the malay archipelago-1-第36节

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curred。　Where　we　lay　anchored；　about　a　quarter　of　a　mile　from　the　shore；　not　the　slightest　swell　was　perceptible；　but　on　approaching　nearer　undulations　began；　which　rapidly　increased；　so　as　to　form　rollers　which　toppled　over　onto　the　beach　at　regular　intervals　with　a　noise　like　thunder。　Sometimes　this　surf　increases　suddenly　during　perfect　calms　to　as　great　a　force　and　fury　as　when　a　gale　of　wind　is　blowing；　beating　to　pieces　all　boats　that　may　not　have　been　hauled　sufficiently　high　upon　the　beach；　and　carrying　away　uncautious　natives。　This　violent　surf　is　probably　in　some　way　dependent　upon　the　swell　of　the　great　southern　ocean　and　the　violent　currents　that　flow　through　the　Straits　of　Lombock。　These　are　so　uncertain　that　vessels　preparing　to　anchor　in　the　bay　are　sometimes　suddenly　swept　away　into　the　straits；　and　are　not　able　to　get　back　again　for　a　fortnight。

What　seamen　call　the　〃ripples〃　are　also　very　violent　in　the　straits；　the　sea　appearing　to　boil　and　foam　and　dance　like　the　rapids　below　a　cataract；　vessels　are　swept　about　helplessly；　and　small　ones　are　occasionally　swamped　in　the　finest　weather　and　under　the　brightest　skies。

I　felt　considerably　relieved　when　all　my　boxes　and　myself　had　passed　in　safety　through　the　devouring　surf；　which　the　natives　look　upon　with　some　pride；　saying；　that　〃their　sea　is　always　hungry；　and　eats　up　everything　it　can　catch。〃　I　was　kindly　received　by　Mr。　Carter；　an　Englishman；　who　is　one　of　the　Bandars　or　licensed　traders　of　the　port；　who　offered　me　hospitality　and　every　assistance　during　my　stay。　His　house；　storehouses；　and　offices　were　in　a　yard　surrounded　by　a　tall　bamboo　fence；　and　were　entirely　constructed　of　bamboo　with　a　thatch　of　grass；　the　only　available　building　materials。　Even　these　were　now　very　scarce；　owing　to　the　great　consumption　in　rebuilding　the　place　since　the　great　fire　some　months　before；　which　in　an　hour　or　two　had　destroyed　every　building　in　the　town。

The　next　day　I　went　to　see　Mr。　S。；　another　merchant　to　whom　I　had　brought　letters　of　introduction；　and　who　lived　about　seven　miles　off。　Mr。　Carter　kindly　lent　me　a　horse；　and　I　was　accompanied　by　a　young　Dutch　gentleman　residing　at　Ampanam；　who　offered　to　be　my　guide。　We　first　passed　through　the　town　and　suburbs　along　a　straight　road　bordered　by　mud　walls　and　a　fine　avenue　of　lofty　trees；　then　through　rice…fields；　irrigated　in　the　same　manner　as　I　had　seen　them　at　Bileling；　and　afterwards　over　sandy　pastures　near　the　sea；　and　occasionally　along　the　beach　itself。　Mr。　S。　received　us　kindly；　and　offered　me　a　residence　at　his　house　should　I　think　the　neighbourhood　favourable　for　my　pursuits。　After　an　early　breakfast　we　went　out　to　explore；　taking　guns　and　insect　nets。　We　reached　some　low　hills　which　seemed　to　offer　the　most　favourable　ground；　passing　over　swamps；　sandy　flats　overgrown　with　coarse　sedges；　and　through　pastures　and　cultivated　grounds；　finding　however　very　little　in　the　way　of　either　birds　or　insects。　On　our　way　we　passed　one　or　two　human　skeletons；　enclosed　within　a　small　bamboo　fence；　with　the　clothes；　pillow；　mat；　and　betel…box　of　the　unfortunate　individual；　who　had　been　either　murdered　or　executed。　Returning　to　the　house；　we　found　a　Balinese　chief　and　his　followers　on　a　visit。　Those　of　higher　rank　sat　on　chairs；　the　others　squatted　on　the　floor。　The　chief　very　coolly　asked　for　beer　and　brandy；　and　helped　himself　and　his　followers；　apparently　more　out　of　curiosity　than　anything　else　as　regards　the　beer；　for　it　seemed　very　distasteful　to　them；　while　they　drank　the　brandy　in　tumblers　with　much　relish。

