the malay archipelago-2-第8节

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uainted　on　the　banks　of　the　Amazon。　They　live　very　poorly　as　regards　their　house　and　furniture；　but　preserve　a　semi…European　dress；　and　have　almost　all　full　suits　of　black　for　Sundays。　They　are　nominally　Protestants；　but　Sunday　evening　is　their　grand　day　for　music　and　dancing。　The　men　are　often　good　hunters；　and　two　or　three　times　a　week；　deer　or　wild　pigs　are　brought　to　the　village；　which；　with　fish　and　fowls；　enables　them　to　live　well。　They　are　almost　the　only　people　in　the　Archipelago　who　eat　the　great　fruit…eating　bats　called　by　us　〃flying　foxes。〃　These　ugly　creatures　are　considered　a　great　delicacy；　and　are　much　sought　after。　At　about　the　beginning　of　the　year　they　come　in　large　flocks　to　eat　fruit；　and　congregate　during　the　day　on　some　small　islands　in　the　bay；　hanging　by　thousands　on　the　trees；　especially　on　dead　ones。　They　can　then　be　easily　caught　or　knocked　down　with　sticks；　and　are　brought　home　by　basketsfull。　They　require　to　be　carefully　prepared；　as　the　skin　and　fur　has　a　rank　end　powerful　foxy　odour；　but　they　are　generally　cooked　with　abundance　of　spices　and　condiments；　and　are　really　very　good　eating；　something　like　hare。　The　Orang　Sirani　are　good　cooks；　having　a　much　greater　variety　of　savoury　dishes　than　the　Malays。　Here；　they　live　chiefly　on　sago　as　bread；　with　a　little　rice　occasionally；　and　abundance　of　vegetables　and　fruit。

It　is　a　curious　fact　that　everywhere　in　the　Past　where　the　Portuguese　have　mixed　with　the　native　races　they　leave　become　darker　in　colour　than　either　of　the　parent　stocks。　This　is　the　case　almost　always　with　these　〃Orang　Sirani〃　in　the　Moluccas；　and　with　the　Portuguese　of　Malacca。　The　reverse　is　the　case　in　South　America；　where　the　mixture　of　the　Portuguese　or　Brazilian　with　the　Indian　produces　the　〃Mameluco；〃　who　is　not　unfrequently　lighter　than　either　parent；　and　always　lighter　than　the　Indian。　The　women　at　Batchian；　although　generally　fairer　than　the　men；　are　coarse　in　features；　and　very　far　inferior　in　beauty　to　the　mixed　Dutch…Malay　girls；　or　even　to　many　pure　Malays。

The　part　of　the　village　in　which　I　resided　was　a　grove　of　cocoa…　nut　trees；　and　at　night；　when　the　dead　leaves　were　sometimes　collected　together　and　burnt；　the　effect　was　most　magnificent　the　tall　stems；　the　fine　crowns　of　foliage；　and　the　immense　fruit…clusters；　being　brilliantly　illuminated　against　a　dark　sky；　and　appearing　like　a　fairy　palace　supported　on　a　hundred　columns；　and　groined　over　with　leafy　arches。　The　cocoa…nut　tree；　when　well　grown；　is　certainly　the　prince　of　palms　both　for　beauty　and　utility。

