the malay archipelago-2-第9节

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eys　and　other　animals。　This　is　rendered　more　probable　by　the　fact　that　the　animal　is　not　found　in　Gilolo；　which　is　only　separated　from　Batchian　by　a　very　narrow　strait。　The　introduction　may　have　been　very　recent；　as　in　a　fertile　and　unoccupied　island　such　an　animal　would　multiply　rapidly。　The　only　other　mammals　obtained　were　an　Eastern　opossum；　which　Dr。　Gray　has　described　as　Cuscus　ornatus；　the　little　flying　opossum；　Belideus　ariel；　a　Civet　cat；　Viverra　zebetha；　and　nice　species　of　bats；　most　of　the　smaller　ones　being　caught　in　the　dusk　with　my　butterfly　net　as　they　flew　about　before　the　house。

After　much　delay；　owing　to　bad　weather　and　the　illness　of　one　of　my　men；　I　determined　to　visit　Kasserota　（formerly　the　chief　village）；　situated　up　a　small　stream；　on　an　island　close　to　the　north　coast　of　Batchian；　where　I　was　told　that　many　rare　birds　were　found。　After　my　boat　was　loaded　and　everything　ready；　three　days　of　heavy　squalls　prevented　our　starting；　and　it　was　not　till　the　21st　of　March　that　we　got　away。　Early　next　morning　we　entered　the　little　river；　and　in　about　an　hour　we　reached　the　Sultan's　house；　which　I　had　obtained　permission　to　use。　It　was　situated　on　the　bank　of　the　river；　and　surrounded　by　a　forest　of　fruit　trees；　among　which　were　some　of　the　very　loftiest　and　most　graceful　cocoa…nut　palms　I　have　ever　seen。　It　rained　nearly　all　that　day；　and　I　could　do　little　but　unload　and　unpack。　Towards　the　afternoon　it　cleared　up；　and　I　attempted　to　explore　in　various　directions；　but　found　to　my　disgust　that　the　only　path　was　a　perfect　mud　swamp；　along　which　it　was　almost　impossible　to　walk；　and　the　surrounding　forest　so　damp　and　dark　as　to　promise　little　in　the　way　of　insects。　I　found　too　on　inquiry　that　the　people　here　made　no　clearings；　living　entirely　on　sago；　fruit；　fish；　and　game；　and　the　path　only　led　to…　a　steep　rocky　mountain　equally　impracticable　and　unproductive。　The　next　day　I　sent　my　men　to　this　hill；　hoping　it　might　produce　some　good　birds；　but　they　returned　with　only　two　common　species；　and　I　myself　had　been　able　to　get　nothing；　every　little　track　I　had　attempted　to　follow　leading　to　a　dense　sago　swamp。　I　saw　that　I　should　waste　time　by　staying　here；　and　determined　to　leave　the　following　day。

This　is　one　of　those　spots　so　hard　for　the　European　naturalist　to　conceive；　where　with　all　the　riches　of　a　tropical　vegetation；　and　partly　perhaps　from　the　very　luxuriance　of　that　vegetation；　insects　are　as　scarce　as　in　the　most　barren　parts　of　Europe；　and　hardly　more　conspicuous。　In　temperate　climates　there　is　a　tolerable　uniformity　in　the　distribution　of　insects　over　those　parts　of　a　country　in　which　there　is　a　similarity　in　the　vegetation；　any　deficiency　being　easily　accounted　for　by　the　absence　of　wood　or　uniformity　of　surface。　The　traveller　hastily　passing　through　such　a　country　can　at　once　pick　out　a　collecting　ground　which　will　afford　him　a　fair　notion　of　its　entomology。　Here　the　case　is　different。　There　are　certain　requisites　of　a　good　collecting　ground　which　can　only　be　ascertained　to　exist　by　some　days'　search　in　the　vicinity　of　each　village。　In　some　places　there　is　no　virgin　forest；　as　at　Djilolo　and　Sahoe；　in　others　there　are　no　open　pathways　or　clearings；　as　here。　At　Batchian　there　are　only　two　tolerable　collecting　places；the　road　to　the　coal　mines；　and　the　new　clearings　made　by　the　Tomóre　people；　the　latter　being　by　far　the　most　productive。　I　believe　the　fact　to　be　that　insects　are　pretty　uniformly　distributed　over　these　countries　（where　the　forests　have　not　been　cleared　away）；　and　are　so　scarce　in　any　one　spot　that　searching　for　them　is　almost　useless。　If　the　forest　is　all　cleared　away；　almost　all　the　insects　disappear　with　it；　but　when　small　clearings　and　paths　are　made；　the　fallen　trees　in　various　stages　of　drying　and　decay；　the　rotting　leaves；　the　loosening　bark　and　the　fungoid　growths　upon　it；　together　with　the　flowers　that　appear　in　much　greater　abundance　where　the　light　is　admitted；　are　so　many　attractions　to　the　insects　for　miles　around；　and　cause　a　wonderful　accumulation　of　species　and　individuals。　When　the　entomologist　can　discover　such　a　spot；　he　does　more　in　a　mouth　than　he　could　possibly　do　by　a　year's　search　in　the　depths　of　the　undisturbed　forest。

