the malay archipelago-2-第37节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


f　my　country。　Then；　as　they　could　not　pronounce　it　satisfactorily；　they　insisted　that　I　was　deceiving　them；　and　that　it　was　a　name　of　my　own　invention。　One　funny　old　man；　who　bore　a　ludicrous　resemblance；　to　a　friend　of　mine　at　home；　was　almost　indignant。　〃Ung…lung！　〃said　he；　〃who　ever　heard　of　such　a　name？ang　langanger…lungthat　can't　be　the　name　of　your　country；　you　are　playing　with　us。〃　Then　he　tried　to　give　a　convincing　illustration。　〃My　country　is　Wanumbaianybody　can　say　Wanumbai。　I'm　an　‘　orang…Wanumbai；　but；　N…glung！　who　ever　heard　of　such　a　name？　Do　tell　us　the　real　name　of　your　country；　and　then　when　you　are　gone　we　shall　know　how　to　talk　about　you。〃　To　this　luminous　argument　and　remonstrance　I　could　oppose　nothing　but　assertion；　and　the　whole　party　remained　firmly　convinced　that　I　was　for　some　reason　or　other　deceiving　them。　They　then　attacked　me　on　another　pointwhat　all　the　animals　and　birds　and　insects　and　shells　were　preserved　so　carefully　for。　They　had　often　asked　me　this　before；　and　I　had　tried　to　explain　to　them　that　they　would　be　stuffed；　and　made　to　look　as　if　alive；　and　people　in　my　country　would　go　to　look　at　them。　But　this　was　not　satisfying；　in　my　country　there　must　be　many　better　things　to　look　at；　and　they　could　not　believe　I　would　take　so　much　trouble　with　their　birds　and　beasts　just　for　people　to　look　at。　They　did　not　want　to　look　at　them；　and　we；　who　made　calico　and　glass　and　knives；　and　all　sorts　of　wonderful　things；　could　not　want　things　from　Aru　to　look　at。　They　had　evidently　been　thinking　about　it；　and　had　at　length　got　what　seemed　a　very　satisfactory　theory；　for　the　same　old　man　said　to　me；　in　a　low；　mysterious　voice；　〃What　becomes　of　them　when　you　go　on　to　the　sea？〃　〃Why；　they　are　all　packed　up　in　boxes；〃　said　I　〃What　did　you　think　became　of　them？〃　〃They　all　come　to　life　again；　don't　they？〃　said　he；　and　though　I　tried　to　joke　it　off；　and　said　if　they　did　we　should　have　plenty　to　eat　at　sea；　he　stuck　to　his　opinion；　and　kept　repeating；　with　an　air　of　deep　conviction；　〃Yes；　they　all　come　to　life　again；　that's　what　they　dothey　all　come　to　life　again。〃

