the malay archipelago-1-第20节

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g　they　are　firmly　bound　together；　and　to　a　large　Bamboo　which　lays　upon　them　and　forms　the　only　pathway；　with　a　slender　and　often　very　shaky　one　to　serve　as　a　handrail。　When　a　river　is　to　be　crossed；　an　overhanging　tree　is　chosen　from　which　the　bridge　is　partly　suspended　and　partly　supported　by　diagonal　struts　from　the　banks；　so　as　to　avoid　placing　posts　in　the　stream　itself；　which　would　be　liable　to　be　carried　away　by　floods。　In　carrying　a　path　along　the　face　of　a　precipice；　trees　and　roots　are　made　use　of　for　suspension；　struts　arise　from　suitable　notches　or　crevices　in　the　rocks；　and　if　these　are　not　sufficient；　immense　Bamboos　fifty　or　sixty　feet　long　are　fixed　on　the　banks　or　on　the　branch　of　a　tree　below。　These　bridges　are　traversed　daily　by　men　and　women　carrying　heavy　loads；　so　that　any　insecurity　is　soon　discovered；　and；　as　the　materials　are　close　at　hand；　immediately　repaired。　When　a　path　goes　over　very　steep　ground；　and　becomes　slippery　in　very　wet　or　very　dry　weather；　the　Bamboo　is　used　in　another　way。　Pieces　are　cut　about　a　yard　long；　and　opposite　notches　being　made　at　each　end；　holes　are　formed　through　which　pegs　are　driven；　and　firm　and　convenient　steps　are　thus　formed　with　the　greatest　ease　and　celerity。　It　is　true　that　much　of　this　will　decay　in　one　or　two　seasons；　but　it　can　be　so　quickly　replaced　as　to　make　it　more　economical　than　using　a　harder　and　more　durable　wood。

One　of　the　most　striking　uses　to　which　Bamboo　is　applied　by　the　Dyaks；　is　to　assist　them　in　climbing　lofty　trees　by　driving　in　pegs　in　the　way　I　have　already　described　at　page　85。　This　method　is　constantly　used　in　order　to　obtain　wax；　which　is　one　of　the　most　valuable　products　of　the　country。　The　honey…bee　of　Borneo　very　generally　hangs　its　combs　under　the　branches　of　the　Tappan；　a　tree　which　towers　above　all　others　in　the　forest；　and　whose　smooth　cylindrical　trunk　often　rises　a　hundred　feet　without　a　branch。　The　Dyaks　climb　these　lofty　trees　at　night；　building　up　their　Bamboo　ladder　as　they　go；　and　bringing　down　gigantic　honeycombs。　These　furnish　them　with　a　delicious　feast　of　honey　and　young　bees；　besides　the　wax；　which　they　sell　to　traders；　and　with　the　proceeds　buy　the　much…coveted　brass　wire；　earrings；　and　bold…edged　handkerchiefs　with　which　they　love　to　decorate　themselves。　In　ascending　Durian　and　other　fruit　trees　which　branch　at　from　thirty　to　fifty　feet　from　the　ground；　I　have　seen　them　use　the　Bamboo　pegs　only；　without　the　upright　Bamboo　which　renders　them　so　much　more　secure。

The　outer　rind　of　the　Bamboo；　split　and　shaved　thin；　is　the　strongest　material　for　baskets；　hen…coops；　bird…cages；　and　conical　fish…traps　are　very　quickly　made　from　a　single　joint；　by　splitting　off　the　skin　in　narrow　strips　left　attached　to　one　end；　while　rings　of　the　same　material　or　of　rattan　are　twisted　in　at　regular　distances。　Water　is　brought　to　the　houses　by　little　aqueducts　formed　of　large　Bamboos　split　in　half　and　supported　on　crossed　sticks　of　various　heights　so　as　to　give　it　a　regular　fall。　Thin　long…jointed　Bamboos　form　the　Dyaks'　only　water…　vessels；　and　a　dozen　of　them　stand　in　the　corner　of　every　house。　They　are　clean；　light；　and　easily　carried；　and　are　in　many　ways　superior　to　earthen　vessels　for　the　same　purpose。　They　also　make　excellent　cooking　utensils；　vegetables　and　rice　can　be　boiled　in　them　to　perfection；　and　they　are　often　used　when　travelling。　Salted　fruit　or　fish；　sugar；　vinegar；　and　honey　are　preserved　in　them　instead　of　in　jars　or　bottles。　In　a　small　Bamboo　case；　prettily　carved　and　ornamented；　the　Dyak　carries　his　sirih　and　lime　for　betel　chewing；　and　his　little　long…bladed　knife　has　a　Bamboo　sheath。　His　favourite　pipe　is　a　huge　hubble…bubble；　which　he　will　construct　in　a　few　minutes　by　inserting　a　small　piece　of　Bamboo　for　a　bowl　obliquely　into　a　large　cylinder　about　six　inches　from　the　bottom　containing　water；　through　which　the　smoke　passes　to　a　long　slender　Bamboo　tube。　There　are　many　other　small　matters　for　which　Bamboo　is　daily　used；　but　enough　has　now　been　mentioned　to　show　its　value。　In　other　parts　of　the　Archipelago　I　have　myself　seen　it　applied　to　many　new　uses；　and　it　is　probable　that　my　limited　means　of　observation　did　not　make　me　acquainted　with　one…half　the　ways　in　which　it　is　serviceable　to　the　Dyaks　of　Sarawak。