During　my　very　first　walk　into　the　forest　at　Batchian；　I　had　seen　sitting　on　a　leaf　out　of　reach；　an　immense　butterfly　of　a　dark　colour　marked　with　white　and　yellow　spots。　I　could　not　capture　it　as　it　flew　away　high　up　into　the　forest；　but　I　at　once　saw　that　it　was　a　female　of　a　new　species　of　Ornithoptera　or　〃bird…winged　butterfly；〃　the　pride　of　the　Eastern　tropics。　I　was　very　anxious　to　get　it　and　to　find　the　male；　which　in　this　genus　is　always　of　extreme　beauty。　During　the　two　succeeding　months　I　only　saw　it　once　again；　and　shortly　afterwards　I　saw　the　male　flying　high　in　the　air　at　the　mining　village。　I　had　begun　to　despair　of　ever　getting　a　specimen；　as　it　seemed　so　rare　and　wild；　till　one　day；　about　the　beginning　of　January；　I　found　a　beautiful　shrub　with　large　white　leafy　bracts　and　yellow　flowers；　a　species　of　Mussaenda；　and　saw　one　of　these　noble　insects　hovering　over　it；　but　it　was　too　quick　for　me；　and　flew　away。　The　next　clay　I　went　again　to　the　same　shrub　and　succeeded　in　catching　a　female；　and　the　day　after　a　fine　male。　I　found　it　to　be　as　I　had　expected；　a　perfectly　new　and　most　magnificent　species；　and　one　of　the　most　gorgeously　coloured　butterflies　in　the　world。　Fine　specimens　of　the　male　are　more　than　seven　inches　across　the　wings；　which　are　velvety　black　and　fiery　orange；　the　latter　colour　replacing　the　green　of　the　allied　species。　The　beauty　and　brilliancy　of　this　insect　are　indescribable；　and　none　but　a　naturalist　can　understand　the　intense　excitement　I　experienced　when　I　at　length　captured　it。　On　taking　it　out　of　my　net　and　opening　the　glorious　wings；　my　heart　began　to　beat　violently；　the　blood　rushed　to　my　head；　and　I　felt　much　more　like　fainting　than　I　have　done　when　in　apprehension　of　immediate　death。　I　had　a　headache　the　rest　of　the　day；　so　great　was　the　excitement　produced　by　what　will　appear　to　most　people　a　very　inadequate　cause。

I　had　decided　to　return　to　Ternate　in　a　week　or　two　more；　but　this　grand　capture　determined　me　to　stay　on　till　I　obtained　a　good　series　of　the　new　butterfly；　which　I　have　since　named　Ornithoptera　croesus。　The　Mussaenda　bush　was　an　admirable　place；　which　I　could　visit　every　day　on　my　way　to　the　forest；　and　as　it　was　situated　in　a　dense　thicket　of　shrubs　and　creepers；　I　set　my　man　Lahi　to　clear　a　space　all　round　it；　so　that　I　could　easily　get　at　any　insect　that　might　visit　it。　Afterwards；　finding　that　it　was　often　necessary　to　wait　some　time　there；　I　had　a　little　seat　put　up　under　a　tree　by　the　side　of　it；　where　I　came　every　day　to　eat　my　lunch；　and　thus　had　half　an　hour's　watching　about　noon；　besides　a　chance　as　I　passed　it　in　the　morning。　In　this　way　I　obtained　on　an　average　one　specimen　a　day　for　a　long　time；　but　more　than　half　of　these　were　females；　and　more　than　half　the　remainder　worn　or　broken　specimens；　so　that　I　should　not　have　obtained　many　perfect　males　had　I　not　found　another　station　for　them。

As　soon　as　I　had　seen　them　come　to　flowers；　I　sent　my　man　Lahi　with　a　net　on　purpose　to　search　for　them；　as　they　had　also　been　seen　at　some　flowering　trees　on　the　beach；　and　I　promised　him　half　a　day's　wages　extra　for　every　good　specimen　he　could　catch。　After　a　day　or　two　he　brought　me　two　very　fair　specimens；　and　told　me　he　had　caught　them　in　the　bed　of　a　large　rocky　stream　that　descends　from　the　mountains　to　the　sea　abort　a　mile　below　the　village。　They　flew　down　this　river；　settling　occasionally　on　stones　and　rocks　in　the　water；　and　he　was　obliged　to　wade　up　it　or　jump　from　rock　to　rock　to　get　at　them。　I　went　with　him　one　day；　but　found　that　the　stream　was　far　too　rapid　and　the　stones　too　slippery　for　me　to　do　anything；　so　I　left　it　entirely　to　him；　and　all　the　rest　of　the　time　we　stayed　in　Batchian　he　used　to　be　out　all　day；　generally　bringing　me　one；　and　on　good　days　two　or　three　specimens。　I　was　thus　able　to　bring　away　with　me　more　than　a　hundred　of　both　sexes；　including　perhaps　twenty　very　fine　males；　though　not　more　than　five　or　six　that　were　absolutely　perfect。

