the malay archipelago-1-第46节

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gh。　The　common　dress　is　a　long　cloth；　twisted　around　the　waist　and　hanging　to　the　knee；　as　shown　in　the　illustration　（page　305）；　copied　from　a　photograph。　Both　men　carry　the　national　umbrella；　made　of　an　entire　fan…shaped　palm　leaf；　carefully　stitched　at　the　fold　of　each　leaflet　to　prevent　splitting。　This　is　opened　out；　and　held　sloping　over　the　head　and　back　during　a　shower。　The　small　water…bucket　is　made　from　an　entire　unopened　leaf　of　the　same　palm；　and　the　covered　bamboo　probably　contains　honey　for　sale。　A　curious　wallet　is　generally　carried；　consisting　of　a　square　of　strongly　woven　cloth；　the　four　corners　of　which　are　connected　by　cords；　and　often　much　ornamented　with　beads　and　tassels。　Leaning　against　the　house　behind　the　figure　on　the　right　are　bamboos；　used　instead　of　water　jars。

A　prevalent　custom　is　the　〃pomali；〃　exactly　equivalent　to　the　〃taboo〃　of　the　Pacific　islanders；　and　equally　respected。　It　is　used　on　the　commonest　occasions；　and　a　few　palm　leaves　stuck　outside　a　garden　as　a　sign　of　the　〃pomali〃　will　preserve　its　produce　from　thieves　as　effectually　as　the　threatening　notice　of　man…traps；　spring　guns；　or　a　savage　dog　would　do　with　us。　The　dead　are　placed　on　a　stage；　raised　six　or　eight　feet　above　the　ground；　sometimes　open　and　sometimes　covered　with　a　roof。　Here　the　body　remains　until　the　relatives　can　afford　to　make　a　feast；　when　it　is　buried。　The　Timorese　are　generally　great　thieves；　but　are　not　bloodthirsty。　They　fight　continually　among　themselves；　and　take　every　opportunity　of　kidnapping　unprotected　people　of　other　tribes　for　slaves；　but　Europeans　may　pass　anywhere　through　the　country　in　safety。　Except　for　a　few　half…breeds　in　the　town；　there　are　no　native　Christians　in　the　island　of　Timor。　The　people　retain　their　independence　in　a　great　measure；　and　both　dislike　and　despise　their　would…be　rulers；　whether　Portuguese　or　Dutch。

The　Portuguese　government　in　Timor　is　a　most　miserable　one。　Nobody　seems　to　care　the　least　about　the　improvement　of　the　country；　and　at　this　time；　after　three　hundred　years　of　occupation；　there　has　not　been　a　mile　of　road　made　beyond　the　town；　and　there　is　not　a　solitary　European　resident　anywhere　in　the　interior。　All　the　Government　officials　oppress　and　rob　the　natives　as　much　as　they　can；　and　yet　there　is　no　care　taken　to　render　the　town　defensible　should　the　Timorese　attempt　to　attack　it。　So　ignorant　are　the　military　officers；　that　having　received　a　small　mortar　and　some　shells；　no　one　could　be　found　who　knew　how　to　use　them；　and　during　an　insurrection　of　the　natives　（while　I　was　at　Delli）　the　officer　who　expected　to　be　sent　against　the　insurgents　was　instantly　taken　ill！　And　they　were　allowed　to　get　possession　of　an　important　pass　within　three　miles　of　the　town；　where　they　could　defend　themselves　against　ten　times　the　force。　The　result　was　that　no　provisions　were　brought　down　from　the　hills；　a　famine　was　imminent；　and　the　Governor　had　to　send　off　to　beg　for　supplies　from　the　Dutch　Governor　of　Amboyna。

In　its　present　state　Timor　is　more　trouble　than　profit　to　its　Dutch　and　Portuguese　rulers；　and　it　will　continue　to　be　so　unless　a　different　system　is　pursued。　A　few　good　roads　into　the　elevated　districts　of　the　interior；　a　conciliatory　policy　and　strict　justice　towards　the　natives；　and　the　introduction　of　a　good　system　of　cultivation　as　in　Java　and　northern　Celebes；　might　yet　make　Timor　a　productive　and　valuable　island。　Rice　grows　well　on　the　marshy　flats；　which　often　fringe　the　coast；　and　maize　thrives　in　all　the　lowlands；　and　is　the　common　food　of　the　natives　as　it　was　when　Dampier　visited　the　island　in　1699。　The　small　quantity　of　coffee　now　grown　is　of　very　superior　quality；　and　it　might　be　increased　to　any　extent。　Sheep　thrive；　and　would　always　be　valuable　as　fresh　food　for　whalers　and　to　supply　the　adjacent　islands　with　mutton；　if　not　for　their　wool；　although　it　is　probable　that　on　the　mountains　this　product　might　soon　be　obtained　by　judicious　breeding。　Horses　thrive　amazingly；　and　enough　wheat　might　be　grown　to　supply　the　whole　Archipelago　if　there　were　sufficient　inducements　to　the　natives　to　extend　its　cultivation；　and　good　roads　by　which　it　could　be　cheaply　transported　to　the　coast。

Under　such　a　system　the　natives　would　soon　perceive　that　European　government　was　advantageous　to　them。　They　would　begin　to　save　money；　and　property　being　rendered　secure　they　would　rapidly　acquire　new　wants　and　new　tastes；　and　become　large　consumers　of　European　goods。　This　would　be　a　far　surer　source　of　profit　to　their　rulers　than　imposts　and　extortion；　and　would　be　at　the　same　time　more　likely　to　produce　peace　and　obedience　than　the　mock…military　rule　which　has　hitherto　proved　most　ineffective。　To　inaugurate　such　a　system　would　however　require　an　immediate　outlay　of　capital；　which　neither　Dutch　nor　Portuguese　seem　inclined　to　make；　and　a　number　of　honest　and　energetic　officials；　which　the　latter　nation　at　least　seems　unable　to　produce；　so　that　it　is　much　to　be　feared　that　Timor　will　for　many　years　to　come　remain　in　its　present　state　of　chronic　insurrection　and　misgovernment。

