the malay archipelago-2-第53节

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dleness；　just　going　out　on　little　fishing　or　trading　excursions；　as　an　excitement　in　their　monotonous　existence。　They　are　under　the　rule　of　the　Sultan　of　Tidore；　and　every　year　have　to　pay　a　small　tribute　of　Paradise　birds；　tortoiseshell；　or　sago。　To　obtain　these；　they　go　in　the　fine　season　on　a　trading　voyage　to　the　mainland　of　New　Guinea；　and　getting　a　few　goods　on　credit　from　some　Ceram　or　Bugis　trader；　make　hard　bargains　with　the　natives；　and　gain　enough　to　pay　their　tribute；　and　leave　a　little　profit　for　themselves。

Such　a　country　is　not　a　very　pleasant　one　to　live　in；　for　as　there　are　no　superfluities；　there　is　nothing　to　sell；　and　had　it　not　been　for　a　trader　from　Ceram　who　was　residing　there　during　my　stay；　who　had　a　small　vegetable　garden；　and　whose　men　occasionally　got　a　few　spare　fish；　I　should　often　have　had　nothing　to　eat。　Fowls；　fruit；　and　vegetables　are　luxuries　very　rarely　to　be　purchased　at　Muka；　and　even　cocoa…nuts；　so　indispensable　for　eastern　cookery；　are　not　to　be　obtained；　for　though　there　are　some　hundreds　of　trees　in　the　village；　all　the　fruit　is　eaten　green；　to　supply　the　place　of　the　vegetables　the　people　are　too　lazy　to　cultivate。　Without　eggs；　cocoa…nuts；　or　plantains；　we　had　very　short　commons；　and　the　boisterous　weather　being　unpropitious　for　fishing；　we　had　to　live　on　what　few　eatable　birds　we　could　shoot；　with　an　occasional　cuscus；　or　eastern　opossum；　the　only　quadruped；　except　pigs；　inhabiting　the　island。