After　a　little　while；　and　a　good　deal　of　talking　among　themselves；　he　began　again〃I　know　all　about　itoh　yes！　Before　you　came　we　had　rain　every　dayvery　wet　indeed；　now；　ever　since　you　have　been　here；　it　is　fine　hot　weather。　Oh；　yes！　I　know　all　about　it；　you　can't　deceive　me。〃　And　so　I　was　set　down　as　a　conjurer；　and　was　unable　to　repel　the　charge。　But　the　conjurer　was　completely　puzzled　by　the　next　question：　〃What；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃is　the　great　ship；　where　the　Bugis　and　Chinamen　go　to　sell　their　things？　It　is　always　in　the　great　seaits　name　is　Jong；　tell　us　all　about　it。〃　In　vain　I　inquired　what　they　knew　about　it；　they　knew　nothing　but　that　it　was　called　〃Jong；〃　and　was　always　in　the　sea；　and　was　a　very　great　ship；　and　concluded　with；　〃Perhaps　that　is　your　country？〃　Finding　that　I　could　not　or　would　not　tell　them　anything　about　〃Jong；〃　there　came　more　regrets　that　I　would　not　tell　them　the　real　name　of　my　country；　and　then　a　long　string　of　compliments；　to　the　effect　that　I　was　a　much　better　sort　of　a　person　than　the　Bugis　and　Chinese；　who　sometimes　came　to　trade　with　them；　for　I　gave　them　things　for　nothing；　and　did　not　try　to　cheat　them。　How　long　would　I　stop？　was　the　next　earnest　inquiry。　Would　I　stay　two　or　three　months？　They　would　get　me　plenty　of　birds　and　animals；　and　I　might　soon　finish　all　the　goods　I　had　brought；　and　then；　said　the　old　spokesman；　〃Don't　go　away；　but　send　for　more　things　from　Dobbo；　and　stay　here　a　year　or　two。〃　And　then　again　the　old　story；　〃Do　tell　us　the　name　of　your　country。　We　know　the　Bugis　men；　and　the　Macassar　men；　and　the　Java　men；　and　the　China　men；　only　you；　we　don't　know　from　what　country　you　come。　Ung…lung！　it　can't　be；　I　know　that　is　not　the　name　of　your　country。〃　Seeing　no　end　to　this　long　talk；　I　said　I　was　tired；　and　wanted　to　go　to　sleep；　so　after　begging　one　a　little　bit　of　dry　fish　for　his　supper；　and　another　a　little　salt　to　eat　with　his　sagothey　went　off　very　quietly；　and　I　went　outside　and　took　a　stroll　round　the　house　by　moonlight；　thinking　of　the　simple　people　and　the　strange　productions　of　Aru；　and　then　turned　in　under　my　mosquito　curtain；　to　sleep　with　a　sense　of　perfect　security　in　the　midst　of　these　good…natured　savages。

We　now　had　seven　or　eight　days　of　hot　and　dry　weather；　which　reduced　the　little　river　to　a　succession　of　shallow　pools　connected　by　the　smallest　possible　thread　of　trickling　water。　If　there　were　a　dry　season　like　that　of　Macassar；　the　Aru　Islands　would　be　uninhabitable；　as　there　is　no　part　of　them　much　above　a　hundred　feet　high；　and　the　whole　being　a　mass　of　porous　coralline　rock；　allows　the　surface　water　rapidly　to　escape。　The　only　dry　season　they　have　is　for　a　month　or　two　about　September　or　October；　and　there　is　then　an　excessive　scarcity　of　water；　so　that　sometimes　hundreds　of　birds　and　other　animals　die　of　drought。　The　natives　then　remove　to　houses　near　the　sources　of　the　small　streams；　where；　in　the　shady　depths　of　the　forest；　a　small　quantity　of　water　still　remains。　Even　then　many　of　them　have　to　go　miles　for　their　water；　which　they　keep　in　large　bamboos　and　use　very　sparingly。　They　assure　me　that　they　catch　and　kill　game　of　all　kinds；　by　watching　at　the　water　holes　or　setting　snares　around　them。　That　would　be　the　time　for　me　to　make　my　collections；　but　the　want　of　water　would　be　a　terrible　annoyance；　and　the　impossibility　of　getting　away　before　another　whole　year　had　passed　made　it　out　of　the　question。

