the malay archipelago-1-第50节

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　dry　and　forbidding；　covered　with　dusty　stubble　and　weeds。　A　few　months　back　these　were　a　mass　of　verdure；　and　their　barren　appearance　at　this　season　offered　a　striking　contrast　to　the　perpetual　crops　on　the　same　kind　of　country　in　Lombock　and　Bali；　where　the　seasons　are　exactly　similar；　but　where　an　elaborate　system　of　irrigation　produces　the　effect　of　a　perpetual　spring。

The　day　after　my　arrival　I　paid　a　visit　of　ceremony　to　the　Governor；　accompanied　by　my　friend　the　Danish　merchant；　who　spoke　excellent　English。　His　Excellency　was　very　polite；　and　offered　me　every　facility　for　travelling　about　the　country　and　prosecuting　my　researches　in　natural　history。　We　conversed　in　French；　which　all　Dutch　officials　speak　very　well。

Finding　it　very　inconvenient　and　expensive　to　stay　in　the　town；　I　removed　at　the　end　of　a　week　to　a　little　bamboo　house；　kindly　offered　me　by　Mr。　Mesman。　It　was　situated　about　two　miles　away；　on　a　small　coffee　plantation　and　farm；　and　about　a　mile　beyond　Mr。　M。's　own　country…house。　It　consisted　of　two　rooms　raised　about　seven　feet　above　the　ground；　the　lower　part　being　partly　open　（and　serving　excellently　to　skin　birds　in）　and　partly　used　as　a　granary　for　rice。　There　was　a　kitchen　and　other　outhouses；　and　several　cottages　nearby；　occupied　by　men　in　Mr。　M。's　employ。

After　being　settled　a　few　days　in　my　new　house；　I　found　that　no　collections　could　be　made　without　going　much　further　into　the　country。　The　rice…fields　for　some　miles　around　resembled　English　stubbles　late　in　autumn；　and　were　almost　as　unproductive　of　bird　or　insect　life。　There　were　several　native　villages　scattered　about；　so　embosomed　in　fruit　trees　that　at　a　distance　they　looked　like　clumps　or　patches　of　forest。　These　were　my　only　collecting　places；　but　they　produced　a　very　limited　number　of　species；　and　were　soon　exhausted。　Before　I　could　move　to　any　more　promising　district　it　was　necessary　to　obtain　permission　from　the　Rajah　of　Goa；　whose　territories　approach　to　within　two　miles　of　the　town　of　Macassar。　I　therefore　presented　myself　at　the　Governor's　office　and　requested　a　letter　to　the　Rajah；　to　claim　his　protection；　and　permission　to　travel　in　his　territories　whenever　I　might　wish　to　do　so。　This　was　immediately　granted；　and　a　special　messenger　was　sent　with　me　to　carry　the　letter。

My　friend　Mr。　Mesman　kindly　lent　me　a　horse；　and　accompanied　me　on　my　visit　to　the　Rajah；　with　whom　he　was　great　friends。　We　found　his　Majesty　seated　out　of　doors；　watching　the　erection　of　a　new　house。　He　was　naked　from　the　waist　up；　wearing　only　the　usual　short　trousers　and　sarong。　Two　chairs　were　brought　out　for　us；　but　all　the　chiefs　and　other　natives　were　seated　on　the　ground。　The　messenger；　squatting　down　at　the　Rajah's　feet；　produced　the　letter；　which　was　sewn　up　in　a　covering　of　yellow　silk。　It　was　handed　to　one　of　the　chief　officers；　who　ripped　it　open　and　returned　it　to　the　Rajah；　who　read　it；　and　then　showed　it　to　Mr。　M。；　who　both　speaks　and　reads　the　Macassar　language　fluently；　and　who　explained　fully　what　I　required。　Permission　was　immediately　granted　me　to　go　where　I　liked　in　the　territories　of　Goa；　but　the　Rajah　desired；　that　should　I　wish　to　stay　any　time　at　a　place　I　would　first　give　him　notice；　in　order　that　he　might　send　someone　to　see　that　no　injury　was　done　me。　Some　wine　was　then　brought　us；　and　afterwards　some　detestable　coffee　and　wretched　sweetmeats；　for　it　is　a　fact　that　I　have　never　tasted　good　coffee　where　people　grow　it　themselves。

Although　this　was　the　height　of　the　dry　season；　and　there　was　a　fine　wind　all　day；　it　was　by　no　means　a　healthy　time　of　year。　My　boy　Ali　had　hardly　been　a　day　on　shore　when　he　was　attacked　by　fever；　which　put　me　to　great　inconvenience；　as　at　the　house　where　I　was　staying；　nothing　could　be　obtained　but　at　mealtime。　After　having　cured　Ali；　and　with　much　difficulty　got　another　servant　to　cook　for　me；　I　was　no　sooner　settled　at　my　country　abode　than　the　latter　was　attacked　with　the　same　disease；　and；　having　a　wife　in　the　town；　left　me。　Hardly　was　he　gone　than　I　fell　ill　myself　with　strong　intermittent　fever　every　other　day。　In　about　a　week　I　got　over　it；　by　a　liberal　use　of　quinine；　when　scarcely　was　I　on　my　legs　than　Ali　again　became　worse　than　ever。　Ali's　fever　attacked　him　daily；　but　early　in　the　morning　he　was　pretty　well；　and　then　managed　to　cook　enough　for　me　for　the　day。　In　a　week　I　cured　him；　and　also　succeeded　in　getting　another　boy　who　could　cook　and　shoot；　and　had　no　objection　to　go　into　the　interior。　His　name　was　Baderoon；　and　as　he　was　unmarried　and　had　been　used　to　a　roving　life；　having　been　several　voyages　to　North　Australia　to　catch　trepang　or　〃beche　de　mer〃；　I　was　in　hopes　of　being　able　to　keep　him。　I　also　got　hold　of　a　little　impudent　rascal　of　twelve　or　fourteen；　who　could　speak　some　Malay；　to　carry　my　gun　or　insect…　net　and　make　himself　generally　useful。　Ali　had　by　this　time　become　a　pretty　good　bird…skinner；　so　that　I　was　fairly　supplied　with　servants。

