pig　or　kangaroo；　but　too　rarely　to　form　anything　like　a　regular　part　of　their　diet；　which　is　essentially　vegetable；　and　what　is　of　more　importance；　as　affecting　their　health；　green；　watery　vegetables；　imperfectly　cooked；　and　even　these　in　varying　and　often　in　sufficient　quantities。　To　this　diet　may　be　attributed　the　prevalence　of　skin　diseases；　and　ulcers　on　the　legs　and　joints。　The　scurfy　skin　disease　so　common　among　savages　has　a　close　connexion　with　the　poorness　and　irregularity　of　their　living。　The　Malays；　who　are　never　without　their　daily　rice；　are　generally　free　from　it；　the　hill…Dyaks　of　Borneo；　who　grow　rice　and　live　well；　are　clean　skinned　while　the　less　industrious　and　less　cleanly　tribes；　who　live　for　a　portion　of　the　year　on　fruits　and　vegetables　only；　are　very　subject　to　this　malady。　It　seems　clear　that　in　this；　as　in　other　respects；　man　is　not　able　to　make　a　beast　of　himself　with　impunity；　feeding　like　the　cattle　on　the　herbs　and　fruits　of　the　earth；　and　taking　no　thought　of　the　morrow。　To　maintain　his　health　and　beauty　he　must　labour　to　prepare　some　farinaceous　product　capable　of　being　stored　and　accumulated；　so　as　to　give　him　a　regular　supply　of　wholesome　food。　When　this　is　obtained；　he　may　add　vegetables；　fruits；　and　meat　with　advantage。

The　chief　luxury　of　the　Aru　people；　besides　betel　and　tobacco；　is　arrack　（Java　rum）；　which　the　traders　bring　in　great　quantities　and　sell　very　cheap。　A　day's　fishing　or　rattan　cutting　will　purchase　at　least　a　half…gallon　bottle；　and　when　the　tripang　or　birds'　nests　collected　during　a　season　are　sold；　they　get　whole　boxes；　each　containing　fifteen　such　bottles；　which　the　inmates　of　a　house　will　sit　round　day　and　night　till　they　have　finished。　They　themselves　tell　me　that　at　such　bouts　they　often　tear　to　pieces　the　house　they　are　in；　break　and　destroy　everything　they　can　lay　their　hands　on；　and　make　such　an　infernal　riot　as　is　alarming　to　behold。

The　houses　and　furniture　are　on　a　par　with　the　food。　A　rude　shed；　supported　on　rough　and　slender　sticks　rather　than　posts；　no　walls；　but　the　floor　raised　to　within　a　foot　of　the　eaves；　is　the　style　of　architecture　they　usually　adopt。　Inside　there　are　partition　walls　of　thatch；　forming　little　boxes　or　sleeping　places；　to　accommodate　the　two　or　three　separate　families　that　usually　live　together。　A　few　mats；　baskets；　and　cooking　vessels；　with　plates　and　basins　purchased　from　the　Macassar　traders；　constitute　their　whole　furniture；　spears　and　bows　are　their　weapons；　a　sarong　or　mat　forms　the　clothing　of　the　women；　a　waistcloth　of　the　men。　For　hours　or　even　for　days　they　sit　idle　in　their　houses；　the　women　bringing　in　the　vegetables　or　sago　which　form　their　food。　Sometimes　they　hunt　or　fish　a　little；　or　work　at　their　houses　or　canoes；　but　they　seem　to　enjoy　pure　idleness；　and　work　as　little　as　they　can。　They　have　little　to　vary　the　monotony　of　life；　little　that　can　be　called　pleasure；　except　idleness　and　conversation。　And　they　certainly　do　talk！　Every　evening　there　is　a　little　Babel　around　me：　but　as　I　understand　not　a　word　of　it；　I　go　on　with　my　book　or　work　undisturbed。　Now　and　then　they　scream　and　shout；　or　laugh　frantically　for　variety；　and　this　goes　on　alternately　with　vociferous　talking　of　men；　women；　and　children；　till　long　after　I　am　in　my　mosquito　curtain　and　sound　asleep。

