the malay archipelago-1-第22节

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；　I　thought　to　amuse　them　with　something　new；　and　showed　them　how　to　make　〃cat's　cradle〃　with　a　piece　of　string。　Greatly　to　my　surprise；　they　knew　all　about　it；　and　more　than　I　did；　for；　after　Charles　and　I　had　gone　through　all　the　changes　we　could　make；　one　of　the　boys　took　it　off　my　hand；　and　made　several　new　figures　which　quite　puzzled　me。　They　then　showed　me　a　number　of　other　tricks　with　pieces　of　string；　which　seemed　a　favourite　amusement　with　them。

Even　these　apparently　trifling　matters　may　assist　us　to　form　a　truer　estimate　of　the　Dyaks'　character　and　social　condition。　We　learn　thereby；　that　these　people　have　passed　beyond　that　first　stage　of　savage　life　in　which　the　struggle　for　existence　absorbs　all　of　the　faculties；　and　in　which　every　thought　and　idea　is　connected　with　war　or　hunting；　or　the　provision　for　their　immediate　necessities。　These　amusements　indicate　a　capability　of　civilization；　an　aptitude　to　enjoy　other　than　mere　sensual　pleasures；　which　night　be　taken　advantage　of　to　elevate　their　whole　intellectual　and　social　life。

The　moral　character　of　the　Dyaks　is　undoubtedly　higha　statement　which　will　seem　strange　to　those　who　have　heard　of　them　only　as　head…hunters　and　pirates。　The　Hill　Dyaks　of　whom　I　am　speaking；　however；　have　never　been　pirates；　since　they　never　go　near　the　sea；　and　head…hunting　is　a　custom　originating　in　the　petty　wars　of　village　with　village；　and　tribe　with　tribe；　which　no　more　implies　a　bad　moral　character　than　did　the　custom　of　the　slave…trade　a　hundred　years　ago　imply　want　of　general　morality　in　all　who　participated　in　it。　Against　this　one　stain　on　their　character　（which　in　the　case　of　the　Sarawak　Dyaks　no　longer　exists）　we　have　to　set　many　good　points。　They　are　truthful　and　honest　to　a　remarkable　degree。　From　this　cause　it　is　very　often　impossible　to　get　from　them　any　definite　information；　or　even　an　opinion。　They　say；　〃If　I　were　to　tell　yon　what　I　don't　know；　I　might　tell　a　lie；〃　and　whenever　they　voluntarily　relate　any　matter　of　fact；　you　may　be　sure　they　are　speaking　the　truth。　In　a　Dyak　village　the　fruit　trees　have　each　their　owner；　and　it　has　often　happened　to　me；　on　asking　an　inhabitant　to　gather　me　some　fruit；　to　be　answered；　〃I　can't　do　that；　for　the　owner　of　the　tree　is　not　here；〃　never　seeming　to　contemplate　the　possibility　of　acting　otherwise。　Neither　will　they　take　the　smallest　thing　belonging　to　an　European。　When　living　at　Simunjon；　they　continually　came　to　my　house；　and　would　pick　up　scraps　of　torn　newspaper　or　crooked　pins　that　I　had　thrown　away；　and　ask　as　a　great　favour　whether　they　might　have　them。　Crimes　of　violence　（other　than　head…hunting）　are　almost　unknown；　for　in　twelve　years；　under　Sir　James　Brooke's　rule；　there　had　been　only　one　case　of　murder　in　a　Dyak　tribe；　and　that　one　was　committed　by　a　stranger　who　had　been　adopted　into　the　tribe。　In　several　other　matters　of　morality　they　rank　above　most　uncivilized；　and　even　above　many　civilized　nations。　They　are　temperate　in　food　and　drink；　and　the　gross　sensuality　of　the　Chinese　and　Malays　is　unknown　among　them。　They　have　the　usual　fault　of　all　people　in　a　half…savage　state　apathy　and　dilatoriness；　but；　however　annoying　this　may　be　to　Europeans　who　come　in　contact　with　them；　it　cannot　be　considered　a　very　grave　offence；　or　be　held　to　outweigh　their　many　excellent　qualities。

During　my　residence　among　the　Hill　Dyaks；　I　was　much　struck　by　the　apparent　absence　of　those　causes　which　are　generally　supposed　to　check　the　increase　of　population；　although　there　were　plain　indications　of　stationary　or　but　slowly　increasing　numbers。　The　conditions　most　favourable　to　a　rapid　increase　of　population　are：　an　abundance　of　food；　a　healthy　climate；　and　early　marriages。　Here　these　conditions　all　exist。　The　people　produce　far　more　food　than　they　consume；　and　exchange　the　surplus　for　gongs　and　brass　cannon；　ancient　jars；　and　gold　and　silver　ornaments；　which　constitute　their　wealth。　On　the　whole；　they　appear　very　free　from　disease；　marriages　take　place　early　（but　not　too　early）；　and　old　bachelors　and　old　maids　are　alike　unknown。　Why；　then；　we　must　inquire；　has　not　a　greater　population　been　produced？　Why　are　the　Dyak　villages　so　small　and　so　widely　scattered；　while　nine…tenths　of　the　country　is　still　covered　with　forest？

