the malay archipelago-1-第52节

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xt　morning　we　took　our　baggage　on　three　packhorses；　and；　after　a　few　break…　downs；　arrived　about　noon　at　our　destination。

After　getting　all　my　things　set　straight；　and　having　made　a　hasty　meal；　I　determined　if　possible　to　make　friends　with　the　people。　I　therefore　sent　for　the　owner　of　the　house　and　as　many　of　his　acquaintances　as　liked　to　come；　to　have　a　〃bitchara；〃　or　talk。　When　they　were　all　seated；　I　gave　them　a　little　tobacco　all　around；　and　having　my　boy　Baderoon　for　interpreter；　tried　to　explain　to　them　why　I　came　there；　that　I　was　very　sorry　to　turn　them　out　of　the　house；　but　that　the　Rajah　had　ordered　it　rather　than　build　a　new　one；　which　was　what　I　had　asked　for；　and　then　placed　five　silver　rupees　in　the　owner's　hand　as　one　month's　rent。　I　then　assured　them　that　my　being　there　would　be　a　benefit　to　them；　as　I　should　buy　their　eggs　and　fowls　and　fruit；　and　if　their　children　would　bring　me　shells　and　insects；　of　which　I　showed　them　specimens；　they　also　might　earn　a　good　many　coppers。　After　all　this　had　been　fully　explained　to　them；　with　a　long　talk　and　discussion　between　every　sentence；　I　could　see　that　I　had　made　a　favourable　impression；　and　that　very　afternoon；　as　if　to　test　my　promise　to　buy　even　miserable　little　snail…shells；　a　dozen　children　came　one　after　another；　bringing　me　a　few　specimens　each　of　a　small　Helix；　for　which　they　duly　received　〃coppers；〃　and　went　away　amazed　but　rejoicing。

A　few　days'　exploration　made　me　well　acquainted　with　the　surrounding　country。　I　was　a　long　way　from　the　road　in　the　forest　which　I　had　first　visited；　and　for　some　distance　around　my　house　were　old　clearings　and　cottages。　I　found　a　few　good　butterflies；　but　beetles　were　very　scarce；　and　even　rotten　timber　and　newly…　felled　trees　（generally　so　productive）　here　produced　scarcely　anything。　This　convinced　me　that　there　was　not　a　sufficient　extent　of　forest　in　the　neighbourhood　to　make　the　place　worth　staying　at　long；　but　it　was　too　late　now　to　think　of　going　further；　as　in　about　a　month　the　wet　season　would　begin；　so　I　resolved　to　stay　here　and　get　what　was　to　be　had。　Unfortunately；　after　a　few　days　I　became　ill　with　a　low　fever　which　produced　excessive　lassitude　and　disinclination　to　all　exertion。　In　vain　I　endeavoured　to　shake　it　off；　all　I　could　do　was　to　stroll　quietly　each　day　for　an　hour　about　the　gardens　near；　and　to　the　well；　where　some　good　insects　were　occasionally　to　be　found；　and　the　rest　of　the　day　to　wait　quietly　at　home；　and　receive　what　beetles　and　shells　my　little　corps　of　collectors　brought　me　daily。　I　imputed　my　illness　chiefly　to　the　water；　which　was　procured　from　shallow　wells；　around　which　there　was　almost　always　a　stagnant　puddle　in　which　the　buffaloes　wallowed。　Close　to　my　house　was　an　enclosed　mudhole　where　three　buffaloes　were　shut　up　every　night；　and　the　effluvia　from　which　freely　entered　through　the　open　bamboo　floor。　My　Malay　boy　Ali　was　affected　with　the　same　illness；　and　as　he　was　my　chief　bird…skinner　I　got　on　but　slowly　with　my　collections。

The　occupations　and　mode　of　life　of　the　villagers　differed　but　little　from　those　of　all　other　Malay　races。　The　time　of　the　women　was　almost　wholly　occupied　in　pounding　and　cleaning　rice　for　daily　use；　in　bringing　home　firewood　and　water；　and　in　cleaning；　dyeing；　spinning；　and　weaving　the　native　cotton　into　sarongs。　The　weaving　is　done　in　the　simplest　kind　of　frame　stretched　on　the　floor；　and　is　a　very　slow　and　tedious　process。　To　form　the　checked　pattern　in　common　use；　each　patch　of　coloured　threads　has　to　be　pulled　up　separately　by　hand　and　the　shuttle　passed　between　them；　so　that　about　an　inch　a　day　is　the　usual　progress　in　stuff　a　yard　and　a　half　wide。　The　men　cultivate　a　little　sirih　（the　pungent　pepper　leaf　used　for　chewing　with　betel…nut）　and　a　few　vegetables；　and　once　a　year　rudely　plough　a　small　patch　of　ground　with　their　buffaloes　and　plant　rice；　which　then　requires　little　attention　until　harvest　time。　Now　and　then　they　have　to　see　to　the　repairs　of　their　houses；　and　make　mats；　baskets；　or　other　domestic　utensils；　but　a　large　part　of　their　time　is　passed　in　idleness。