I　made　many　excursions　into　the　country；　in　search　of　a　good　station　for　collecting　birds　and　insects。　Some　of　the　villages　a　few　miles　inland　are　scattered　about　in　woody　ground　which　has　once　been　virgin　forest；　but　of　which　the　constituent　trees　have　been　for　the　most　part　replaced　by　fruit　trees；　and　particularly　by　the　large　palm；　Arenga　saccharifera；　from　which　wine　and　sugar　are　made；　and　which　also　produces　a　coarse　black　fibre　used　for　cordage。　That　necessary　of　life；　the　bamboo；　has　also　been　abundantly　planted。　In　such　places　I　found　a　good　many　birds；　among　which　were　the　fine　cream…coloured　pigeon；　Carpophaga　luctuosa；　and　the　rare　blue…headed　roller；　Coracias　temmincki；　which　has　a　most　discordant　voice；　and　generally　goes　in　pairs；　flying　from　tree　to　tree；　and　exhibiting　while　at　rest　that　all…　in…a…heap　appearance　and　jerking　motion　of　the　head　and　tail　which　are　so　characteristic　of　the　great　Fissirostral　group　to　which　it　belongs。　From　this　habit　alone；　the　kingfishers；　bee…　eaters；　rollers；　trogons；　and　South　American　puff…birds；　might　be　grouped　together　by　a　person　who　had　observed　them　in　a　state　of　nature；　but　who　had　never　had　an　opportunity　of　examining　their　form　and　structure　in　detail。　Thousands　of　crows；　rather　smaller　than　our　rook；　keep　up　a　constant　cawing　in　these　plantations；　the　curious　wood…swallows　（Artami）；　which　closely　resemble　swallows　in　their　habits　and　flight　but　differ　much　in　form　and　structure；　twitter　from　the　tree…tops；　while　a　lyre…tailed　drongo…shrike；　with　brilliant　black　plumage　and　milk…white　eyes；　continually　deceives　the　naturalist　by　the　variety　of　its　unmelodious　notes。

In　the　more　shady　parts　butterflies　were　tolerably　abundant；　the　most　common　being　species　of　Euplaea　and　Danais；　which　frequent　gardens　and　shrubberies；　and　owing　to　their　weak　flight　are　easily　captured。　A　beautiful　pale　blue　and　black　butterfly；　which　flutters　along　near　the　ground　among　the　thickets；　and　settles　occasionally　upon　flowers；　was　one　of　the　most　striking；　and　scarcely　less　so；　was　one　with　a　rich　orange　band　on　a　blackish　groundthese　both　belong　to　the　Pieridae；　the　group　that　contains　our　common　white　butterflies；　although　differing　so　much　from　them　in　appearance。　Both　were　quite　new　to　European　naturalists。　＇The　former　has　been　named　Eronia　tritaea；　the　latter　Tachyris　ithonae。＇　Now　and　then　I　extended　my　walks　some　miles　further；　to　the　only　patch　of　true　forest　I　could　find；　accompanied　by　my　two　boys　with　guns　and　insect…net。　We　used　to　start　early；　taking　our　breakfast　with　us；　and　eating　it　wherever　we　could　find　shade　and　water。　At　such　times　my　Macassar　boys　would　put　a　minute　fragment　of　rice　and　meat　or　fish　on　a　leaf；　and　lay　it　on　a　stone　or　stump　as　an　offering　to　the　deity　of　the　spot；　for　though　nominal　Mahometans　the　Macassar　people　retain　many　pagan　superstitions；　and　are　but　lax　in　their　religious　observances。　Pork；　it　is　true；　they　hold　in　abhorrence；　but　will　not　refuse　wine　when　offered　them；　and　consume　immense　quantities　of　〃sagueir；〃　or　palm…wine；　which　is　about　as　intoxicating　as　ordinary　beer　or　cider。　When　well　made　it　is　a　very　refreshing　drink；　and　we　often　took　a　draught　at　some　of　the　little　sheds　dignified　by　the　name　of　bazaars；　which　are　scattered　about　the　country　wherever　there　is　any　traffic。

One　day　Mr。　Mesman　told　me　of　a　larger　piece　of　forest　where　he　sometimes　went　to　shoot　deer；　but　he　assured　me　it　was　much　further　off；　and　that　there　were　no　birds。　However；　I　resolved　to　explore　it；　and　the　next　morning　at　five　o'clock　we　started；　carrying　our　breakfast　and　some　other　provisions　with　us；　and　intending　to　stay　the　night　at　a　house　on　the　borders　of　the　wood。　To　my　surprise　two　hours'　hard　walking　brought　us　to　this　house；　where　we　obtained　permission　to　pass　the　night。　We　then　walked　on；　Ali　and　Baderoon　with　a　gun　each；　Paso　carrying　our　provisions　and　my　insect…box；　while　I　took　only　my　net　and　collecting…bottle　and　determined　to　devote　myself　wholly　to　the　insects。　Scarcely　had　I　entered　the　forest　when　I　found　some　beautiful　little　green　and　gold　speckled　weevils　allied　to　the　genus　Pachyrhynchus；　a　group　which　is　almost　confined　to　the　Philippine　Islands；　and　is　quite　unknown　in　Borneo；　Java；　or　Malacca。　The　road　was　shady　and　apparently　much　trod