I　had　only　shot　two　male　Paradiseas　on　my　tree　when　they　ceased　visiting　it；　either　owing　to　the　fruit　becoming　scarce；　or　that　they　were　wise　enough　to　know　there　was　danger。　We　continued　to　hear　and　see　them　in　the　forest；　but　after　a　month　had　not　succeeded　in　shooting　any　more；　and　as　my　chief　object　in　visiting　Waigiou　was　to　get　these　birds；　I　determined　to　go　to　Bessir；　where　there　are　a　number　of　Papuans　who　catch　and　preserve　them。　I　hired　a　small　outrigger　boat　for　this　journey；　and　left　one　of　my　men　to　guard　my　house　and　goods。　We　had　to　wait　several　days　for　fine　weather；　and　at　length　started　early　one　morning；　and　arrived　late　at　night；　after　a　rough　and　disagreeable　passage。　The　village　of　Bessir　was　built　in　the　water　at　the　point　of　a　small　island。　The　chief　food　of　the　people　was　evidently　shell…fish；　since　great　heaps　of　the　shells　had　accumulated　in　the　shallow　water　between　the　houses　and　the　land；　forming　a　regular　〃kitchen…midden　〃for　the　exploration　of　some　future　archeologist。　We　spent　the　night　in　the　chief's　house；　and　the　next　morning　went　over　to　the　mainland　to　look　out　for　a　place　where　I　could　reside。　This　part　of　Waigiou　is　really　another　island　to　the　south　of　the　narrow　channel　we　had　passed　through　in　coming　to　Muka。　It　appears　to　consist　almost　entirely　of　raised　coral；　whereas　the　northern　island　contains　hard　crystalline　rocks。　The　shores　were　a　range　of　low　limestone　cliffs；　worn　out　by　the　water；　so　that　the　upper　part　generally　overhung。　At　distant　intervals　were　little　coves　and　openings；　where　small　streams　came　down　from　the　interior；　and　in　one　of　these　we　landed；　pulling　our　boat　up　on　a　patch　of　white　sandy　beach。　Immediately　above　was　a　large　newly…made　plantation　of　yams　and　plantains；　and　a　small　hot；　which　the　chief　said　we　might　have　the　use　of；　if　it　would　do　for　me。　It　was　quite　a　dwarf's　house；　just　eight　feet　square；　raised　on　posts　so　that　the　floor　was　four　and　a　half　feet　above　the　ground；　and　the　highest　part　of　the　ridge　only　five　feet　above　the　flour。　As　I　am　six　feet　and　an　inch　in　my　stockings；　I　looked　at　this　with　some　dismay；　but　finding　that　the　other　houses　were　much　further　from　water；　were　dreadfully　dirty；　and　were　crowded　with　people；　I　at　once　accepted　the　little　one；　and　determined　to　make　the　best　of　it。　At　first　I　thought　of　taking　out　the　floor；　which　would　leave　it　high　enough　to　walk　in　and　out　without　stooping；　but　then　there　would　not　be　room　enough；　so　I　left　it　just　as　it　was；　had　it　thoroughly　cleaned　out；　and　brought　up　my　baggage。　The　upper　story　I　used　for　sleeping　in；　and　for　a　store…room。　In　the　lower　part　（which　was　quite　open　all　round）　I　fixed　up　a　small　table；　arranged　my　boxes；　put　up　hanging…shelves；　laid　a　mat　on　the　ground　with　my　wicker…chair　upon　it；　hung　up　another　mat　on　the　windward　side；　and　then　found　that；　by　bending　double　and　carefully　creeping　in；　I　could　sit　on　my　chair　with　my　head　just　clear　of　the　ceiling。　Here　I　lived　pretty　comfortably　for　six　weeks；　taking　all　my　meals　and　doing　all　my　work　at　my　little　table；　to　and　from　which　I　had　to　creep　in　a　semi…horizontal　position　a　dozen　times　a　day；　and；　after　a　few　severe　knocks　on　the　head　by　suddenly　rising　from　my　chair；　learnt　to　accommodate　myself　to　circumstances。　We　put　up　a　little　sloping　cooking…but　outside；　and　a　bench　on　which　my　lads　could　skin　their　birds。　At　night　I　went　up　to　my　little　loft；　they　spread　their　mats　on　the；　floor　below；　and　we　none　of　us　grumbled　at　our　lodgings。

My　first　business　was　to　send　for　the　men　who　were　accustomed　to　catch　the　Birds　of　Paradise。　Several　came；　and　I　showed　them　my　hatchets；　beads；　knives；　and　handkerchiefs；　and　explained　to　them；　as　well　as　I　could　by　signs；　the　price　I　would　give　for　fresh…killed　specimens。　It　is　the　universal　custom　to　pay　for　everything　in　advance；　but　only　one　man　ventured　on　this　occasion　to　take　goods　to　the　value　of　two　birds。　The　rest　were　suspicious；　and　wanted　to　see　the　result　of　the　first　bargain　with　the　strange　white　man；　the　only　one　who　had　ever　come　to　their　island。　After　three　days；　my　man　brought　me　the　first　bird…　…a　very　fine　specimen；　and　alive；　but　tied　up　in　a　small　bag；　and　consequently　its　tail　and　wing　feathers　very　much　crushed　and　injured。　I　tried　to　explain　to　him；　and　to　the　others　that　came　with　him；　that　I　wanted　them　as　perfect　as　possible；　and　that　they　should　either　kill　them；　or　keep　them　on　a　perch　with　a　string　to　their　leg。　As　they　were　now　apparently　satisfied　that　all　was　fair；　and　that　I　had　no　ulterior　designs　upon　them；　six　others　took　away　goods；　some　for　one　bird；　some　for　more；　and　one　for　as　many　as　six。　They　said　they　had　to　go　a　long　way　for　them；　and　that　they　would　come　back　as　soon　as　they　caught　any。　At　intervals　of　a　few　days　or　a　week；　some　of　them　would　return；　bringing　me　one　or　more　birds；　but　though　they　did　not　bring　any　more　in　bags；　there　was　not　much　improvement　in　their　condition。　As　they　caught　them　a　long　way　off　in　the　forest；　they　would　scarcely　ever　come　with　one；　but　would　tie　it　by　the　leg　to　a　stick；　and　put　it　in　their　house　till　they　caught　another。　The　poor　creature　would　make　violent　efforts　to　escape；　would　get　among　the　ashes；　or　hang　suspended　by　the　leg　till　the　limb　was　swollen　and　half…putrefied；　and　sometimes　die　of　starvation　and　worry。　One　had　its　beautiful　head　all　defiled　by　pitch　from　a　dammar　torch；　another　had　been　so　long　dead　that　its　stomach　was　turning　green。　Luckily；　however；　the　skin　and　plumage　of　these　birds　is　so　firm　and　strong；　that　they　bear　washing　and　cleaning　better　than　almost　any　other　sort；　and　I　was　generally　able　to　clean　them　so　well　that　they　did　not　perceptibly　differ　from　those　I　had　shot　myself。

