the malay archipelago-1-第28节

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height　of　about　5；000　feet。　The　next　mile　or　two　was　a　tolerably　steep　ascent　through　a　grand　virgin　forest；　the　trees　being　of　great　size；　and　the　undergrowth　consisting　of　fine　herbaceous　plants；　tree…ferns；　and　shrubby　vegetation。　I　was　struck　by　the　immense　number　of　ferns　that　grew　by　the　side　of　the　road。　Their　variety　seemed　endless；　and　I　was　continually　stopping　to　admire　some　new　and　interesting　forms。　I　could　now　well　understand　what　I　had　been　told　by　the　gardener；　that　300　species　had　been　found　on　this　one　mountain。　A　little　before　noon　we　reached　the　small　plateau　of　Tjiburong；　at　the　foot　of　the　steeper　part　of　the　mountain；　where　there　is　a　plank…house　for　the　accommodation　of　travellers。　Close　by　is　a　picturesque　waterfall　and　a　curious　cavern；　which　I　had　not　time　to　explore。　Continuing　our　ascent　the　road　became　narrow；　rugged　and　steep；　winding　zigzag　up　the　cone；　which　is　covered　with　irregular　masses　of　rock；　and　overgrown　with　a　dense　luxuriant　but　less　lofty　vegetation。　We　passed　a　torrent　of　water　which　is　not　much　lower　than　the　boiling　point；　and　has　a　most　singular　appearance　as　it　foams　over　its　rugged　bed；　sending　up　clouds　of　steam；　and　often　concealed　by　the　overhanging　herbage　of　ferns　and　lycopodia；　which　here　thrive　with　more　luxuriance　than　elsewhere。

At　about　7；500　feet　we　came　to　another　hut　of　open　bamboos；　at　a　place　called　Kandang　Badak；　or　〃Rhinoceros…field；〃　which　we　were　going　to　make　our　temporary　abode。　Here　was　a　small　clearing；　with　abundance　of　tree…ferns　and　some　young　plantations　of　Cinchona。　As　there　was　now　a　thick　mist　and　drizzling　rain；　I　did　not　attempt　to　go　on　to　the　summit　that　evening；　but　made　two　visits　to　it　during　my　stay；　as　well　as　one　to　the　active　crater　of　Gedeh。　This　is　a　vast　semicircular　chasm；　bounded　by　black　perpendicular　walls　of　rock；　and　surrounded　by　miles　of　rugged　scoria…covered　slopes。　The　crater　itself　is　not　very　deep。　It　exhibits　patches　of　sulphur　and　variously…coloured　volcanic　products；　and　emits　from　several　vents　continual　streams　of　smoke　and　vapour。　The　extinct　cone　of　Pangerango　was　to　me　more　interesting。　The　summit　is　an　irregular　undulating　plain　with　a　low　bordering　ridge；　and　one　deep　lateral　chasm。　Unfortunately；　there　was　perpetual　mist　and　rain　either　above　or　below　us　all　the　time　I　was　on　the　mountain；　so　that　I　never　once　saw　the　plain　below；　or　had　a　glimpse　of　the　magnificent　view　which　in　fine　weather　is　to　be　obtained　from　its　summit。　Notwithstanding　this　drawback　I　enjoyed　the　excursion　exceedingly；　for　it　was　the　first　time　I　had　been　high　enough　on　a　mountain　near　the　Equator　to　watch　the　change　from　a　tropical　to　a　temperate　flora。　I　will　now　briefly　sketch　these　changes　as　I　observed　them　in　Java。

