the malay archipelago-1-第12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！


　by　a　most　infantine　scream。　The　little　monkey；　on　the　other　hand；　in　constant　motion；　running　and　jumping　about　wherever　it　pleased；　examining　everything　around　it；　seizing　hold　of　the　smallest　object　with　the　greatest　precision；　balancing　itself　on　the　edge　of　the　box　or　running　up　a　post；　and　helping　itself　to　anything　eatable　that　came　in　its　way。　There　could　hardly　be　a　greater　contrast；　and　the　baby　Mias　looked　more　baby…like　by　the　comparison。

When　I　had　had　it　about　a　month；　it　began　to　exhibit　some　signs　of　learning　to　run　alone。　When　laid　upon　the　floor　it　would　push　itself　along　by　its　legs；　or　roll　itself　over；　and　thus　make　an　unwieldy　progression。　When　lying　in　the　box　it　would　lift　itself　up　to　the　edge　into　almost　an　erect　position；　and　once　or　twice　succeeded　in　tumbling　out。　When　left　dirty；　or　hungry；　or　otherwise　neglected；　it　would　scream　violently　until　attended　to；　varied　by　a　kind　of　coughing　or　pumping　noise　very　similar　to　that　which　is　made　by　the　adult　animal。　If　no　one　was　in　the　house；　or　its　cries　were　not　attended　to；　it　would　be　quiet　after　a　little　while；　but　the　moment　it　heard　a　footstep　would　begin　again　harder　than　ever。

After　five　weeks　it　cut　its　two　upper　front　teeth；　but　in　all　this　time　it　had　not　grown　the　least　bit；　remaining　both　in　size　and　weight　the　same　as　when　I　first　procured　it。　This　was　no　doubt　owing　to　the　want　of　milk　or　other　equally　nourishing　food。　Rice…water；　rice；　and　biscuits　were　but　a　poor　substitute；　and　the　expressed　milk　of　the　cocoa…nut　which　I　sometimes　gave　it　did　not　quite　agree　with　its　stomach。　To　this　I　imputed　an　attack　of　diarrhoea　from　which　the　poor　little　creature　suffered　greatly；　but　a　small　dose　of　castor…oil　operated　well；　and　cured　it。　A　week　or　two　afterwards　it　was　again　taken　ill；　and　this　time　more　seriously。　The　symptoms　were　exactly　those　of　intermittent　fever；　accompanied　by　watery　swellings　on　the　feet　and　head。　It　lost　all　appetite　for　its　food；　and；　after　lingering　for　a　week　a　most　pitiable　object；　died；　after　being　in　my　possession　nearly　three　months。　I　much　regretted　the　loss　of　my　little　pet；　which　I　had　at　one　time　looked　forward　to　bringing　up　to　years　of　maturity；　and　taking　home　to　England。　For　several　months　it　had　afforded　me　daily　amusement　by　its　curious　ways　and　the　inimitably　ludicrous　expression　of　its　little　countenance。　Its　weight　was　three　pounds　nine　ounces；　its　height　fourteen　inches；　and　the　spread　of　its　arms　twenty…three　inches。　I　preserved　its　skin　and　skeleton；　and　in　doing　so　found　that　when　it　fell　from　the　tree　it　must　have　broken　an　arm　and　a　leg；　which　had；　however；　united　so　rapidly　that　I　had　only　noticed　the　hard　swellings　on　the　limbs　where　the　irregular　junction　of　the　bones　had　taken　place。

