the malay archipelago-1-第45节

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y　high　that　the　mists　cleared　away；　and　by　noon　we　were　generally　clouded　up　again；　so　that　there　was　seldom　more　than　an　hour　or　two　of　fitful　sunshine。　We　searched　in　every　direction　for　birds　and　other　game；　but　they　were　very　scarce。　On　our　way　I　had　shot　the　find　white…headed　pigeon；　Ptilonopus　cinctus；　and　the　pretty　little　lorikeet；　Trichoglossus　euteles。　I　got　a　few　more　of　these　at　the　blossoms　of　the　Eucalypti；　and　also　the　allied　species　Trichoglossus　iris；　and　a　few　other　small　but　interesting　birds。　The　common　jungle…cock　of　India　（Gallus　bankiva）　was　found　here；　and　furnished　us　with　some　excellent　meals；　but　we　could　get　no　deer。　Potatoes　are　grown　higher　up　the　mountains　in　abundance；　and　are　very　good。　We　had　a　sheep　killed　every　other　day；　and　ate　our　mutton　with　much　appetite　in　the　cool　climate；　which　rendered　a　fire　always　agreeable。

Although　one…half　the　European　residents　in　Delli　are　continually　ill　from　fever；　and　the　Portuguese　have　occupied　the　place　for　three　centuries；　no　one　has　yet　built　a　house　on　these　fine　hills；　which；　if　a　tolerable　road　were　made；　would　be　only　an　hour's　ride　from　the　town；　and　almost　equally　good　situations　might　be　found　on　a　lower　level　at　half　an　hour's　distance。　The　fact　that　potatoes　and　wheat　of　excellent　quality　are　grown　in　abundance　at　from　3；000　to　3；500　feet　elevation；　shows　what　the　climate　and　soil　are　capable　of　if　properly　cultivated。　From　one　to　two　thousand　feet　high；　coffee　would　thrive；　and　there　are　hundreds　of　square　miles　of　country　over　which　all　the　varied　products　which　require　climates　between　those　of　coffee　and　wheat　would　flourish；　but　no　attempt　has　yet　been　made　to　form　a　single　mile　of　road；　or　a　single　acre　of　plantation！

There　must　be　something　very　unusual　in　the　climate　of　Timor　to　permit　wheat　being　grown　at　so　moderate　an　elevation。　The　grain　is　of　excellent　quality；　the　bread　made　from　it　being　equal　to　any　I　have　ever　tasted；　and　it　is　universally　acknowledged　to　be　unsurpassed　by　any　made　from　imported　European　or　American　flour。　The　fact　that　the　natives　have　（quite　of　their　own　accord）　taken　to　cultivating　such　foreign　articles　as　wheat　and　potatoes；　which　they　bring　in　small　quantities　on　the　backs　of　ponies　by　the　most　horrible　mountain　tracks；　and　sell　very　cheaply　at　the　seaside；　sufficiently　indicates　what　might　be　done　if　good　roads　were　made；　and　if　the　people　were　taught；　encouraged；　and　protected。　Sheep　also　do　well　on　the　mountains；　and　a　breed　of　hardy　ponies　in　much　repute　all　over　the　Archipelago；　runs　half…wild；　so　that　it　appears　as　if　this　island；　so　barren…looking　and　devoid　of　the　usual　features　of　tropical　vegetation；　were　yet　especially　adapted　to　supply　a　variety　of　products　essential　to　Europeans；　which　the　other　islands　will　not　produce；　and　which　they　accordingly　import　from　the　other　side　of　the　globe。

On　the　24th　of　February　my　friend　Mr。　Geach　left　Timor；　having　finally　reported　that　no　minerals　worth　working　were　to　be　found。　The　Portuguese　were　very　much　annoyed；　having　made　up　their　minds　that　copper　is　abundant；　and　still　believing　it　to　be　so。　It　appears　that　from　time　immemorial　pure　native　copper　has　been　found　at　a　place　on　the　coast　about　thirty　miles　east　of　Delli。

The　natives　say　they　find　it　in　the　bed　of　a　ravine；　and　many　years　ago　a　captain　of　a　vessel　is　said　to　have　got　some　hundreds…weight　of　it。　Now；　however；　it　is　evidently　very　scarce；　as　during　the　two　years　Mr。　Geach　resided　in　the　country；　none　was　found。　I　was　shown　one　piece　several　pounds'　weight；　having　much　the　appearance　of　one　of　the　larger　Australian　nuggets；　but　of　pure　copper　instead　of　gold。　The　natives　and　the　Portuguese　have　very　naturally　imagined　that　where　these　fragments　come　from　there　must　be　more；　and　they　have　a　report　or　tradition；　that　a　mountain　at　the　head　of　the　ravine　is　almost　pure　copper；　and　of　course　of　immense　value。

After　much　difficulty　a　company　was　at　length　formed　to　work　the　copper　mountain；　a　Portuguese　merchant　of　Singapore　supplying　most　of　the　capital。　So　confident　were　they　of　the　existence　of　the　copper；　that　they　thought　it　would　be　waste　of　time　and　money　to　have　any　exploration　made　first；　and　accordingly；　sent　to　England　for　a　mining　engineer；　who　was　to　bring　out　all　necessary　tools；　machinery；　laboratory；　utensils；　a　number　of　mechanics；　and　stores　of　all　kinds　for　two　years；　in　order　to　commence　work　on　a　copper…mine　which　he　was　told　was　already　discovered。　On　reaching　Singapore　a　ship　was　freighted　to　take　the　men　and　stores　to　Timor；　where　they　at　length　arrived　after　much　delay；　a　long　voyage；　and　very　great　expense。