While　upon　the　subject　of　plants　I　may　here　mention　a　few　of　the　more　striking　vegetable　productions　of　Borneo。　The　wonderful　Pitcher…plants；　forming　the　genus　Nepenthes　of　botanists；　here　reach　their　greatest　development。　Every　mountain…top　abounds　with　them；　running　along　the　ground；　or　climbing　over　shrubs　and　stunted　trees；　their　elegant　pitchers　hanging　in　every　direction。　Some　of　these　are　long　and　slender；　resembling　in　form　the　beautiful　Philippine　lace…sponge　（Euplectella）；　which　has　now　become　so　common；　others　are　broad　and　short。　Their　colours　are　green；　variously　tinted　and　mottled　with　red　or　purple。　The　finest　yet　known　were　obtained　on　the　summit　of　Kini…balou；　in　North…west　Borneo。　One　of　the　broad　sort；　Nepenthes　rajah；　will　hold　two　quarts　of　water　in　its　pitcher。　Another；　Nepenthes　Edwardsiania；　has　a　narrow　pitcher　twenty　inches　long；　while　the　plant　itself　grows　to　a　length　of　twenty　feet。

Ferns　are　abundant；　but　are　not　so　varied　as　on　the　volcanic　mountains　of　Java；　and　Tree…ferns　are　neither　so　plentiful　nor　so　large　as　on　that　island。　They　grow；　however；　quite　down　to　the　level　of　the　sea；　and　are　generally　slender　and　graceful　plants　from　eight　to　fifteen　feet　high。　Without　devoting　much　time　to　the　search　I　collected　fifty　species　of　Ferns　in　Borneo；　and　I　have　no　doubt　a　good　botanist　would　have　obtained　twice　the　number。　The　interesting　group　of　Orchids　is　very　abundant；　but；　as　is　generally　the　case；　nine…tenths　of　the　species　have　small　and　inconspicuous　flowers。　Among　the　exceptions　are　the　fine　Coelogynes；　whose　large　clusters　of　yellow　flowers　ornament　the　gloomiest　forests；　and　that　most　extraordinary　plant；　Vanda　Lowii；　which　last　is　particularly　abundant　near　some　hot　springs　at　the　foot　of　the　Penin…jauh　Mountain。　It　grows　on　the　lower　branches　of　trees；　and　its　us　strange　pendant　flower…spires　often　hang　down　so　as　almost　to　reach　the　ground。　These　are　generally　six　or　eight　feet　long；　bearing　large　and　handsome　flowers　three　inches　across；　and　varying　in　colour　from　orange　to　red；　with　deep　purple…red　spots。　I　measured　one　spike；　which　reached　the　extraordinary　length　of　nine　feet　eight　inches；　and　bore　thirty…　six　flowers；　spirally　arranged　upon　a　slender　thread…like　stalk。　Specimens　grown　in　our　English　hot…houses　have　produced　flower…　spires　of　equal　length；　and　with　a　much　larger　number　of　blossoms。

Flowers　were　scarce；　as　is　usual　in　equatorial　forests；　and　it　was　only　at　rare　intervals　that　I　met　with　anything　striking。　A　few　fine　climbers　were　sometimes　seen；　especially　a　handsome　crimson　and　yellow　Aeschynanthus；　and　a　fine　leguminous　plant　with　clusters　of　large　Cassia…like　flowers　of　a　rich　purple　colour。　Once　I　found　a　number　of　small　Anonaceous　trees　of　the　genus　Polyalthea；　producing　a　most　striking　effect　in　the　gloomy　forest　shades。　They　were　about　thirty　feet　high；　and　their　slender　trunks　were　covered　with　large　star…like　crimson　flowers；　which　clustered　over　them　like　garlands；　and　resembled　some　artificial　decoration　more　than　a　natural　product。

The　forests　abound　with　gigantic　trees　with　cylindrical；　buttressed；　or　furrowed　stems；　while　occasionally　the　traveller　comes　upon　a　wonderful　fig…tree；　whose　trunk　is　itself　a　forest　of　stems　and　aerial　roots。　Still　more　rarely　are　found　trees　which　appear　to　have　begun　growing　in　mid…air；　and　from　the　same　point　send　out　wide…spreading　branches　above　and　a　complicated　pyramid　of　roots　descending　for　seventy　or　eighty　feet　to　the　ground　below；　and　so　spreading　on　every　side；　that　one　can　stand　in　the　very　centre　with　the　trunk　of　the　tree　immediately　overhead。　Trees　of　this　character　are　found　all　over　the　Archipelago；　and　the　accompanying　illustration　（taken　from　one　which　I　often　visited　in　the　Aru　Islands）　will　convey　some　idea　of　their　general　character。　I　believe　that　they　originate　as　parasites；　from　seeds　carried　by　birds　and　dropped　in　the　fork　of　some　lofty　tree。　Hence　descend　aerial　roots；　clasping　and　ultimately　destroying　the　supporting　tree；　which　is　in　time　entirely　replaced　by　the　humble　plant　which　was　at　first　dependent　upon　it。　Thus　we　have　an　actual　struggle　for　life　in　the　vegetable　kingdom；　not　less　fatal　to　the　vanquished　than　the　struggles　among　animals　which　we　can　so　much　more　easily　observe　and　understand。　The　advantage　of　quicker　access　to　light　and　warmth　and　air；　which　is　gained　in　one　way　by　climbing　plants；　is　here　obtained　by　a　forest　tree；　which　has　the　means　of　starting　in　life　at　an　elevation　which　others　can　only　attain　after　many　years　of　growth；　and　then　only　when　the　fall　of　some　other　tree　has　made　room　for　then。　Thus　it　is　that　in　the　warm　and　moist　and　equable　climate　of　the　tropics；　each　available　station　is　seized　upon　and　becomes　the　means　of　developing　new　forms　of　life　especially　adapted　to　occupy　it。

On　reaching　Sarawak　early　in　December；　I　found　there　would　not　be　an　opportunity　of　returning　to　Singapore　until　the　latter　end　of　January。　I　therefore　accep