On　ascending　the　mountain；　we　first　meet　with　temperate　forms　of　herbaceous　plants；　so　low　as　3；000　feet；　where　strawberries　and　violets　begin　to　grow；　but　the　former　are　tasteless；　and　the　latter　have　very　small　and　pale　flowers。　Weedy　composites　also　begin　to　give　a　European　aspect　to　the　wayside　herbage。　It　is　between　2；000　and　5；000　feet　that　the　forests　and　ravines　exhibit　the　utmost　development　of　tropical　luxuriance　and　beauty。　The　abundance　of　noble　Tree…ferns；　sometimes　fifty　feet　high；　contributes　greatly　to　the　general　effect；　since　of　all　the　forms　of　tropical　vegetation　they　are　certainly　the　most　striking　and　beautiful。　Some　of　the　deep　ravines　which　have　been　cleared　of　large　timber　are　full　of　them　from　top　to　bottom；　and　where　the　road　crosses　one　of　these　valleys；　the　view　of　their　feathery　crowns；　in　varied　positions　above　and　below　the　eye；　offers　a　spectacle　of　picturesque　beauty　never　to　be　forgotten。　The　splendid　foliage　of　the　broad…leaved　Musceae　and　Zingiberaceae；　with　their　curious　and　brilliant　flowers；　and　the　elegant　and　varied　forms　of　plants　allied　to　Begonia　and　Melastoma；　continually　attract　the　attention　in　this　region。　Filling　in　the　spaces　between　the　trees　and　larger　plants；　on　every　trunk　and　stump　and　branch；　are　hosts　of　Orchids；　Ferns　and　Lycopods；　which　wave　and　hang　and　intertwine　in　ever…varying　complexity。　At　about　5；000　feet　I　first　saw　horsetails　（Equisetum）；　very　like　our　own　species。　At　6；000　feet；　raspberries　abound；　and　thence　to　the　summit　of　the　mountain　there　are　three　species　of　eatable　Rubus。　At　7；000　feet　Cypresses　appear；　and　the　forest　trees　become　reduced　in　size；　and　more　covered　with　mosses　and　lichens。　From　this　point　upward　these　rapidly　increase；　so　that　the　blocks　of　rock　and　scoria　that　form　the　mountain　slope　are　completely　hidden　in　a　mossy　vegetation。　At　about　5；000　feet　European　forms　of　plants　become　abundant。　Several　species　of　Honeysuckle；　St。　John's…wort；　and　Guelder…rose　abound；　and　at　about　9；000　feet　we　first　meet　with　the　rare　and　beautiful　Royal　Cowslip　（Primula　imperialis）；　which　is　said　to　be　found　nowhere　else　in　the　world　but　on　this　solitary　mountain　summit。　It　has　a　tall；　stout　stem；　sometimes　more　than　three　feet　high；　the　root　leaves　are　eighteen　inches　long；　and　it　bears　several　whorls　of　cowslip…like　flowers；　instead　of　a　terminal　cluster　only。　The　forest　trees；　gnarled　and　dwarfed　to　the　dimensions　of　bushes；　reach　up　to　the　very　rim　of　the　old　crater；　but　do　not　extend　over　the　hollow　on　its　summit。　Here　we　find　a　good　deal　of　open　ground；　with　thickets　of　shrubby　Artemisias　and　Gnaphaliums；　like　our　southernwood　and　cudweed；　but　six　or　eight　feet　high；　while　Buttercups；　Violets；　Whortleberries；　Sow…thistles；　Chickweed；　white　and　yellow　Cruciferae　Plantain；　and　annual　grasses　everywhere　abound。　Where　there　are　bushes　and　shrubs；　the　St。　John's…wort　and　Honeysuckle　grow　abundantly；　while　the　Imperial　Cowslip　only　exhibits　its　elegant　blossoms　under　the　damp　shade　of　the　thickets。