Not　a　single　person　in　the　village　could　speak　more　than　a　few　words　of　Malay；　and　hardly　any　of　the　people　appeared　to　have　seen　a　European　before。　One　most　disagreeable　result　of　this　was　that　I　excited　terror　alike　in　man　and　beast。　Wherever　I　went；　dogs　barked；　children　screamed；　women　ran　away；　and　men　stared　as　though　I　were　some　strange　and　terrible　cannibal　or　monster。　Even　the　pack…horses　on　the　roads　and　paths　would　start　aside　when　I　appeared　and　rush　into　the　jungle；　and　as　to　those　horrid；　ugly　brutes；　the　buffaloes；　they　could　never　be　approached　by　me；　not　for　fear　of　my　own　but　of　others'　safety。　They　would　first　stick　out　their　necks　and　stare　at　me；　and　then　on　a　nearer　view　break　loose　from　their　halters　or　tethers；　and　rush　away　helter…skelter　as　if　a　demon　were　after　them；　without　any　regard　for　what　might　be　in　their　way。　Whenever　I　met　buffaloes　carrying　packs　along　a　pathway；　or　being　driven　home　to　the　village；　I　had　to　turn　aside　into　the　jungle　and　hide　myself　until　they　had　passed；　to　avoid　a　catastrophe　which　would　increase　the　dislike　with　which　I　was　already　regarded。　Everyday　about　noon　the　buffaloes　were　brought　into　the　villa；　and　were　tethered　in　the　shade　around　the　houses；　and　then　I　had　to　creep　about　like　a　thief　by　backways；　for　no　one　could　tell　what　mischief　they　might　do　to　children　and　houses　were　I　to　walk　among　them。　If　I　came　suddenly　upon　a　well　where　women　were　drawing　water　or　children　bathing；　a　sudden　flight　was　the　certain　result；　which　things　occurring　day　after　day；　were　very　unpleasant　to　a　person　who　does　not　like　to　be　disliked；　and　who　had　never　been　accustomed　to　be　treated　as　an　ogre。

About　the　middle　of　November；　finding　my　health　no　better；　and　insects；　birds；　and　shells　all　very　scarce；　I　determined　to　return　to　Mamajam；　and　pack　up　my　collections　before　the　heavy　rains　commenced。　The　wind　bad　already　begun　to　blow　from　the　west；　and　many　signs　indicated　that　the　rainy　season　might　set　in　earlier　than　usual；　and　then　everything　becomes　very　damp；　and　it　is　almost　impossible　to　dry　collections　properly。　My　kind　friend　Mr。　Mesman　again　lent　me　his　pack…horses；　and　with　the　assistance　of　a　few　men　to　carry　my　birds　and　insects；　which　I　did　not　like　to　trust　on　horses'　backs；　we　got　everything　home　safe。　Few　can　imagine　the　luxury　it　was　to　stretch　myself　on　a　sofa；　and　to　take　my　supper　comfortably　at　table　seated　in　my　easy　bamboo　chair；　after　having　for　five　weeks　taken　all　my　meals　uncomfortably　on　the　floor。　Such　things　are　trifles　in　health；　but　when　the　body　is　weakened　by　disease　the　habits　of　a　lifetime　cannot　be　so　easily　set　aside。

My　house；　like　all　bamboo　structures　in　this　country；　was　a　leaning　one；　the　strong　westerly　winds　of　the　wet　season　having　set　all　its　posts　out　of　the　perpendicular　to　such　a　degree　as　to　make　me　think　it　might　someday　possibly　go　over　altogether。　It　is　a　remarkable　thing　that　the　natives　of　Celebes　have　not　discovered　the　use　of　diagonal　struts　in　strengthening　buildings。　I　doubt　if　there　is　a　native　house　in　the　country　two　years　old　and　at　all　exposed　to　the　wind；　which　stands　upright；　and　no　wonder；　as　they　merely　consist　of　posts　and　joists　all　placed　upright　or　horizontal；　and　fastened　rudely　together　with　rattans。　They　may　be　seen　in　every　stage　of　the　process　of　tumbling　down；　from　the　first　slight　inclination；　to　such　a　dangerous　slope　that　it　becomes　a　notice　to　quit　to　the　occupiers。

The　mechanical　geniuses　of　the　country　have　only　discovered　two　ways　of　remedying　the　evil。　One　is；　after　it　has　commenced；　to　tie　the　house　to　a　post　in　the　ground　on　the　windward　side　by　a　rattan　or　bamboo　cable。　The　other　is　a　preventive；　but　how　they　ever　found　it　out　and　did　not　discover　the　true　way　is　a　mystery。　This　plan　is；　to　build　the　house　in　the　usual　way；　but　instead　of　having　all　the　principal　supports　of　straight　posts；　to　have　two　or　three　of　them　chosen　as　crooked　as　possible。　I　had　often　noticed　these　crooked　posts　in　houses；　but　imputed　it　to　the　scarcity　of　good；　straight　timber；　until　one　day　I　met　some　men　carrying　home　a　post　shaped　something　like　a　dog's　hind　leg；　and　inquired　of　my　native　boy　what　they　were　going　to　do　with　such　a　piece　of　wood。　〃To　make　a　post　for　a　house；〃　said　he。　〃But　why　don't　they　get　a　straight　one；　there　are　plenty　here？〃　said　I。　〃Oh；〃　replied　he；　〃they　prefer　some　like　that　in　a　house；　because　then　it　won't　fall；〃　evidently　imputing　the　effect　to　some　occult　property　of　crooked　timber。　A　little　consideration　and　a　diagram。　will；　however；　show；　that　the　effect　imputed　to　the　crooked　post　may　be　really　produced　by　it。　A　true　square　changes　its　figure　readily　into　a　rhomboid　or　oblique　figure；　but　when　one　or　two　of　the　uprights　are　bent　or　sloping；　and　placed　so　as　to　oppose　each　other；　the　effect　of　a　strut　is　produced；　though　in　a　rude　and　clumsy　manner。

Just　before　I　had　left　Mamajam　the　people　had　sown　a　considerable　quantity　of　maize；　which　appears　above　ground　in　two　or　three　days；　and　in　favourable　seasons　ripens　in　less　than　two　months。　Owing　to　a　week's　premature　rains　the　ground　was　all　flooded　when　I　returned；　and　the　plants　just　com