At　this　place　I　obtained　some　light　on　the　complicated　mixture　of　races　in　Aru；　which　would　utterly　confound　an　ethnologist。　Many　of　the；　natives；　though　equally　dark　with　the　others；　have　little　of　the　Papuan　physiognomy；　but　have　more　delicate　features　of　the　European　type；　with　more　glossy；　curling　hair：　These　at　first　quite　puzzled　me；　for　they　have　no　more　resemblance　to　Malay　than　to　Papuan；　and　the　darkness　of　skin　and　hair　would　forbid　the　idea　of　Dutch　intermixture。　Listening　to　their　conversation；　however；　I　detected　some　words　that　were　familiar　to　me。　〃Accabó〃　was　one；　and　to　be　sure　that　it　was　not　an　accidental　resemblance；　I　asked　the　speaker　in　Malay　what　〃accabó〃　meant；　and　was　told　it　meant　〃done　or　finished；〃　a　true　Portuguese　word；　with　its　meaning　retained。　Again；　I　heard　the　word　〃jafui〃　often　repeated；　and　could　see；　without　inquiry；　that　its　meaning　was　〃he's　gone；〃　as　in　Portuguese。　〃Porco；〃　too；　seems　a　common　name；　though　the　people　have　no　idea　of　its　European　meaning。　This　cleared　up　the　difficulty。　I　at　once　understood　that　some　early　Portuguese　traders　had　penetrated　to　these　islands；　and　mixed　with　the　natives；　influencing　their　language；　and　leaving　in　their　descendants　for　many　generations　the　visible　characteristics　of　their　race。　If　to　this　we　add　the　occasional　mixture　of　Malay；　Dutch；　and　Chinese　with　the　indigenous　Papuans；　we　have　no　reason　to　wonder　at　the　curious　varieties　of　form　and　feature　occasionally　to　be　met　with　in　Aru。　In　this　very　house　there　was　a　Macassar　man；　with　an　Aru　wife　and　a　family　of　mixed　children。　In　Dobbo　I　saw　a　Javanese　and　an　Amboyna　man；　each　with　an　Aru　wife　and　family；　and　as　this　kind　of　mixture　has　been　going　on　for　at　least　three　hundred　years；　and　probably　much　longer；　it　has　produced　a　decided　effect　on　the　physical　characteristics　of　a　considerable　portion　of　the　population　of　the　islands；　more　especially　in　Dobbo　and　the　parts　nearest　to　it。

March　28th。The　〃Orang…kaya〃　being　very　ill　with　fever　had　begged　to　go　home；　and　had　arranged　with　one　of　the　men　of　the　house　to　go　on　with　me　as　his　substitute。　Now　that　I　wanted　to　move；　the　bugbear　of　the　pirates　was　brought　up；　and　it　was　pronounced　unsafe　to　go　further　than　the　next　small　river。　This　world　not　suit　me；　as　I　had　determined　to　traverse　the　channel　called　Watelai　to　the　〃blakang…tana；〃　but　my　guide　was　firm　in　his　dread　of　pirates；　of　which　I　knew　there　was　now　no　danger；　as　several　vessels　had　gone　in　search　of　them；　as　well　as　a　Dutch　gunboat　which　had　arrived　since　I　left　Dobbo。　I　had；　fortunately；　by　this　time　heard　that　the　Dutch　〃Commissie〃　had　really　arrived；　and　therefore　threatened　that　if　my　guide　did　not　go　with　me　immediately；　I　would　appeal　to　the　authorities；　and　he　would　certainly　be　obliged　to　gig　a　back　the　cloth　which　the　〃Orang…　kaya〃　had　transferred　to　him　in　prepayment。　This　had　the　desired　e