the malay archipelago-1-第16节

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　further；　that　almost　all　other　animals　have　in　earlier　ages　been　represented　by　allied　yet　distinct　forms　that；　in　the　latter　part　of　the　tertiary　period；　Europe　was　inhabited　by　bears；　deer；　wolves；　and　cats；　Australia　by　kangaroos　and　other　marsupials；　South　America　by　gigantic　sloths　and　ant…eaters；　all　different　from　any　now　existing；　though　intimately　allied　to　themwe　have　every　reason　to　believe　that　the　Orangutan；　the　Chimpanzee；　and　the　Gorilla　have　also　had　their　forerunners。　With　what　interest　must　every　naturalist　look　forward　to　the　time　when　the　caves　and　tertiary　deposits　of　the　tropics　may　be　thoroughly　examined；　and　the　past　history　and　earliest　appearance　of　the　great　man…like　apes　be　made　known　at　length。

I　will　now　say　a　few　words　as　to　the　supposed　existence　of　a　Bornean　Orang　as　large　as　the　Gorilla。　I　have　myself　examined　the　bodies　of　seventeen　freshly…killed　Orangs；　all　of　which　were　carefully　measured；　and　of　seven　of　them；　I　preserved　the　skeleton。　I　also　obtained　two　skeletons　killed　by　other　persons。　Of　this　extensive　series；　sixteen　were　fully　adult；　nine　being　males；　and　seven　females。　The　adult　males　of　the　large　Orangs　only　varied　from　4　feet　1　inch　to　4　feet　2　inches　in　height；　measured　fairly　to　the　heel；　so　as　to　give　the　height　of　the　animal　if　it　stood　perfectly　erect；　the　extent　of　the　outstretched　arms；　from　7　feet　2　inches　to　7　feet　8　inches；　and　the　width　of　the　face；　from　10　inches　to　13　1/2　inches。　The　dimensions　given　by　other　naturalists　closely　agree　with　mine。　The　largest　Orang　measured　by　Temminck　was　4　feet　high。　Of　twenty…five　specimens　collected　by　Schlegel　and　Muller；　the　largest　old　male　was　4　feet　1　inch；　and　the　largest　skeleton　in　the　Calcutta　Museum　was；　according　to　Mr。　Blyth；　4　feet　1　1/2　inch。　My　specimens　were　all　from　the　northwest　coast　of　Borneo；　those　of　the　Dutch　from　the　west　and　south　coasts；　and　no　specimen　has　yet　reached　Europe　exceeding　these　dimensions；　although　the　total　number　of　skins　and　skeletons　must　amount　to　over　a　hundred。

Strange　to　say；　however；　several　persons　declare　that　they　have　measured　Orangs　of　a　much　larger　size。　Temminck；　in　his　Monograph　of　the　Orang；　says　that　he　has　just　received　news　of　the　capture　of　a　specimen　5　feet　3　inches　high。　Unfortunately；　it　never　seems　to　have　a　reached　Holland；　for　nothing　has　since　been　heard　of　any　such　animal。　Mr。　St。　John；　in　his　〃Life　in　the　Forests　of　the　Far　East；〃　vol。　ii。　p。　237；　tells　us　of　an　Orang　shot　by　a　friend　of　his；　which　was　5　feet　2　inches　from　the　heel　to　the　top　of　the　head；　the　arm　17　inches　in　girth；　and　the　wrist　12　inches！　The　head　alone　was　brought　to　Sarawak；　and　Mr。　St。　John　tells　us　that　he　assisted　to　measure　this；　and　that　it　was　15　inches　broad　by　14　long。　Unfortunately；　even　this　skull　appears　not　to　have　been　preserved；　for　no　specimen　corresponding　to　these　dimensions　has　yet　reached　England。