Exactly　a　week　after　I　had　caught　this　interesting　little　animal；　I　succeeded　in　shooting　a　full…grown　male　Orangutan。　I　had　just　come　home　from　an　entomologising　excursion　when　Charles　＇Charles　Allen；　an　English　lad　of　sixteen；　accompanied　me　as　an　assistant＇　rushed　in　out　of　breath　with　running　and　excitement；　and　exclaimed；　interrupted　by　gasps；　〃Get　the　gun；　sir；be　quick；　such　a　large　Mias！〃　〃Where　is　it？〃　I　asked；　taking　hold　of　my　gun　as　I　spoke；　which　happened　luckily　to　have　one　barrel　loaded　with　ball。　〃Close　by；　siron　the　path　to　the　mineshe　can't　get　away。〃　Two　Dyaks　chanced　to　be　in　the　house　at　the　time；　so　I　called　them　to　accompany　me；　and　started　off；　telling　Charley　to　bring　all　the　ammunition　after　me　as　soon　as　possible。　The　path　from　our　clearing　to　the　mines　led　along　the　side　of　the　hill　a　little　way　up　its　slope；　and　parallel　with　it　at　the　foot　a　wide　opening　had　been　made　for　a　road；　in　which　several　Chinamen　were　working；　so　that　the　animal　could　not　escape　into　the　swampy　forest　below　without　descending　to　cross　the　road　or　ascending　to　get　round　the　clearings。　We　walked　cautiously　along；　not　making　the　least　noise；　and　listening　attentively　for　any　sound　which　might　betray　the　presence　of　the　Mias；　stopping　at　intervals　to　gaze　upwards。　Charley　soon　joined　us　at　the　place　where　he　had　seen　the　creature；　and　having　taken　the　ammunition　and　put　a　bullet　in　the　other　barrel；　we　dispersed　a　little；　feeling　sure　that　it　must　be　somewhere　near；　as　it　had　probably　descended　the　hill；　and　would　not　be　likely　to　return　again。

After　a　short　time　I　heard　a　very　slight　rustling　sound　overhead；　but　on　gazing　up　could　see　nothing。　I　moved　about　in　every　direction　to　get　a　full　view　into　every　part　of　the　tree　under　which　I　had　been　standing；　when　I　again　heard　the　same　noise　but　louder；　and　saw　the　leaves　shaking　as　if　caused　by　the　motion　of　some　heavy　animal　which　moved　off　to　an　adjoining　tree。　I　immediately　shouted　for　all　of　them　to　come　up　and　try　and　get　a　view；　so　as　to　allow　me　to　have　a　shot。　This　was　not　an　easy　matter；　as　the　Mias　had　a　knack　of　selecting　places　with　dense　foliage　beneath。　Very　soon；　however；　one　of　the　Dyaks　called　me　and　pointed　upwards；　and　on　looking　I　saw　a　great　red　hairy　body　and　a　huge　black　face　gazing　down　from　a　great　height；　as　if　wanting　to　know　what　was　making　such　a　disturbance　below。　I　instantly　fired；　and　he　made　off　at　once；　so　that　I　could　not　then　tell　whether　I　had　hit　him。

He　now　moved　very　rapidly　and　very　noiselessly　for　so　large　an　animal；　so　I　told　the　Dyaks　to　follow　and　keep　him　in　sight　while　I　loaded。　The　jungle　was　here　full　of　large　angular　fragments　of　rock　from　the　mountain　above；　and　thick　with　hanging　and　twisted　creepers。　Running；　climbing；　and　creeping　among　these；　we　came　up　with　the　creature　on　the　top　of　a　high　tree　near　the　road；　where　the　Chinamen　had　discovered　him；　and　were　shouting　their　astonishment　with　open　mouths：　〃Ya　Ya；　Tuan；　Orangutan；　Tuan。〃　Seeing　that　he　could　not　pass　here　without　descending；　he　turned　up　again　towards　the　hill；　and　I　got　two　shots；　and　following　quickly；　had　two　more　by　the　time　he　had　again　reached　the　path；　but　he　was　always　more　or　less　concealed　by　foliage；　and　protected　by　the　large　branch　on　which　he　was　walking。　Once　while　loading　I　had　a　splendid　view　of　him；　moving　along　a　large　limb　of　a　tree　in　a　semi…erect　posture；　and　showing　it　to　be　an　animal　of　the　largest　size。　At　the　path　he　got　on　to　one　of　the　loftiest　trees　in　the　forest；　and　we　could　see　one　leg　hanging　down　useless；　having　been　broken　by　a　ball。　He　now　fixed　himself　in　a　fork；　where　he　was　hidden　by　thick　foliage；　and　seemed　disinclined　to　move。　I　was　afraid　he　would　remain　and　die　in　this　position；　and　as　it　was　nearly　evening。　I　could　not　have　got　the　tree　cut　down　that　day。　I　therefore　fired　again；　and　he　then　moved　off；　and　going　up　the　hill　was　obliged　to　get　on　to　some　lower　trees；　on　the　branches　of　one　of　which　he　fixed　himself　in　such　a　position　that　he　could　not　fall；　and　lay　all　in　a　heap　as　if　dead；　or　dying。