The　next　morning　we　left　early；　and　reached　the　mouth　of　the　little　river　in　about　au　hour。　It　flows　through　a　perfectly　flat　alluvial　plain；　but　there　are　hills　which　approach　it　near　the　mouth。　Towards　the　lower　part；　in　a　swamp　where　the　salt…water　must　enter　at　high　tides；　were　a　number　of　elegant　tree…ferns　from　eight　to　fifteen　feet　high。　These　are　generally　considered　to　be　mountain　plants；　and　rarely　to　occur　on　the　equator　at　an　elevation　of　less　than　one　or　two　thousand　feet。　In　Borneo；　in　the　Aru　Islands；　and　on　the　banks　of　the　Amazon；　I　have　observed　them　at　the　level　of　the　sea；　and　think　it　probable　that　the　altitude　supposed　to　be　requisite　for　them　may　have　been　deduced　from　facts　observed　in　countries　where　the　plains　and　lowlands　are　largely　cultivated；　and　most　of　the　indigenous　vegetation　destroyed。　Such　is　the　case　in　most　parts　of　Java；　India；　Jamaica；　and　Brazil；　where　the　vegetation　of　the　tropics　has　been　most　fully　explored。

Coming　out　to　sea　we　turned　northwards；　and　in　about　two　hours'　sail　reached　a　few　huts；　called　Langundi；　where　some　Galela　men　had　established　themselves　as　collectors　of　gum…dammar；　with　which　they　made　torches　for　the　supply　of　the　Ternate　market。　About　a　hundred　yards　back　rises　a　rather　steep　hill；　and　a　short　walk　having　shown　me　that　there　was　a　tolerable　path　up　it；　I　determined　to　stay　here　for　a　few　days。　Opposite　us；　and　all　along　this　coast　of　Batchian；　stretches　a　row　of　fine　islands　completely　uninhabited。　Whenever　I　asked　the　reason　why　no　one　goes　to　live　in　them；　the　answer　always　was；　〃For　fear　of　the　Magindano　pirates。〃　Every　year　these　scourges　of　the　Archipelago　wander　in　one　direction　or　another；　making　their　rendezvous　on　some　uninhabited　island；　and　carrying　devastation　to　all　the　small　settlements　around；　robbing；　destroying；　killing；　or　taking　captive　all　they　nee　with。　Their　long　well…manned　praus　escape　from　the　pursuit　of　any　sailing　vessel　by　pulling　away　right　in　the　wind's　eye；　and　the　warning　smoke　of　a　steamer　generally　enables　them　to　hide　in　some　shallow　bay；　or　narrow　river；　or　forest…covered　inlet；　till　the　danger　is　passed。　The　only　effectual　way　to　put　a　stop　to　their　depredations　would　be　to　attack　them　in　their　strongholds　and　villages；　and　compel　them　to　give　up　piracy；　and　submit　to　strict　surveillance。　Sir　James　Brooke　did　this　with　the　pirates　of　the　north…west　coast　of　Borneo；　and　deserves　the　thanks　of　the　whole　population　of　the　Archipelago　for　having　rid　them　of　half　their　enemies。

All　along　the　beach　here；　and　in　the　adjacent　strip　of　sandy　lowland；　is　a　remarkable　display　of　Pandanaceae　or　Screw…pines。　Some　are　like　huge　branching　candelabra；　forty　or　fifty　feet　high；　and　bearing　at　the　end　of　each　branch　a　tuft　of　immense　sword…shaped　leaves；　six　or　eight　inches　wide；　and　as　many　feet　long。　Others　have　a　single　unbranched　stem；　six　or　seven　feet　high；　the　upper　part　clothed　with　the　spirally　arranged　leaves；　and　bearing　a　single　terminal　fruit　ac　large　as　a　swan's　egg。　Others　of　intermediate　size　have　irregular　clusters　of　rough　red　fruits；　and　all　have　more　or　less　spiny…edged　leaves　and　ringed　stems。　The　young　plants　of　the　larger　species　have　smooth　glossy　thick　leaves；　sometimes　ten　feet　long　and　eight　inches　wide；　which　are　used　all　over　the　Moluccas　and　New　Guinea；　to　make　〃cocoyas〃　or　sleeping　mats；　which　are　often　very　prettily　ornamented　with　coloured　patterns。　Higher　up　on　the　bill　is　a　forest　of　immense　trees；　among　which　those　producing　the　resin　called　dammar　（Dammara　sp。）　are　abundant。　The　inhabitants　of　several　small　villages　in　Batchian　are　entirely　engaged　in　searching　for　this　product；　and　making　it　into　torches　by　pounding　it　and　filling　it　into　tubes　of　palm　leaves　about　a　yard　long；　which　are　the　only　lights　used　by　many　of　the　natives。　Sometimes　the　dammar　accumulates　in　large　masses　of　ten　or　twenty　pounds　weight；　either　attached　to　the　trunk；　or　found　buried　in　the　ground　at　the　foot　of　the　trees。　The　most　extraordinary　trees　of　the　forest　are；　however；　a　kind　of　fig；　the　aerial　roots　of　which　form　a　pyramid　near　a　hundred　feet　high；　terminating　just　where　the　tree　branches　out　above；　so　that　there　is　no　real　trunk。　This　pyramid　or　cone　is　formed　of　roots　of　every　size；　mostly　descending　in　straight　lines；　but　more　or　less　obliquely…　and　so　crossing　each　other；　and　connected　by　cross　branches；　which　grow　from　one　to　another；　as　to　form　a　dense　and　complicated　network；　to　which　nothing　but　a　photograph　could　do　justice　（see　illustration　at　Vol。　I。　page　130）。　The　Kanary　is　also　abundant　in　this　forest；　the　nut　of　which　has　a　very　agreeable　flavour；　and　produces　an　excellent　oil。　The　fleshy　outer　covering　of　the　nut　is　the　favourite　food　of　the　great　green　pigeons　of　these　islands　（Carpophaga；　perspicillata）；　and　their　hoarse　copings　and　heavy　flutterings　among　the　branches　can　be　almost　continually　heard。

After　ten　days　at　Langundi；　finding　it　impossible　to　get　the　bird　I　was　particularly　in　search　of　（the　Nicobar　pigeon；　or