Returning　to　Ampanam；　I　devoted　myself　for　some　days　to　shooting　the　birds　of　the　neighbourhood。　The　fine　fig…trees　of　the　avenues；　where　a　market　was　held；　were　tenanted　by　superb　orioles　（Oriolus　broderpii）　of　a　rich　orange　colour；　and　peculiar　to　this　island　and　the　adjacent　ones　of　Sumbawa　and　Flores。　All　round　the　town　were　abundance　of　the　curious　Tropidorhynchus　timoriensis；　allied　to　the　Friar　bird　of　Australia。　They　are　here　called　〃Quaich…quaich；〃　from　their　strange　loud　voice；　which　seems　to　repeat　these　words　in　various　and　not　unmelodious　intonations。

Every　day　boys　were　to　be　seen　walking　along　the　roads　and　by　the　hedges　and　ditches；　catching　dragonflies　with　birdlime。　They　carry　a　slender　stick；　with　a　few　twigs　at　the　end　well　annointed；　so　that　the　least　touch　captures　the　insect；　whose　wings　are　pulled　off　before　it　is　consigned　to　a　small　basket。　The　dragon…　flies　are　so　abundant　at　the　time　of　the　rice　flowering　that　thousands　are　soon　caught　in　this　way。　The　bodies　are　fried　in　oil　with　onions　and　preserved　shrimps；　or　sometimes　alone；　and　are　considered　a　great　delicacy。　In　Borneo；　Celebes；　and　many　other　islands；　the　larvae　of　bees　and　wasps　are　eaten；　either　alive　as　pulled　out　of　the　cells；　or　fried　like　the　dragonflies。　In　the　Moluccas　the　grubs　of　the　palm…beetles　（Calandra）　are　regularly　brought　to　market　in　bamboos　and　sold　for　food；　and　many　of　the　great　horned　Lamellicorn　beetles　are　slightly　roasted　on　the　embers　and　eaten　whenever　met　with。　The　superabundance　of　insect　life　is　therefore　turned　to　some　account　by　these　islanders。

Finding　that　birds　were　not　very　numerous；　and　hearing　much　of　Labuan　Tring　at　the　southern　extremity　of　the　bay；　where　there　was　said　to　be　much　uncultivated　country　and　plenty　of　birds　as　well　as　deer　and　wild　pigs；　I　determined　to　go　there　with　my　two　servants；　Ali；　the　Malay　lad　from　Borneo；　and　Manuel；　a　Portuguese　of　Malacca　accustomed　to　bird…skinning。　I　hired　a　native　boat　with　outriggers　to　take　us　with　our　small　quantity　of　luggage；　on　a　day's　rowing　and　tracking　along　the　shore　brought　us　to　the　place。