I　now　wanted　the　Dyaks　to　go　up　and　cut　off　the　branch　he　was　resting　on；　but　they　were　afraid；　saying　he　was　not　dead；　and　would　come　and　attack　them。　We　then　shook　the　adjoining　tree；　pulled　the　hanging　creepers；　and　did　all　we　could　to　disturb　him；　but　without　effect；　so　I　thought　it　best　to　send　for　two　Chinamen　with　axes　to　cut　down　the　tree。　While　the　messenger　was　gone；　however；　one　of　the　Dyaks　took　courage　and　climbed　towards　him；　but　the　Mias　did　not　wait　for　him　to　get　near；　moving　off　to　another　tree；　where　he　got　on　to　a　dense　mass　of　branches　and　creepers　which　almost　completely　hid　him　from　our　view。　The　tree　was　luckily　a　small　one；　so　when　the　axes　came　we　soon　had　it　cut　through；　but　it　was　so　held　up　by　jungle　ropes　and　climbers　to　adjoining　trees　that　it　only　fell　into　a　sloping　position。　The　Mias　did　not　move；　and　I　began　to　fear　that　after　all　we　should　not　get　him；　as　it　was　near　evening；　and　half　a　dozen　more　trees　would　have　to　be　cut　down　before　the　one　he　was　on　would　fall。　As　a　last　resource　we　all　began　pulling　at　the　creepers；　which　shook　the　tree　very　much；　and；　after　a　few　minutes；　when　we　had　almost　given　up　all　hope；　down　he　came　with　a　crash　and　a　thud　like　the　fall　of　a　giant。　And　he　was　a　giant；　his　head　and　body　being　fully　as　large　as　a　man's。　He　was　of　the　kind　called　by　the　Dyaks　〃Mias　Chappan；〃　or　〃Mias　Pappan；〃　which　has　the　skin　of　the　face　broadened　out　to　a　ridge　or　fold　at　each　side。　His　outstretched　arms　measured　seven　feet　three　inches　across；　and　his　height；　measuring　fairly　from　the　top　of　the　head　to　the　heel　was　four　feet　two　inches。　The　body　just　below　the　arms　was　three　feet　two　inches　round；　and　was　quite　as　long　as　a　man's；　the　legs　being　exceedingly　short　in　proportion。　On　examination　we　found　he　had　been　dreadfully　wounded。　Both　legs　were　broken；　one　hip…joint　and　the　root　of　the　spine　completely　shattered；　and　two　bullets　were　found　flattened　in　his　neck　and　jaws。　Yet　he　was　still　alive　when　he　fell。　The　two　Chinamen　carried　him　home　tied　to　a　pole；　and　I　was　occupied　with　Charley　the　whole　of　the　next　day　preparing　the　skin　and　boiling　the　bones　to　make　a　perfect　skeleton；　which　are　now　preserved　in　the　Museum　at　Derby。

About　ten　days　after　this；　on　June　4th；　some　Dyaks　came　to　tell　us　that　the　day　before　a　Mias　had　nearly　killed　one　of　their　companions。　A　few　miles　down　the　river　there　is　a　Dyak　house；　and　the　inhabitants　saw　a　large　Or