My　daily　walk　now　led　me；　first　about　half　a　mile　along　the　sandy　beach；　then　through　a　sago　swamp　over　a　causeway　of　very　shaky　poles　to　the　village　of　the　Tomore　people。　Beyond　this　was　the　forest　with　patches　of　new　clearing；　shady　paths；　and　a　considerable　quantity　of　felled　timber。　I　found　this　a　very　fair　collecting　ground；　especially　for　beetles。　The　fallen　trunks　in　the　clearings　abounded　with　golden　Buprestidae　and　curious　Brenthidae；　and　longicorns；　while　in　the　forest　I　found　abundance　of　the　smaller　Curculionidae；　many　longicorns；　and　some　fine　green　Carabidae。

Butterflies　were　not　abundant；　but　I　obtained　a　few　more　of　the　fine　blue　Papilio；　and　a　number　of　beautiful　little　Lycaenidae；　as　well　as　a　single　specimen　of　the　very　rare　Papilio　Wallacei；　of　which　I　had　taken　the　hitherto　unique　specimen　in　the　Aru　Islands。

The　most　interesting　birds　I　obtained　here；　were　the　beautiful　blue　kingfisher；　Todiramphus　diops；　the　fine　green　and　purple　doves；　Ptilonopus　superbus　and　P。　iogaster；　and　several　new　birds　of　small　size。　My　shooters　still　brought　me　in　specimens　of　the　Semioptera　Wallacei；　and　I　was　greatly　excited　by　the　positive　statements　of　several　of　the　native　hunters　that　another　species　of　this　bird　existed；　much　handsomer　and　more　remarkable。　They　declared　that　the　plumage　was　glossy　black；　with　metallic　green　breast　as　in　my　species；　but　that　the　white　shoulder　plumes　were　twice　as　long；　and　hung　down　far　below　the　body　of　the　bird。　They　declared　that　when　hunting　pigs　or　deer　far　in　the　forest　they　occasionally　saw　this　bird；　but　that　it　was　rare。　I　immediately　offered　twelve　guilders　（a　pound）　for　a　specimen；　but　all　in　vain；　and　I　am　to　this　day　uncertain　whether　such　a　bird　exists。　Since　I　left；　the　German　naturalist；　Dr。　Bernstein；　stayed　many　months　in　the　island　with　a　large　staff　of　hunters　collecting　for　the　Leyden　Museum；　and　as　he　was　not　more　successful　than　myself；　we　must　consider　either　that　the　bird　is　very　rare；　or　is　altogether　a　myth。

Batchian　is　remarkable　as　being　the　most　eastern　point　on　the　globe　inhabited　by　any　of　the　Quadrumana。　A　large　black　baboon…　monkey　（Cynopithecus　nigrescens）　is　abundant　in　some　parts　of　the　forest。　This　animal　has　bare　red　callosities；　and　a　rudimentary　tail　about　an　inch　longa　mere　fleshy　tubercle；　which　may　be　very　easily　overlooked。　It　is　the　same　species　that　is　found　all　over　the　forests　of　Celebes；　and　as　none　of　the　other　Mammalia　of　that　island　extend　into　Batchian　I　am　inclined　to　suppose　that　this　species　has　been　accidentally　introduced　by　the　roaming　Malays；　who　often　carry　about　with　them　tame　monkeys　and　other　animals。　This　is　rendered　more　probable　by　the　fact　that　the　animal　is　not　found　in　Gi