the malay archipelago-1-第19节

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　abundant　and　most　esteemed　is　the　Durian；　a　fruit　about　which　very　little　is　known　in　England；　but　which　both　by　natives　and　Europeans　in　the　Malay　Archipelago　is　reckoned　superior　to　all　others。　The　old　traveller　Linschott；　writing　in　1599；　says：　〃It　is　of　such　an　excellent　taste　that　it　surpasses　in　flavour　all　the　other　fruits　of　the　world；　according　to　those　who　have　tasted　it。〃　And　Doctor　Paludanus　adds：　〃This　fruit　is　of　a　hot　and　humid　nature。　To　those　not　used　to　it；　it　seems　at　first　to　smell　like　rotten　onions；　but　immediately　when　they　have　tasted　it；　they　prefer　it　to　all　other　food。　The　natives　give　it　honourable　titles；　exalt　it；　and　make　verses　on　it。〃　When　brought　into　a　house　the　smell　is　often　so　offensive　that　some　persons　can　never　bear　to　taste　it。　This　was　my　own　case　when　I　first　tried　it　in　Malacca；　but　in　Borneo　I　found　a　ripe　fruit　on　the　ground；　and；　eating　it　out　of　doors；　I　at　once　became　a　confirmed　Durian　eater。

The　Durian　grows　on　a　large　and　lofty　forest　tree；　somewhat　resembling　an　elm　in　its　general　character；　but　with　a　more　smooth　and　scaly　bark。　The　fruit　is　round　or　slightly　oval；　about　the　size　of　a　large　cocoanut；　of　a　green　colour；　and　covered　all　over　with　short　stout　spines　the　bases　of　which　touch　each　other；　and　are　consequently　somewhat　hexagonal；　while　the　points　are　very　strong　and　sharp。　It　is　so　completely　armed；　that　if　the　stalk　is　broken　off　it　is　a　difficult　matter　to　lift　one　from　the　ground。　The　outer　rind　is　so　thick　and　tough；　that　from　whatever　height　it　may　fall　it　is　never　broken。　From　the　base　to　the　apex　five　very　faint　lines　may　be　traced；　over　which　the　spines　arch　a　little；　these　are　the　sutures　of　the　carpels；　and　show　where　the　fruit　may　be　divided　with　a　heavy　knife　and　a　strong　hand。　The　five　cells　are　satiny　white　within；　and　are　each　filled　with　an　oval　mass　of　cream…coloured　pulp；　imbedded　in　which　are　two　or　three　seeds　about　the　size　of　chestnuts。　This　pulp　is　the　eatable　part；　and　its　consistency　and　flavour　are　indescribable。　A　rich　butter…like　custard　highly　flavoured　with　almonds　gives　the　best　general　idea　of　it；　but　intermingled　with　it　come　wafts　of　flavour　that　call　to　mind　cream…cheese；　onion…sauce；　brown　sherry；　and　other　incongruities。　Then　there　is　a　rich　glutinous　smoothness　in　the　pulp　which　nothing　else　possesses；　but　which　adds　to　its　delicacy。　It　is　neither　acid；　nor　sweet；　nor　juicy；　yet　one　feels　the　want　of　more　of　these　qualities；　for　it　is　perfect　as　it　is。　It　produces　no　nausea　or　other　bad　effect；　and　the　more　you　eat　of　it　the　less　you　feel　inclined　to　stop。　In　fact　to　eat　Durians　is　a　new　sensation；　worth　a　voyage　to　the　East　to　experience。