A　day　was　then　fixed　to　〃open　the　mines。〃　Captain　Hart　accompanied　Mr。　Geach　as　interpreter。　The　Governor；　the　Commandante；　the　Judge；　and　all　the　chief　people　of　the　place　went　in　state　to　the　mountain；　with　Mr。　Geach's　assistant　and　some　of　the　workmen。　As　they　went　up　the　valley　Mr。　Leach　examined　the　rocks；　but　saw　no　signs　of　copper。　They　went　on　and　on；　but　still　nothing　except　a　few　mere　traces　of　very　poor　ore。　At　length　they　stood　on　the　copper　mountain　itself。　The　Governor　stopped；　the　officials　formed　a　circle；　and　he　then　addressed　them；　saying；　that　at　length　the　day　had　arrived　they　had　all　been　so　long　expecting；　when　the　treasures　of　the　soil　of　Timor　would　be　brought　to　light；　and　much　more　in　very　graandiloquent　Portuguese；　and　concluded　by　turning　to　Mr。　Leach；　and　requesting　him　to　point　out　the　best　spot　for　them　to　begin　work　at　once；　and　uncover　the　mass　of　virgin　copper。　As　the　ravines　and　precipices　among　which　they　had　passed；　and　which　had　been　carefully　examined；　revealed　very　clearly　the　nature　and　mineral　constitution　of　the　country；　Mr。　Geach　simply　told　them　that　there　was　not　a　trace　of　copper　there；　and　that　it　was　perfectly　useless　to　begin　work。　The　audience　were　thunderstruck！　The　Governor　could　not　believe　his　ears。　At　length；　when　Mr。　Geach　had　repeated　his　statement；　the　Governor　told　him　severely　that　he　was　mistaken；　that　they　all　knew　there　was　copper　there　in　abundance；　and　all　they　wanted　him　to　tell　them；　as　a　mining…engineer；　was　how　best　to　get　at　it；　and　that　at　all　events　he　was　to　begin　work　somewhere。　This　Mr。　Geach　refused　to　do；　trying　to　explain　that　the　ravines　had　cut　far　deeper　into　the　hill　than　he　could　do　in　years；　and　that　he　would　not　throw　away　money　or　time　on　any　such　useless　attempt。　After　this　speech　had　been　interpreted　to　him；　the　Governor　saw　it　was　no　use；　and　without　saying　a　word　turned　his　horse　and　rode　away；　leaving　my　friends　alone　on　the　mountain。　They　all　believed　there　was　some　conspiracy　that　the　Englishman　would　not　find　the　copper；　and　that　they　had　been　cruelly　betrayed。

Mr。　Geach　then　wrote　to　the　Singapore　merchant　who　was　his　employer；　and　it　was　arranged　that　he　should　send　the　mechanics　home　again；　and　himself　explore　the　country　for　minerals。　At　first　the　Government　threw　obstacles　in　his　way　and　entirely　prevented　his　moving；　but　at　length　he　was　allowed　to　travel　about；　and　for　more　than　a　year　he　and　his　assistant　explored　the　eastern　part　of　Timor；　crossing　it　in　several　places　from　sea　to　sea；　and　ascending　every　important　valley；　without　finding　any　minerals　that　would　pay　the　expense　of　working。　Copper　ore　exists　in　several　places；　but　always　too　poor　in　quality。　The　best　would　pay　well　if　situated　in　England；　but　in　the　interior　of　an　utterly　barren　country；　with　roads　to　make；　and　all　skilled　labour　and　materials　to　import；　it　would　have　been　a　losing　concern。　Gold　also　occurs；　but　very　sparingly　and　of　poor　quality。　A　fine　spring　of　pure　petroleum　was　discovered　far　in　the　interior；　where　it　can　never　be　available　until　the　country　is　civilized。　The　whole　affair　was　a　dreadful　disappointment　to　the　Portuguese　Government；　who　had　considered　it　such　a　certain　thing　that　they　had　contracted　for　the　Dutch　mail　steamers　to　stop　at　Delli　and　several　vessels　from　Australia　were　induced　to　come　with　miscellaneous　cargoes；　for　which　they　expected　to　find　a　ready　sale　among　the　population　at　the　newly…　opened　mines。　The　lumps　of　native　copper　are　still；　however；　a　mystery。　Mr。　Geach　has　examined　the　country　in　every　direction　without　being　able　to　trace　their　origin；　so　that　it　seems　probable　that　they　result　from　the　debris　of　old　copper…bearing　strata；　and　are　not　really　more　abundant　than　gold　nuggets　are　in　Australia　or　California。　A　high　reward　was　offered　to　any　native　who　should　find　a　piece　and　show　the　exact　spot　where　he　obtained　it；　but　without　effect。

The　mountaineers　of　Timor　are　a　people　of　Papuan　type；　having　rather　slender　forms；　bushy　frizzled　hair；　and　the　skin　of　a　dusky　brown　colour。　They　have　the　long　nose　with　overhanging　apex　which　is　so　characteristic　of　the　Papuan；　and　so　absolutely　unknown　among　races　of　Malayan　origin。　On　the　coast　there　has　been　much　admixture　of　some　of　the　Malay　races；　and　perhaps　of　Hindu；　as　well　as　of　Portuguese。　The　general　stature　there　is　lower；　the　hair　wavy　instead　of　frizzled；　and　the　features　less　prominent。　The　houses　are　built　on　the　ground；　while　the　mountaineers　raise　theirs　on　posts　three　or　four　feet　high。　The　common　dress　is　a　long　cloth；　twisted　around　the　waist　and　hanging　to　the　knee；　as　shown　in