Ever　since　leaving　Dobbo　I　had　suffered　terribly　from　insects；　who　seemed　here　bent　upon　revenging　my　long…continued　persecution　of　their　race。　At　our　first　stopping…place　sand…flies　were　very　abundant　at　night；　penetrating　to　every　part　of　the　body；　and　producing　a　more　lasting　irritation　than　mosquitoes。　My　feet　and　ankles　especially　suffered；　and　were　completely　covered　with　little　red　swollen　specks；　which　tormented　me　horribly。　On　arriving　here　we　were　delighted　to　find　the　house　free　from　sand…　flies　or　mosquitoes；　but　in　the　plantations　where　my　daily　walks　led　me；　the　day…biting　mosquitoes　swarmed；　and　seemed　especially　to　delight　in　attaching　my　poor　feet。　After　a　month's　incessant　punishment；　those　useful　members　rebelled　against　such　treatment　and　broke　into　open　insurrection；　throwing　out　numerous　inflamed　ulcers；　which　were　very　painful；　and　stopped　me　from　walking。　So　I　found　myself　confined　to　the　house；　and　with　no　immediate　prospect　of　leaving　it。　Wounds　or　sores　in　the　feet　are　especially　difficult　to　heal　in　hot　climates；　and　I　therefore　dreaded　them　more　than　any　other　illness。　The　confinement　was　very　annoying；　as　the　fine　hot　weather　was　excellent　for　insects；　of　which　I　had　every　promise　of　obtaining　a　fine　collection；　and　it　is　only　by　daily　and　unremitting　search　that　the　smaller　kinds；　and　the　rarer　and　more　interesting　specimens；　can　be　obtained。　When　I　crawled　down　to　the　river…side　to　bathe；　I　often　saw　the　blue…winged　Papilio　ulysses；　or　some　other　equally　rare　and　beautiful　insect；　but　there　was　nothing　for　it　but　patience；　and　to　return　quietly　to　my　bird…skinning；　or　whatever　other　work　I　had　indoors。　The　stings　and　bites　and　ceaseless　irritation　caused　by　these　pests　of　the　tropical　forests；　would　be　borne　uncomplainingly；　but　to　be　kept　prisoner　by　them　in　so　rich　and　unexplored　a　country　where　rare　and　beautiful　creatures　are　to　be　met　with　in　every　forest　ramblea　country　reached　by　such　a　long　and　tedious　voyage；　and　which　might　not　in　the　present　century　be　again　visited　for　the　same　purposeis　a　punishment　too　severe　for　a　naturalist　to　pass　over　in　silence。

I　had；　however；　some　consolation　in　the　birds　my　boys　brought　home　daily；　more　especially　the　Paradiseas；　which　they　at　length　obtained　in　full　plumage。　It　was　quite　a　relief　to　my　mind　to　get　these；　for　I　could　hardly　have　torn　myself　away　from　Aru　had　I　not　obtained　specimens。

But　what　I　valued　almost　as　much　as　the　birds　themselves　was　the　knowledge　of　their　habits；　which　I　was　daily　obtaining　both　from　the　accounts　of　my　hunters；　and　from　the　conversation　of　the　natives。　The　birds　had　now　commenced　what　the　people　here　call　their　〃sacaleli；〃　or　dancing…parties；　in　certain　trees　in　the　forest；　which　are　not　fruit　trees　as　I　at　first　imagined；　but　which　have　an　immense　tread　of　spreading　branches　and　large　but　scattered　leaves；　giving　a　clear　space　for　the　birds　to　play　and　exhibit　their　plumes。　On　one　of　these　trees　a　dozen　or　twenty　full…plumaged　male　birds　assemble　together；　raise　up　their　wings；　stretch　out　their　necks；　and　elevate　their　exquisite　plumes；　keeping　them　in　a　continual　vibration。　Between　whiles　they　fly　across　from　branch　to　branch　in　great　excitement；　so　that　the　whole　tree　is　filled　with　waving　plumes　in　every　variety　of　attitude　and　motion。　（See　Frontispiece。）　The　bird　itself　is　nearly　as　large　as　a　crow；　and　is　of　a　rich　coffee　brown　colour。　The　head　and　neck　is　of　a　pure　straw　yellow　above　and　rich　metallic　green　beneath。　The　long　plumy　tufts　of　golden　orange　feathers　spring　from　the　sides　beneath　each　wing；　and　when　the　bird　is　in　repose　are　partly　concealed　by　them。　At　the　time　of　its　excitement；　however；　the　wings　are　raised　vertically　over　tile　back；