I　had　a　note　of　introduction　to　an　Amboynese　Malay；　and　obtained　the　use　of　part　of　his　house　to　live　and　work　in。　His　name　was　〃Inchi　Daud〃　（Mr。　David）；　and　he　was　very　civil；　but　his　accommodations　were　limited；　and　he　could　only　hire　me　part　of　his　reception…room。　This　was　the　front　part　of　a　bamboo　house　（reached　by　a　ladder　of　about　six　rounds　very　wide　apart）；　and　having　a　beautiful　view　over　the　bay。　However；　I　soon　made　what　arrangements　were　possible；　and　then　set　to　work。　The　country　around　was　pretty　and　novel　to　me；　consisting　of　abrupt　volcanic　hills　enclosing　flat　valleys　or　open　plains。　The　hills　were　covered　with　a　dense　scrubby　bush　of　bamboos　and　prickly　trees　and　shrubs；　the　plains　were　adorned　with　hundreds　of　noble　palm…　trees；　and　in　many　places　with　a　luxuriant　shrubby　vegetation。　Birds　were　plentiful　and　very　interesting；　and　I　now　saw　for　the　first　time　many　Australian　forms　that　are　quite　absent　from　the　islands　westward。　Small　white　cockatoos　were　abundant；　and　their　loud　screams；　conspicuous　white　colour；　and　pretty　yellow　crests；　rendered　them　a　very　important　feature　in　the　landscape。　This　is　the　most　westerly　point　on　the　globe　where　any　of　the　family　are　to　be　found。　Some　small　honeysuckers　of　the　genus　Ptilotis；　and　the　strange　moundmaker　（Megapodius　gouldii）；　are　also　here　first　met　with　on　the　traveller's　journey　eastward。　The　last　mentioned　bird　requires　a　fuller　notice。

The　Megapodidae　are　a　small　family　of　birds　found　only　in　Australia　and　the　surrounding　islands；　but　extending　as　far　as　the　Philippines　and　Northwest　Borneo。　They　are　allied　to　the　gallinaceous　birds；　but　differ　from　these　and　from　all　others　in　never　sitting　upon　their　eggs；　which　they　bury　in　sand；　earth；　or　rubbish；　and　leave　to　be　hatched　by　the　heat　of　the　sun　or　by　fermentation。　They　are　all　characterised　by　very　large　feet　and　long　curved　claws；　and　most　of　the　species　of　Megapodius　rake　and　scratch　together　all　kinds　of　rubbish；　dead　leaves；　sticks；　stones；　earth；　rotten　wood；　etc。；　until　they　form　a　large　mound；　often　six　feet　high　and　twelve　feet　across；　in　the　middle　of　which　they　bury　their　eggs。　The　natives　can　tell　by　the　condition　of　these　mounds　whether　they　contain　eggs　or　not；　and　they　rob　them　whenever　they　can；　as　the　brick…red　eggs　（as　large　as　those　of　a　swan）　are　considered　a　great　delicacy。　A　number　of　birds　are　said　to　join　in　making　these　mounds　and　lay　their　eggs　together；　so　that　sometimes　forty　or　fifty　may　be　found。　The　mounds　are　to　be　met　with　here　and　there　in　dense　thickets；　and　are　great　puzzles　to　strangers；　who　cannot　understand　who　can　possibly　have　heaped　together　cartloads　of　rubbish　in　such　out…of…the…way　places；　and　when　they　inquire　of　the　natives　they　are　but　little　wiser；　for　it　almost　always　appears　to　them　the　wildest　romance　to　be　told　that　it　is　all　done　by　birds。　The　species　found　in　Lombock　is　about　the　size　of　a　small　hen；　and　entirely　of　dark　olive　and　brown　tints。　It　is　a　miscellaneous　feeder；　devouring　fallen　fruits；　earthworms；　snails；　and　centipedes；　but　the　flesh　is　white　and　well…flavoured　when　properly　cooked。

The　large　green　pigeons　were　still　better　eating；　and　were　much　more　plentiful。　These　fine　birds；　exceeding　our　largest　tame　pigeons　in　size；　abounded　on　the　palm…trees；　which　now　bore　huge　bunches　of　fruitsmere　hard　globular　nuts；　about　an　inch　in　diameter；　and　covered　with　a　dry　green　skin　and　a　very　small　portion　of　pulp。　Looking　at　the　pigeon's　bill　and　head；　it　would　seem　impossible　that　it　could　swallow　such　large　masses；　or　that　it　could　obtain　any　nourishmen