Mr。　Motley；　who　visited　the　mountain　in　the　dry　season；　and　paid　much　attention　to　botany；　gives　the　following　list　of　genera　of　European　plants　found　on　or　near　the　summit：　Two　species　of　Violet；　three　of　Ranunculus；　three　of　Impatiens；　eight　or　ten　of　Rubus；　and　species　of　Primula；　Hypericum；　Swertia；　Convallaria　（Lily　of　the　Valley）；　Vaccinium　（Cranberry）；　Rhododendron；　Gnaphalium；　　Polygonum；　Digitalis　（Foxglove）；　Lonicera　（Honey…　suckle）；　Plantago　（Rib…grass）；　Artemisia　（Wormwood）；　Lobelia；　Oxalis　（Wood…sorrel）；　Quercus　（Oak）；　and　Taxus　（Yew）。　A　few　of　the　smaller　plants　（Plantago　major　and　lanceolata；　Sonchus　oleraceus；　and　Artemisia　vulgaris）　are　identical　with　European　species。

The　fact　of　a　vegetation　so　closely　allied　to　that　of　Europe　occurring　on　isolated　mountain　peaks；　in　an　island　south　of　the　Equator；　while　all　the　lowlands　for　thousands　of　miles　around　are　occupied　by　a　flora　of　a　totally　different　character；　is　very　extraordinary；　and　has　only　recently　received　an　intelligible　explanation。　The　Peak　of　Teneriffe；　which　rises　to　a　greater　height　and　is　much　nearer　to　Europe；　contains　no　such　Alpine　flora；　neither　do　the　mountains　of　Bourbon　and　Mauritius。　The　case　of　the　volcanic　peaks　of　Java　is　therefore　somewhat　exceptional；　but　there　are　several　analogous；　if　not　exactly　parallel　cases；　that　will　enable　us　better　to　understand　in　what　way　the　phenomena　may　possibly　have　been　brought　about。

The　higher　peaks　of　the　Alps；　and　even　of　the　Pyrenees；　contain　a　number　of　plants　absolutely　identical　with　those　of　Lapland；　but　nowhere　found　in　the　intervening　plains。　On　the　summit　of　the　White　Mountains；　in　the　United　States；　every　plant　is　identical　with　species　growing　in　Labrador。　In　these　cases　all　ordinary　means　of　transport　fail。　Most　of　the　plants　have　heavy　seeds；　which　could　not　possibly　be　carried　such　immense　distances　by　the　wind；　and　the　agency　of　birds　in　so　effectually　stocking　these　Alpine　heights　is　equally　out　of　the　question。　The　difficulty　was　so　great；　that　some　naturalists　were　driven　to　believe　that　these　species　were　all　separately　created　twice　over　on　these　distant　peaks。　The　determination　of　a　recent　glacial　epoch；　however；　soon　offered　a　much　more　satisfactory　solution；　and　one　that　is　now　universally　accepted　by　men　of　science。　At　this　period；　when　the　mountains　of　Wales　were　full　of　glaciers；　and　the　mountainous　parts　of　Central　Europe；　and　much　of　America　north　of　the　great　lakes；　were　covered　with　snow　and　ice；　and　had　a　climate　resembling　that　of　Labrador　and　Greenland　at　the　present　day；　an　Arctic　flora　covered　all　these　regions。　As　this　epoch　of　cold　passed　away；　and　the　snowy　mantle　of　the　country；　with　the　glaciers　that　descended　from　every　mountain　summit；　receded　up　their　slopes　and　towards　the　north　pole；　the　plants　receded　also；　always　clinging　as　now　to　the　margins　of　the　perpetual　snow　line。　Thus　it　is　that　the　same　species　are　now　found　on　the　summits　of　the　mountains　of　temperate　Europe　and　America；　and　in　the　barren　north…polar　regions。

But　there　is　another　set　of　facts；　which　help　us　on　another　step　towards　the　case　of　the　Javanese　mountain　flora。　On　the　higher　slopes　of　the　Himalayas；　on　the　tops　of　the　mountains　of　Central　India　and　of　Abyssinia；　a　number　of　plants　occur　which；　though　not　identical　with　those　of　European　mountains；　belong　to　the　same　genera；　and　are　said　by　botanists　to　represent　them；　and　most　of　these　could　not　exist　in　the　warm　intervening　plains。　Mr。　Darwin　believes　tha