the malay archipelago-2-第39节

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ight；　wrapped　up　in　paper。　The　next　morning　they　were　gone；　and　only　a　few　scattered　feathers　indicated　their　fate。　My　hanging　shelf　was　out　of　their　reach；　but　having　stupidly　left　a　box　which　served　as　a　step；　a　full…plumaged　Paradise　bird　was　next　morning　missing；　and　a　dog　below　the　house　was　to　be　seen　still　mumbling　over　the　fragments；　with　the　fine　golden　plumes　all　trampled　in　the　mud。　Every　night；　as　soon　as　I　was　in　bed；　I　could　hear　them　searching　about　for　what　they　could　devour；　under　my　table；　and　all　about　my　boxes　and　baskets；　keeping　me　in　a　state　of　suspense　till　morning；　lest　something　of　value　might　incautiously　have　been　left　within　their　read。　They　would　drink　the　oil　of　my　floating　lamp　and　eat　the　wick；　and　upset　or　break　my　crockery　if　my　lazy　boys　had　neglected　to　wash　away　even　the　smell　of　anything　eatable。　Bad；　however；　as　they　are　here；　they　were　worse　in　a　Dyak's　house　in　Borneo　where　I　was　once　staying；　for　there　they　gnawed　off　the　tops　of　my　waterproof　boots；　ate　a　large　piece　out　of　an　old　leather　game…bag；　besides　devouring　a　portion　of　my　mosquito　curtain！

April　28th。Last　evening　we　had　a　grand　consultation；　which　had　evidently　been　arranged　and　discussed　beforehand。　A　number　of　the　natives　gathered　round　me；　and　said　they　wanted　to　talk。　Two　of　the　best　Malay　scholars　helped　each　other；　the　rest　putting　in　hints　and　ideas　in　their　own　language。　They　told　me　a　long　rambling　story；　but；　partly　owing　to　their　imperfect　knowledge　of　Malay；　partly　through　my　ignorance　of　local　terms；　and　partly　through　the　incoherence　of　their　narrative；　I　could　not　make　it　out　very　clearly。　It　was；　however；　a　tradition；　and　I　was　glad　to　find　they　had　anything　of　the　kind。　A　long　time　ago；　they　said；　some　strangers　came　to　Aru；　and　came　here　to　Wanumbai；　and　the　chief　of　the　Wanumbai　people　did　not　like　them；　and　wanted　them　to　go　away；　but　they　would　not　go；　and　so　it　came　to　fighting；　and　many　Aru　men　were　killed；　and　some；　along　with　the　chief；　were　taken　prisoners；　and　carried　away　by　the　strangers。　Some　of　the　speakers；　however；　said　that　he　was　not　carried　away；　but　went　away　in　his　own　boat　to　escape　from　the　foreigners；　and　went　to　the　sea　and　never　came　back　again。　But　they　all　believe　that　the　chief　and　the　people　that　went　with　him　still　live　in　some　foreign　country；　and　if　they　could　but　find　out　where；　they　would　send　for　them　to　come　back　again。　Now　having　some　vague　idea　that　white　men　must　know　every　country　beyond　the　sea；　they　wanted　to　know　if　I　had　met　their　people　in　my　country　or　in　the　sea。　They　thought　they　must　be　there；　for　they　could　not　imagine　where　else　they　could　be。　They　had　sought　for　them　everywhere；　they　saidon　the　land　and　in　the　sea；　in　the　forest　and　on　the　mountains；　in　the　air　and　in　the　sky；　and　could　not　find　them；　therefore；　they　must　be　in　my　country；　and　they　begged　me　to　tell　them；　for　I　must　surely　know；　as　I　came　from　across　the　great　sea。　I　tried　to　explain　to　them　that　their　friends　could　not　have　reached　my　country　in　small　boats；　and　that　there　were　plenty　of　islands　like　Aru　all　about　the　sea；　which　they　would　be　sure　to　find。　Besides；　as　it　was　so　long　ago；　the　chief　and　all　the　people　must　be　dead。　But　they　quite　laughed　at　this　idea；　and　said　they　were　sure　they　were　alive；　for　they　had　proof　of　it。　And　then　they　told　me　that　a　good　many　years　ago；　when　the　speakers　were　boys；　some　Wokan　men　who　were　out　fishing　met　these　lost　people　in　the　sea；　and　spoke　to　them；　and　the　chief　gave　the　Wokan　men　a　hundred　fathoms　of　cloth　to　bring　to　the　men　of　Wanumbai；　to　show　that　they　were　alive　and　would　soon　come　back　to　them；　but　the　Wokan　men　were　thieves；　and　kept　the　cloth；　and　they　only　heard　of　it　afterwards；　and　when　they　spoke　about　it；　the　Wokan　men　denied　it；　and　pretended　they　had　not　received　the　cloth；so　they　were　quite　sure　their　friends　were　at　that　time　alive　and　somewhere　in　the　sea。　And　again；　not　many　years　ago；　a　report　came　to　them　that　some　Bu0gis　traders　had　brought　some　children　of　their　lost　people；　so　they　went　to　Dobbo　to　see　about　it；　and　the　owner　of　the　house；　who　was　now　speaking　to　me；　was　one　who　went；　but　the　Bugis　roan　would　not　let　them　see　the　children；　and　threatened　to　kill　them　if　they　came　into　his　house。　He　kept　the　children　shut　up　in　a　large　box；　and　when　he　went　away　he　took　them　with　him。　And　at　the　end　of　each　of　these　stories；　they　begged　me　in　an　imploring　tone　to　tell　them　if　I　knew　where　their　chief　and　their　people　now　were。