Of　all　the　checks　to　population　among　savage　nations　mentioned　by

Malthusstarvation；　disease；　war；　infanticide；　immorality；　and　infertility　of　the　womenthe　last　is　that　which　he　seems　to　think　least　important；　and　of　doubtful　efficacy；　and　yet　it　is　the　only　one　that　seems　to　me　capable　of　accounting　for　the　state　of　the　population　among　the　Sarawak　Dyaks。　The　population　of　Great　Britain　increases　so　as　to　double　itself　in　about　fifty　years。　To　do　this　it　is　evident　that　each　married　couple　must　average　three　children　who　live　to　be　married　at　the　age　of　about　twenty…five。　Add　to　these　those　who　die　in　infancy；　those　who　never　marry；　or　those　who　marry　late　in　life　and　have　no　offspring；　the　number　of　children　born　to　each　marriage　must　average　four　or　five；　and　we　know　that　families　of　seven　or　eight　are　very　common；　and　of　ten　and　twelve　by　no　means　rare。　But　from　inquiries　at　almost　every　Dyak　tribe　I　visited；　I　ascertained　that　the　women　rarely　had　more　than　three　or　four　children；　and　an　old　chief　assured　me　that　he　had　never　known　a　woman　to　have　more　than　seven。

In　a　village　consisting　of　a　hundred　and　fifty　families；　only　one　consisted　of　six　children　living；　and　only　six　of　five　children；　the　majority　of　families　appearing　to　be　two；　three；　or　four。　Comparing　this　with　the　known　proportions　in　European　countries；　it　is　evident　that　the　number　of　children　to　each　marriage　can　hardly　average　more　than　three　or　four；　and　as　even　in　civilized　countries　half　the　population　die　before　the　age　of　twenty…five；　we　should　have　only　two　left　to　replace　their　parents；　and　so　long　as　this　state　of　things　continued；　the　population　must　remain　stationary。　Of　course　this　is　a　mere　illustration；　but　the　facts　I　have　stated　seem　to　indicate　that　something　of　the　kind　really　takes　place；　and　if　so；　there　is　no　difficulty　in　understanding　the　smallness　and　almost　stationary　population　of　the　Dyak　tribes。

We　have　next　to　inquire　what　is　the　cause　of　the　small　number　of　births　and　of　living　children　in　a　family。　Climate　and　race　may　have　something　to　do　with　this；　but　a　more　real　and　efficient　cause　seems　to　me　to　be　the　hard　labour　of　the　women；　and　the　heavy　weights　they　constantly　carry。　A　Dyak　woman　generally　spends　the　whole　day　in　the　field；　and　carries　home　every　night　a　heavy　load　of　vegetables　and　firewood；　often　for　several　miles；　over　rough　and　hilly　paths；　and　not　unfrequently　has　to　climb　up　a　rocky　mountain　by　ladders；　and　over　slippery　steppingstones；　to　an　elevation　of　a　thousand　feet。　Besides　this；　she　has　an　hour's　work　every　evening　to　pound　the　rice　with　a　heavy　wooden　stamper；　which　violently　strains　every　part　of　the　body。　She　begins　this　kind　of　labour　when　nine　or　ten　years　old；　and　it　never　ceases　but　with　the　extreme　decrepitude　of　age。　Surely　we　need　not　wonder　at　the　limited　number　of　her　progeny；　but　rather　be　surprised　at　the　successful　efforts　of　nature　to　prevent　the　extermination　of　the　race。

One　of　the　surest　and　most　beneficial　effects　of　advancing　civilization；　will　be　the　amelioration　of　the　condition　of　these　women。　The　precept　and　example　of　higher　races　will　make　the　Dyak　ashamed　of　his　comparatively　idle　life；　while　his　weaker　partner　labours　like　a　beast　of　burthen。　As　his　wants　become　increased　and　his　tastes　refined；　the　women　will　have　more　household　duties　to　attend　to；　and　will　then　cease　to　labour　in　the　fielda　change　which　has　already　to　a　great　extent　taken　place　in　the　allied　Malay；　Javanese；　and　Bugis　tribes。　Population　will　then　certainly　increase　more　rapidly；　improved　systems　of　agriculture　and　some　division　of　labour　will　become　necessary　in　order　to　provide　the　means　of　existence；　and　a　more　complicated　social　state　will　take　the　place　of　the　simple　conditions　of　society　which　now　occur　among　them。　But；　with　the　sharper　struggle　for　existence　that　will　then　arise；　will　the　happiness　of　the　people　as　a　whole　be　increased　or　diminished？　Will　not　evil　passions　be　aroused　by　the　spirit　of　competition；　and　crimes　and　vices；　now　unknown　or　dormant；　be　called　into　active　existence？　These　are　problems　that　time　alone　can　solve；　but　it　is　to　be　hoped　that　education　and　a　high…class　European　example　may　obviate　much　of　the　evil　that　too　often　arises　in　analogous　cases；　and　that　we　may　at　length　be　able　to　point　to　one　instance　of　an　uncivilized　people　who　have　not　become　demoralized；　and　finally　exterminated；　by　contact　with　European　civilization。

A　few　words　in　conclusion；　about　the　government　of　Sarawak。　Sir　James　Brooke　found　the　Dyaks　oppressed　and　ground　down　by　the　most　cruel　tyranny。　They　were　cheated　by　the　Malay　traders　and　robbed　by　the　Malay　chiefs。　Their　wives　and　children　were　often　captured　and　sold　into　slavery；　and　hostile　tribes　purchased　permission　from　their　cruel　rulers　to　plunder；　enslave；　and　murder　them。　Anything　like　justice　or　redress　for　these　injuries　was　utterly　unattainable。　From　the　time　Sir　James　obtained　possession　of　the　country；　all　this　was　stopp