In　a　letter　from　Sir　James　Brooke；　dated　October　1857　in　which　he　acknowledges　the　receipt　of　my　Papers　on　the　Orang；　published　in　the　〃Annals　and　Magazine　of　Natural　History；〃　he　sends　me　the　measurements　of　a　specimen　killed　by　his　nephew；　which　I　will　give　exactly　as　I　received　it：　〃September　3rd；　1867；　killed　female　Orangutan。　Height；　from　head　to　heel；　4　feet　6　inches。　Stretch　from　fingers　to　fingers　across　body；　6　feet　1　inch。　Breadth　of　face；　including　callosities；　11　inches。〃　Now；　in　these　dimensions；　there　is　palpably　one　error；　for　in　every　Orang　yet　measured　by　any　naturalist；　an　expanse　of　arms　of　6　feet　1　inch　corresponds　to　a　height　of　about　3　feet　6　inches；　while　the　largest　specimens　of　4　feet　to　4　feet　2　inches　high；　always　have　the　extended　arms　as　much　as　7　feet　3　inches　to　7　feet　8　inches。　It　is；　in　fact；　one　of　the　characters　of　the　genus　to　have　the　arms　so　long　that　an　animal　standing　nearly　erect　can　rest　its　fingers　on　the　ground。　A　height　of　4　feet　6　inches　would　therefore　require　a　stretch　of　arms　of　at　least　8　feet！　If　it　were　only　6　feet　to　that　height；　as　given　in　the　dimensions　quoted；　the　animal　would　not　be　an　Orang　at　all；　but　a　new　genus　of　apes；　differing　materially　in　habits　and　mode　of　progression。　But　Mr。　Johnson；　who　shot　this　animal；　and　who　knows　Orangs　well；　evidently　considered　it　to　be　one；　and　we　have　therefore　to　judge　whether　it　is　more　probable　that　he　made　a　mistake　of　two　feet　in　the　stretch　of　the　arms；　or　of　one　foot　in　the　height。　The　latter　error　is　certainly　the　easiest　to　make；　and　it　will　bring　his　animal　into　agreement；　as　to　proportions　and　size；　with　all　those　which　exist　in　Europe。　How　easy　it　is　to　be　deceived　as　to　the　height　of　these　animals　is　well　shown　in　the　case　of　the　Sumatran　Orang；　the　skin　of　which　was　described　by　Dr。　Clarke　Abel。　The　captain　and　crew　who　killed　this　animal　declared　that　when　alive　he　exceeded　the　tallest　man；　and　looked　so　gigantic　that　they　thought　he　was　7　feet　high；　but　that；　when　he　was　killed　and　lay　upon　the　ground；　they　found　he　was　only　about　6　feet。　Now　it　will　hardly　be　credited　that　the　skin　of　this　identical　animal　exists　in　the　Calcutta　Museum；　and　Mr。　Blyth；　the　late　curator；　states　〃that　it　is　by　no　means　one　of　the　largest　size〃；　which　means　that　it　is　about　4　feet　high！

Having　these　undoubted　examples　of　error　in　the　dimensions　of　Orangs；　it　is　not　too　much　to　conclude　that　Mr。　St。　John's　friend　made　a　similar　error　of　measurement；　or　rather；　perhaps；　of　memory；　for　we　are　not　told　that　the　dimensions　were　noted　down　at　the　time　they　were　made。　The　only　figures　given　by　Mr。　St。　John　on　his　own　authority　are　that　〃the　head　was　15　inches　broad　by　14　inches　long。〃　As　my　largest　male　was　13　1/2　broad　across　the　face；　measured　as　soon　as　the　animal　was　killed；　I　can　quite　understand　that　when　the　head　arrived　at　Sarawak　from　the　Batang　Lupar；　after　two　or　three　days'　voyage；　it　was　so　swollen　by　decomposition　as　to　measure　an　inch　more　than　when　it　was　fresh。　On　the　whole；　therefore；　I　think　it　will　be　allowed；　that　up　to　this　time　we　have　not　the　least　reliable　evidence　of　the　existence　of　Orangs　in　Borneo　more　than　4　feet　2　inches　high。