Morality　at　Delli　is　at　as　low　an　ebb　as　in　the　far　interior　of　Brazil；　and　crimes　are　connived　at　which　would　entail　infamy　and　criminal　prosecution　in　Europe。　While　I　was　there　it　was　generally　asserted　and　believed　in　the　place；　that　two　officers　had　poisoned　the　husbands　of　women　with　whom　they　were　carrying　on　intrigues；　and　with　whom　they　immediately　cohabited　on　the　death　of　their　rivals。　Yet　no　one　ever　thought　for　a　moment　of　showing　disapprobation　of　the　crime；　or　even　of　considering　it　a　crime　at　all；　the　husbands　in　question　being　low　half…castes；　who　of　course　ought　to　make　way　for　the　pleasures　of　their　superiors。

Judging　from　what　I　saw　myself　and　by　the　descriptions　of　Mr。　Geach；　the　indigenous　vegetation　of　Timor　is　poor　and　monotonous。　The　lower　ranges　of　the　hills　are　everywhere　covered　with　scrubby　Eucalypti；　which　only　occasionally　grow　into　lofty　forest　trees。　Mingled　with　these　in　smaller　quantities　are　acacias　and　the　fragrant　sandalwood；　while　the　higher　mountains；　which　rise　to　about　six　or　seven　thousand　feet；　are　either　covered　with　coarse　grass　or　are　altogether　barren。　In　the　lower　grounds　are　a　variety　of　weedy　bushes；　and　open　waste　places　are　covered　everywhere　with　a　nettle…like　wild　mint。　Here　is　found　the　beautiful　crown　lily；　Gloriosa　superba；　winding　among　the　bushes；　and　displaying　its　magnificent　blossoms　in　great　profusion。　A　wild　vine　also　occurs；　bearing　great　irregular　bunches　of　hairy　grapes　of　a　coarse　but　very　luscious　flavour。　In　some　of　the　valleys　where　the　vegetation　is　richer；　thorny　shrubs　and　climbers　are　so　abundant　as　to　make　the　thickets　quite　impenetrable。

The　soil　seems　very　poor；　consisting　chiefly　of　decomposing　clayey　shales；　and　the　bare　earth　and　rock　is　almost　everywhere　visible。　The　drought　of　the　hot　season　is　so　severe　that　most　of　the　streams　dry　up　in　the　plains　before　they　reach　the　sea；　everything　becomes　burned　up；　and　the　leaves　of　the　larger　trees　fall　as　completely　as　in　our　winter。　On　the　mountains　from　two　to　four　thousand　feet　elevation　there　is　a　much　moister　atmosphere；　so　that　potatoes　and　other　European　products　can　be　grown　all　the　year　round。　Besides　ponies；　almost　the　only　exports　of　Timor　are　sandalwood　and　beeswax。　The　sandalwood　（Santalum　sp。）　is　the　produce　of　a　small　tree；　which　grows　sparingly　in　the　mountains　of　Timor　and　many　of　the　other　islands　in　the　far　East。　The　wood　is　of　a　fine　yellow　colour；　and　possesses　a　well…known　delightful　fragrance　which　is　wonderfully　permanent。　It　is　brought　down　to　Delli　in　small　logs；　and　is　chiefly　exported　to　China；　where　it　is　largely　used　to　burn　in　the　temples；　and　in　the　houses　of　the　wealthy。

The　beeswax　is　a　still　more　important　and　valuable　product；　formed　by　the　wild　bees　（Apis　dorsata）；　which　build　huge　honeycombs；　suspended　in　the　open　air　from　the　underside　of　the　lofty　branches　of　the　highest　trees。　These　are　of　a　semicircular　form；　and　often　three　or　four　feet　in　diameter。　I　once　saw　the　natives　take　a　bees'　nest；　and　a　very　interesting　sight　it　was。　In　the　valley　where　I　used　to　collect　insects；　I　one　day　saw　three　or　four　Timorese　men　and　boys　under　a　high　tree；　and；　looking　up；　saw　on　a　very　lofty　horizontal　branch　three　large　bees'　combs。　The　tree　was　straight　and　smooth…　barked　and　without　a　branch；　until　at　seventy　or　eighty　feet　from　the　ground　it　gave　out　the　limb　which　the　bees　had　chosen　for　their　home。　As　the　men　were　evidently　looking　after　the　bees；　I　waited　to　watch　their　operations。　One　of　them　first　produced　a　long　piece　of　wood　apparently　the　stem　of　a　small　tree　or　creeper；　which　he　had　brought　with　him；　and　began　splitting　it　through　in　several　directions；　which　showed　that　it　was　very　tough　and　stringy。　He　then　wrapped　it　in　palm…　leaves；　which　were　secured　by　twisting　a　slender　creeper　round　them。　He　then　fastened　his　cloth　tightly　round　his　loins；　and　producing　another　cloth　wrapped　it　around　his　head；　neck；　and　body；　and　tied　it　firmly　around　his　neck；　leaving　his　face；　arms；　and　legs　completely　bare。　Slung　to　his　girdle　he　carried　a　long　thin　coil　of　cord；　and　while　he　had　been　making　these　preparations；　one　of　his　companions　had　cut　a　strong　creep