When　the　fruit　is　ripe　it　falls　of　itself；　and　the　only　way　to　eat　Durians　in　perfection　is　to　get　them　as　they　fall；　and　the　smell　is　then　less　overpowering。　When　unripe；　it　makes　a　very　good　vegetable　if　cooked；　and　it　is　also　eaten　by　the　Dyaks　raw。　In　a　good　fruit　season　large　quantities　are　preserved　salted；　in　jars　and　bamboos；　and　kept　the　year　round；　when　it　acquires　a　most　disgusting　odour　to　Europeans；　but　the　Dyaks　appreciate　it　highly　as　a　relish　with　their　rice。　There　are　in　the　forest　two　varieties　of　wild　Durians　with　much　smaller　fruits；　one　of　them　orange…coloured　inside；　and　these　are　probably　the　origin　of　the　large　and　fine　Durians；　which　are　never　found　wild。　It　would　not；　perhaps；　be　correct　to　say　that　the　Durian　is　the　best　of　all　fruits；　because　it　cannot　supply　the　place　of　the　subacid　juicy　kinds；　such　as　the　orange；　grape；　mango；　and　mangosteen；　whose　refreshing　and　cooling　qualities　are　so　wholesome　and　grateful；　but　as　producing　a　food　of　the　most　exquisite　flavour；　it　is　unsurpassed。　If　I　had　to　fix　on　two　only；　as　representing　the　perfection　of　the　two　classes；　I　should　certainly　choose　the　Durian　and　the　Orange　as　the　king　and　queen　of　fruits。

The　Durian　is；　however；　sometimes　dangerous。　When　the　fruit　begins　to　ripen　it　falls　daily　and　almost　hourly；　and　accidents　not　unfrequently　happen　to　persons　walking　or　working　under　the　trees。　When　a　Durian　strikes　a　man　in　its　fall；　it　produces　a　dreadful　wound；　the　strong　spines　tearing　open　the　flesh；　while　the　blow　itself　is　very　heavy；　but　from　this　very　circumstance　death　rarely　ensues；　the　copious　effusion　of　blood　preventing　the　inflammation　which　might　otherwise　take　place。　A　Dyak　chief　informed　me　that　he　had　been　struck　down　by　a　Durian　falling　on　his　head；　which　he　thought　would　certainly　have　caused　his　death；　yet　he　recovered　in　a　very　short　time。

Poets　and　moralists；　judging　from　our　English　trees　and　fruits；　have　thought　that　small　fruits　always　grew　on　lofty　trees；　so　that　their　fall　should　be　harmless　to　man；　while　the　large　ones　trailed　on　the　ground。　Two　of　the　largest　and　heaviest　fruits　known；　however；　the　Brazil…nut　fruit　（Bertholletia）　and　Durian；　grow　on　lofty　forest　trees；　from　which　they　fall　as　soon　as　they　are　ripe；　and　often　wound　or　kill　the　native　inhabitants。　From　this　we　may　learn　two　things：　first；　not　to　draw　general　conclusions　from　a　very　partial　view　of　nature；　and　secondly；　that　trees　and　fruits；　no　less　than　the　varied　productions　of　the　animal　kingdom；　do　not　appear　to　be　organized　with　exclusive　reference　to　the　use　and　convenience　of　man。

During　my　many　journeys　in　Borneo；　and　especially　during　my　various　residences　among　the　Dyaks；　I　first　came　to　appreciate　the　admirable　qualities　of　the　Bamboo。　In　those　parts　of　South　America　which　I　had　previously　visited；　these　gigantic　grasses　were　comparatively　scarce；　and　where　found　but　little　used；　their　place　being　taken　as　to　one　class　of　uses　by　the　great　variety　of　Palms；　and　as　to　another　by　calabashes　and　gourds。　Almost　all　tropical　countries　produce　Bamboos；　and　wherever　they　are　found　in　abundance　the　natives　apply　them　to　a　variety　of　uses。　Their　strength；　lightness；　smoothness；　straightness；　roundness　and　hollowness；　the　facility　and　regularity　with　which　they　can　be　split；　their　many　different　sizes；　the　varying　length　of　their　joints；　the　ease　with　which　they　can　be　cut　and　with　which　holes　can　be　made　through　them；　their　hardness　outside；　their　freedom　from　any　pronounced　taste　or　smell；　their　great　abundance；　and　the　rapidity　of　their　growth　and　increase；　are　all　qualities　which　render　them　useful　for　a　hundred　different　purposes；　to　serve　which　other　materials　would　require　much　more　labour　and　preparation。　The　Bamboo　is　one　of　the　most　wonderful　and　most　beautiful　productions　of　the　tropics；　and　one　of　nature's　most　valuable　gifts　to　uncivilized　man。