CHAPTER　V。

BORNEOJOURNEY　INTO　THE　INTERIOR。

（NOVEMBER　1855　TO　JANUARY　1856。）

As　the　wet　season　was　approaching；　I　determined　to　return　to　Sarawak；　sending　all　my　collections　with　Charles　Allen　around　by　sea；　while　I　myself　proposed　to　go　up　to　the　sources　of　the　Sadong　River　and　descend　by　the　Sarawak　valley。　As　the　route　was　somewhat　difficult；　I　took　the　smallest　quantity　of　baggage；　and　only　one　servant；　a　Malay　lad　named　Bujon；　who　knew　the　language　of　the　Sadong　Dyaks；　with　whom　he　had　traded。　We　left　the　mines　on　the　27th　of　November；　and　the　next　day　reached　the　Malay　village　of　Gúdong；　where　I　stayed　a　short　time　to　buy　fruit　and　eggs；　and　called　upon　the　Datu　Bandar；　or　Malay　governor　of　the　place。　He　lived　in　a　large；　arid　well…built　house；　very　dirty　outside　and　in；　and　was　very　inquisitive　about　my　business；　and　particularly　about　the　coal…mines。　These　puzzle　the　natives　exceedingly；　as　they　cannot　understand　the　extensive　and　costly　preparations　for　working　coal；　and　cannot　believe　it　is　to　be　used　only　as　fuel　when　wood　is　so　abundant　and　so　easily　obtained。　It　was　evident　that　Europeans　seldom　came　here；　for　numbers　of　women　skeltered　away　as　I　walked　through　the　village　and　one　girl　about　ten　or　twelve　years　old；　who　had　just　brought　a　bamboo　full　of　water　from　the　river；　threw　it　down　with　a　cry　of　horror　and　alarm　the　moment　she　caught　sight　of　me；　turned　around　and　jumped　into　the　stream。　She　swam　beautifully；　and　kept　looking　back　as　if　expecting　I　would　follow　her；　screaming　violently　all　the　time；　while　a　number　of　men　and　boys　were　laughing　at　her　ignorant　terror。

At　Jahi；　the　next　village；　the　stream　became　so　swift　in　consequence　of　a　flood；　that　my　heavy　boat　could　make　no　way；　and　I　was　obliged　to　send　it　back　and　go　on　in　a　very　small　open　one。　So　far　the　river　had　been　very　monotonous；　the　banks　being　cultivated　as　rice…fields；　and　little　thatched　huts　alone　breaking　the　unpicturesque　line　of　muddy　bank　crowned　with　tall　grasses；　and　backed　by　the　top　of　the　forest　behind　the　cultivated　ground。　A　few　hours　beyond　Jahi　we　passed　the　limits　of　cultivation；　and　had　the　beautiful　virgin　forest　coming　down　to　the　water's　edge；　with　its　palms　and　creepers；　its　noble　trees；　its　ferns；　and　epiphytes。　The　banks　of　the　river　were；　however；　still　generally　flooded；　and　we　had　some　difficulty　in　finding　a　dry　spot　to　sleep　on。　Early　in　the　morning　we　reached　Empugnan；　a　small　Malay　village；　situated　at　the　foot　of　an　isolated　mountain　which　had　been　visible　from　the　mouth　of　the　Simunjon　River。　Beyond　here　the　tides　are　not　felt；　and　we　now　entered　upon　a　district　of　elevated　forest；　with　a　finer　vegetation。　Large　trees　stretch　out　their　arms　across　the　stream；　and　the　steep；　earthy　banks　are　clothed　with　ferns　and　zingiberaceous　plants。

Early　in　the　afternoon　we　arrived　at　Tabókan；　the　first　village　of　the　Hill　Dyaks。　On　an　open　space　near　the　river；　about　twenty　boys　were　playing　at　a　game　something　like　what　we　call　〃prisoner's　base；〃　their　ornaments　of　beads　and　brass　wire　and　their　gay…coloured　kerchiefs　and　waist…cloths　showing　to　much　advantage；　and　forming　a　very　pleasing　sight。　On　being　called　b