By　dint　of　questioning；　I　got　some　account　of　the　strangers　who　had　taken　away　their　people。　They　said　they　were　wonderfully　strong；　and　each　one　could　kill　a　great　many　Aru　men；　and　when　they　were　wounded；　however　badly；　they　spit　upon　the　place；　and　it　immediately　became　well。　And　they　made　a　great　net　of　rattans；　and　entangled　their　prisoners　in　it；　and　sunk　them　in　the　water；　and　the　next　day；　when　they　pulled　the　net　up　on　shore；　they　made　the　drowned　men　come　to　life　again；　and　carried　them　away。

Much　more　of　the　same　kind　was　told　me；　but　in　so　confused　and　rambling　a　manner　that　I　could　make　nothing　out　of　it；　till　I　inquired　how　long　ago　it　was　that　all　this　happened；　when　they　told　me　that　after　their　people　were　taken　away　the　Bugis　came　in　their　praus　to　trade　in　Aru；　and　to　buy　tripang　and　birds'　nests。　It　is　not　impossible　that　something　similar　to　what　they　related　to　me　really　happened　when　the　early　Portuguese　discoverers　first　carne　to　Aru；　and　has　formed　the　foundation　for　a　continually　increasing　accumulation　of　legend　and　fable。　I　have　no　doubt　that　to　the　next　generation；　or　even　before；　I　myself　shall　be　transformed　into　a　magician　or　a　demigod；　a　worker　of　miracles；　and　a　being　of　supernatural　knowledge。　They　already　believe　that　all　the　animals　I　preserve　will　come　to　life　again；　and　to　their　children　it　will　be　related　that　they　actually　did　so。　An　unusual　spell　of　fine　weather　setting　in　just　at　my　arrival　has　made　them　believe　I　can　control　the　seasons；　and　the　simple　circumstance　of　my　always　walking　alone　in　the　forest　is　a　wonder　and　a　mystery　to　them；　as　well　as　my　asking　them　about　birds　and　animals　I　have　not　yet　seen；　and　showing　an　acquaintance　with　their　form；　colours；　and　habits。　These　facts　are　brought　against　me　when　I　disclaim　knowledge　of　what　they　wish　me　to　tell　them。　〃You　must　know；〃　say　they；　〃you　know　everything：　you　make　the　fine　weather　for　your　men　to　shoot；　and　you　know　all　about　our　birds　and　our　animals　as　well　as　we　do；　and　you　go　alone　into　the　forest　and　are　not　afraid。〃　Therefore　every　confession　of　ignorance　on　my　part　is　thought　to　be　a　blind；　a　mere　excuse　to　avoid　telling　them　too　much。　My　very　writing　materials　and　books　are　to　them　weird　things；　and　were　I　to　choose　to　mystify　them　by　a　few　simple　experiments　with　lens　and　magnet；　miracles　without　end　would　in　a　few　years　cluster　about　me；　and　future　travellers；　penetrating　to　Wanumbai；　world　h　hardly　believe　that　a　poor　English　naturalist；　who　had　resided　a　few　months　among　them；　could　have　been　the　original　of　the　supernatural　being　to　whom　so　many　marvels　were　attributed。

Far　some　days　I　had　noticed　a　good　deal　of　excitement；　and　many　strangers　came　and　went　armed　with　spears　and　cutlasses；　bows　and　shields。　I　now　found　there　was　war　near　ustwo　neighbouring　villages　having　a　quarrel　about　some　matter　of　local　politics　that　I　could　not　understand。　They　told　me　it　was　quite　a　common　thing；　and　that　they　are　rarely　without　fighting　somewhere　near。　Individual　quarrels　are　taken　up　by　villages　and　tribes；　and　the　nonpayment　of　the　stipulated　price　for　a　wife　is　one　of　the　most　frequent　causes　of　bitterness　and　bloodshed。　One　of　the　war　shields　was　brought　me　to　look　at。　It　was　made　of　rattans　and　covered　with　cotton　twist；　so　as　to　be　both　light；　strong；　and　very　tough。　I　should　think　it　would　resist　any　ordinary　bullet。　Abort　the　middle　there　was　au　arm…hole　with　a　shutter　or　flap　over　it。　This　enables　the　arm　to　be　put　through　and　the　bow　drawn；　while　the　body　and　face；　up　to　the　eyes；　remain　protected；　which　cannot　be　done　if　the　shield　is　carried　on　the　arm　by　loops　attached　at　the　back　in　the　ordinary　way。　A　few　of　the　young　men　from　our　house　went　to　help　their　friends；　but　I　could　not　bear　that　any　of　them　were　hurt；　or　that　there　was　much　hard　fighting。

May　8th。…I　had　now　been　six　weeks　at　Wanumbai；　but　for　more　than　half　the　time　was　laid　up　in　the　house　with　ulcerated　feet。　My　stores　being　nearly　exhausted；　and　my　bird　and　insect　boxes　full；　and　having　no　immediate　prospect　of　getting　the　use　of　my　legs　again；　I　determined　on　returning　to　Dobbo。　Birds　had　lately　become　rather　scarce；　and　the　Paradise　birds　had　not　yet　become　as　plentiful　as　the　natives　assured　me　they　would　be　in　another　month。　The　Wanumbai　people　seemed　very　sorry　at　my　departure；　and　well　they　might　be；　for　the　shells　and　insects　they　picked　up　on　the　way　to　and　from　their　plantations；　and　the　birds　the　little　boys　shot　with　their　bows　and　arrows；　kept　them　all　well　supplied　with　tobacco　and　gambir；　besides　enabling　them　to　accumulate　a　stock　of　beads　and　coppers　for　future　expenses。　The　owner　of　the　house　was　supplied　gratis　with　a　little　rice；　fish；　or　salt；　whenever　he　asked　for　it；　which　I　must　say