The　Dyak　houses　are　all　raised　on　posts；　and　are　often　two　or　three　hundred　feet　long　and　forty　or　fifty　wide。　The　floor　is　always　formed　of　strips　split　from　large　Bamboos；　so　that　each　may　be　nearly　flat　and　about　three　inches　wide；　and　these　are　firmly　tied　down　with　rattan　to　the　joists　beneath。　When　well　made；　this　is　a　delightful　floor　to　walk　upon　barefooted；　the　rounded　surfaces　of　the　bamboo　being　very　smooth　and　agreeable　to　the　feet；　while　at　the　same　time　affording　a　firm　hold。　But；　what　is　more　important；　they　form　with　a　mat　over　them　an　excellent　bed；　the　elasticity　of　the　Bamboo　and　its　rounded　surface　being　far　superior　to　a　more　rigid　and　a　flatter　floor。　Here　we　at　once　find　a　use　for　Bamboo　which　cannot　be　supplied　so　well　by　another　material　without　a　vast　amount　of　labourpalms　and　other　substitutes　requiring　much　cutting　and　smoothing；　and　not　being　equally　good　when　finished。　When；　however；　a　flat；　close　floor　is　required；　excellent　boards　are　made　by　splitting　open　large　Bamboos　on　one　side　only；　and　flattening　them　out　so　as　to　form　slabs　eighteen　inches　wide　and　six　feet　long；　with　which　some　Dyaks　floor　their　houses。　These　with　constant　rubbing　of　the　feet　and　the　smoke　of　years　become　dark　and　polished；　like　walnut　or　old　oak；　so　that　their　real　material　can　hardly　be　recognised。　What　labour　is　here　saved　to　a　savage　whose　only　tools　are　an　axe　and　a　knife；　and　who；　if　he　wants　boards；　must　hew　them　out　of　the　solid　trunk　of　a　tree；　and　must　give　days　and　weeks　of　labour　to　obtain　a　surface　as　smooth　and　beautiful　as　the　Bamboo　thus　treated　affords　him。　Again；　if　a　temporary　house　is　wanted；　either　by　the　native　in　his　plantation　or　by　the　traveller　in　the　forest；　nothing　is　so　convenient　as　the　Bamboo；　with　which　a　house　can　be　constructed　with　a　quarter　of　the　labour　and　time　than　if　other　materials　are　used。

As　I　have　already　mentioned；　the　Hill　Dyaks　in　the　interior　of　Sarawak　make　paths　for　long　distances　from　village　to　village　and　to　their　cultivated　grounds；　in　the　course　of　which　they　have　to　cross　many　gullies　and　ravines；　and　even　rivers；　or　sometimes；　to　avoid　a　long　circuit；　to　carry　the　path　along　the　face　of　a　precipice。　In　all　these　cases　the　bridges　they　construct　are　of　Bamboo；　and　so　admirably　adapted　is　the　material　for　this　purpose；　that　it　seems　doubtful　whether　they　ever　would　have　attempted　such　works　if　they　had　not　possessed　it。　The　Dyak　bridge　is　simple　but　well　designed。　It　consists　merely　of　stout　Bamboos　crossing　each　other　at　the　road…way　like　the　letter　X；　and　rising　a　few　feet　above　it。　At　the　crossing　they　are　firmly　bound　together；　and　to　a　large　Bamboo　which　lays　upon　them　and　forms　the　only　path