the malay archipelago-1-第18节

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stiff　and　ridiculous　as　possible。　All　the　time　six　or　eight　large　Chinese　gongs　were　being　beaten　by　the　vigorous　arms　of　as　many　young　men；　producing　such　a　deafening　discord　that　I　was　glad　to　escape　to　the　round　house；　where　I　slept　very　comfortably　with　half　a　dozen　smoke…dried　human　skulls　suspended　over　my　head；

The　river　was　now　so　shallow　that　boats　could　hardly　get　along。　I　therefore　preferred　walking　to　the　next　village；　expecting　to　see　something　of　the　country；　but　was　much　disappointed；　as　the　path　lay　almost　entirely　through　dense　bamboo　thickets。　The　Dyaks　get　two　crops　off　the　ground　in　succession；　one　of　rice；　and　the　other　of　sugarcane；　maize；　and　vegetables。　The　ground　then　lies　fallow　eight　or　ten　years；　and　becomes　covered　with　bamboos　and　shrubs；　which　often　completely　arch　over　the　path　and　shut　out　everything　from　the　view。　Three　hours'　walking　brought　us　to　the　village　of　Senankan；　where　I　was　again　obliged　to　remain　the　whole　day；　which　I　agreed　to　do　on　the　promise　of　the　Orang　Kaya　that　his　men　should　next　day　take　me　through　two　other　villages　across　to　Senna；　at　the　head　of　the　Sarawak　River。　I　amused　myself　as　I　best　could　till　evening；　by　walking　about　the　high　ground　near；　to　get　views　of　the　country　and　bearings　of　the　chief　mountains。　There　was　then　another　public　audience；　with　gifts　of　rice　and　eggs；　and　drinking　of　rice　wine。　These　Dyaks　cultivate　a　great　extent　of　ground；　and　supply　a　good　deal　of　rice　to　Sarawak。　They　are　rich　in　gongs；　brass　trays；　wire；　silver　coins；　and　other　articles　in　which　a　Dyak's　wealth　consists；　and　their　women　and　children　are　all　highly　ornamented　with　bead　necklaces；　shells；　and　brass　wire。

In　the　morning　I　waited　some　time；　but　the　men　that　were　to　accompany　me　did　not　make　their　appearance。　On　sending　to　the　Orang　Kaya　I　found　that　both　he　and　another　head…man　had　gone　out　for　the　day；　and　on　inquiring　the　reason　was　told　that　they　could　not　persuade　any　of　their　men　to　go　with　me　because　the　journey　was　long　and　fatiguing　one。　As　I　was　determined　to　get　on；　I　told　the　few　men　that　remained　that　the　chiefs　had　behaved　very　badly；　and　that　I　should　acquaint　the　Rajah　with　their　conduct；　and　I　wanted　to　start　immediately。　Every　man　present　made　some　excuse；　but　others　were　sent　for；　and　by　hint　of　threats　and　promises；　and　the　exertion　of　all　Bujon's　eloquence；　we　succeeded　in　getting　off　after　two　hours'　delay。

For　the　first　few　miles　our　path　lay　over　a　country　cleared　for　rice…fields；　consisting　entirely　of　small　but　deep　and　sharply…　cut　ridges　and　valleys　without　a　yard　of　level　ground。　After　crossing　the　Kayan　river；　a　main　branch　of　the　Sadong；　we　got　on　to　the　lower　slopes　of　the　Seboran　Mountain；　and　the　path　lay　along　a　sharp　and　moderately　steep　ridge；　affording　an　excellent　view　of　the　country。　Its　features　were　exactly　those　of　the　Himalayas　in　miniature；　as　they　are　described　by　Dr。　Hooker　and　other　travellers；　and　looked　like　a　natural　model　of　some　parts　of　those　vast　mountains　on　a　scale　of　about　a　tenththousands　of　feet　being　here　represented　by　hundreds。　I　now　discovered　the　source　of　the　beautiful　pebbles　which　had　so　pleased　me　in　the　riverbed。　The　slatey　rocks　had　ceased；　and　these　mountains　seemed　to　consist　of　a　sandstone　conglomerate；　which　was　in　some　places　a　mere　mass　of　pebbles　cemented　together。　I　might　have　known　that　such　small　streams　could　not　produce　such　vast　quantities　of　well…rounded　pebbles　of　the　very　hardest　materials。　They　had　evidently　been　formed　in　past　ages；　by　the　action　of　some　continental　stream　or　seabeach；　before　the　great　island　of　Borneo　had　risen　from　the　ocean。　The　existence　of　such　a　system　of　hills　and　valleys　reproducing　in　miniature　all　the　features　of　a　great　mountain　region；　has　an　important　bearing　on　the　modern　theory　that　the　form　of　the　ground　is　mainly　due　to　atmospheric　rather　than　to　subterranean　action。　When　we　have　a　number　of　branching　valleys　and　ravines　running　in　many　different　directions　within　a　square　mile；　it　seems　hardly　possible　to　impute　their　formation；　or　even　their　origination；　to　rents　and　fissures　produced　by　earthquakes。　On　the　other　hand；　the　nature　of　the　rock；　so　easily　decomposed　and　removed　by　water；　and　the　known　action　of　the　abundant　tropical　rains；　are　in　this　case；　at　least；　quite　sufficient　causes　for　the　production　of　such　valleys。　But　the　resemblance　between　their　forms　and　outlines；　their　mode　of　divergence；　and　the　slopes　and　ridges　that　divide　them；　and　those　of　the　grand　mountain　scenery　of　the　Himalayas；　is　so　remarkable；　that　we　are　forcibly　led　to　the　conclusion　that　the　forces　at　work　in　the　two　cases　have　been　the　same；　differing　only　in　the　time　they　have　been　in　action；　and　the　nature　of　the　material　they　have　had　to　work　upon。