Some　few　were　brought　me　the　same　day　they　were　caught；　and　I　had　an　opportunity　of　examining　them　in　all　their　beauty　and　vivacity。　As　soon　as　I　found　they　were　generally　brought　alive；　I　set　one　of　my　men　to　make　a　large　bamboo　cage　with　troughs　for　food　and　water；　hoping　to　be　able　to　keep　some　of　them。　I　got　the　natives　to　bring　me　branches　of　a　fruit　they　were　very　fond　of；　and　I　was　pleased　to　find　they　ate　it　greedily；　and　would　also　take　any　number　of　live　grasshoppers　I　gave　them；　stripping　off　the　legs　and　wings；　and　then　swallowing　them。　They　drank　plenty　of　water；　and　were　in　constant　motion；　jumping　about　the　cage　from　perch　to　perch；　clinging　on　the　top　and　sides；　and　rarely　resting　a　moment　the　first　day　till　nightfall。　The　second　day　they　were　always　less　active；　although　they　would　eat　as　freely　as　before；　and　on　the　morning　of　the　third　day　they　were　almost　always　found　dead　at　the　bottom　of　the　cage；　without　any　apparent　cause。　Some　of　them　ate　boiled　rice　as　well　as　fruit　and　insects；　but　after　trying　many　in　succession；　not　one　out　of　ten　lived　more　than　three　days。　The　second　or　third　day　they　would　be　dull；　and　in　several　cases　they　were　seized　with　convulsions；　and　fell　off　the　perch；　dying　a　few　hours　afterwards。　I　tried　immature　as　well　as　full…plumaged　birds；　but　with　no　better　success；　and　at　length　gave　it　up　as　a　hopeless　task；　and　confined　my　attention　to　preserving　specimens　in　as　good　a　condition　as　possible。

The　Red　Birds　of　Paradise　are　not　shot　with　blunt　arrows；　as　in　the　Aru　Islands　and　some　parts　of　New　Guinea；　but　are　snared　in　a　very　ingenious　manner。　A　large　climbing　Arum　bears　a　red　reticulated　fruit；　of　which　the　birds　are　very　fond。　The　hunters　fasten　this　fruit　on　a　stout　forked　stick；　and　provide　themselves　with　a　fine　but　strong　cord。　They　then　seep　out　some　tree　in　the　forest　on　which　these　birds　are　accustomed　to　perch；　and　climbing　up　it　fasten　the　stick　to　a　branch　and　arrange　the　cord　in　a　noose　so　ingeniously；　that　when　the　bird　comes　to　eat　the　fruit　its　legs　are　caught；　and　by　pulling　the　end　of　th