About　noon　we　reached　the　village　of　Menyerry；　beautifully　situated　on　a　spur　of　the　mountain　about　600　feet　above　the　valley；　and　affording　a　delightful　view　of　the　mountains　of　this　part　of　Borneo。　I　here　got　a　sight　of　Penrissen　Mountain；　at　the　head　of　the　Sarawak　River；　and　one　of　the　highest　in　the　district；　rising　to　about　6；000　feet　above　the　sea。　To　the　south　the　Rowan；　and　further　off　the　Untowan　Mountains　in　the　Dutch　territory　appeared　equally　lofty。　Descending　from　Menyerry　we　again　crossed　the　Kayan；　which　bends　round　the　spur；　and　ascended　to　the　pass　which　divides　the　Sadong　and　Sarawak　valleys；　and　which　is　about　2；000　feet　high。　The　descent　from　this　point　was　very　fine。　A　stream；　deep　in　a　rocky　gorge；　rushed　on　each　side　of　us；　to　one　of　which　we　gradually　descended；　passing　over　many　lateral　gullys　and　along　the　faces　of　some　precipices　by　means　of　native　bamboo　bridges。　Some　of　these　were　several　hundred　feet　long　and　fifty　or　sixty　high；　a　single　smooth　bamboo　four　inches　diameter　forming　the　only　pathway；　while　a　slender　handrail　of　the　same　material　was　often　so　shaky　that　it　could　only　be　used　as　a　guide　rather　than　a　support。

Late　in　the　afternoon　we　reached　Sodos；　situated　on　a　spur　between　two　streams；　but　so　surrounded　by　fruit　trees　that　little　could　be　seen　of　the　country。　The　house　was　spacious；　clean　and　comfortable；　and　the　people　very　obliging。　Many　of　the　women　and　children　had　never　seen　a　white　man　before；　and　were　very　sceptical　as　to　my　being　the　same　colour　all　over；　as　my　face。　They　begged　me　to　show　them　my　arms　and　body；　and　they　were　so　kind　and　good…tempered　that　I　felt　bound　to　give　them　some　satisfaction；　so　I　turned　up　my　trousers　and　let　them　see　the　colour　of　my　leg；　which　they　examined　with　great　interest。

In　the　morning　early　we　continued　our　descent　along　a　fine　valley；　with　mountains　rising　2；000　or　3；000　feet　in　every　direction。　The　little　river　rapidly　increased　in　size　until　we　reached　Serma；　when　it　had　become　a　fine　pebbly　stream　navigable　for　small　canoes。　Here　again　the　upheaved　slatey　rock　appeared；　with　the　same　dip　and　direction　as　in　the　Sadong　River。　On　inquiring　for　a　boat　to　take　me　down　the　stream；　I　was　told　that　the　Senna　Dyaks；　although　living　on　the　river…banks；　never　made　or　used　boats。　They　were　mountaineers　who　had　only　come　down　into　the　valley　about　twenty　years　before；　and　had　not　yet　got　into　new　habits。　They　are　of　the　same　tribe　as　the　people　of　Menyerry　and　Sodos。　They　make　good　paths　and　bridges；　and　cultivate　much　mountain　land；　and　thus　give　a　more　pleasing　and　civilized　aspect　to　the　country　than　where　the　people　move　about　only　in　boats；　and　confine　their　cultivation　to　the　banks　of　the　streams。

After　some　trouble　I　hired　a　boat　from　a　Malay　trader；　and　found　three　Dyaks　who　had　been　several　times　with　Malays　to　Sarawak；　and　thought　they　could　manage　it　very　well。　They　turned　out　very　awkward；　constantly　running　aground；　striking　against　rocks；　and　losing　their　balance　so　as　almost　to　upset　themselves　and　the　boatoffering　a　striking　contrast　to　the　skill　of　the　Sea　Dyaks。　At　length　we　came　to　a　really　dangerous　rapid　where　boats　were　often　swamped；　and　my　men　were　afraid　to　pass　it。　Some　Malays　with　a　boatload　of　rice　here　overtook　us；　and　after　safely　passing　down　kindly　sent　back　one　of　their　men　to　assist　me。　As　it　was；　my　Dyaks　lost　their　balance　in　the　critical　part　of　the　passage；　and　had　they　been　alone　would　certainly　have　upset　the　boat。　The　river　now　became　exceedingly　picturesque；　the　ground　on　each　side　being　partially　cleared　for　ricefields；　affording　a　good　view　of　the　country。　Numerous　little　granaries　were　built　high　up　in　trees　overhanging　the　river；　and　having　a　bamboo　bridge　sloping　up　to　them　from　the　bank；　and　here　and　there　bamboo　suspension　bridge　crossed　the　stream；　where　overhanging　trees　favoured　their　construction。

I　slept　that　night　in　the　village　of　the　Sebungow　Dyaks；　and　the　next　day　reached　Sarawak；　passing　through　a　most　beautiful　country　where　limestone　mountains　with　their　fantastic　forms　and　white　precipices　slot　up　on　every　side；　draped　and　festooned　with　a　luxuriant　vegetation。　The　banks　of　the　Sarawak　River　are　everywhere　covered　with　fruit　trees；　which　supply　the　Dyaks　with　a　great　deal　of　their　food。　The　Mangosteen；　Lansat；　Rambutan；　Jack；　Jambou；　and　Blimbing；　are　all　abundant；　but　most　abundant　and　most　esteemed　is　the　Durian；　a　fruit　about　which　very　little　is　known　in　England；　but