the malay archipelago-1-第56节

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　The　solubility　of　the　limestone　by　rain…water　is　well　seen　in　the　little　blocks　and　peaks　which　rise　thickly　through　the　soil　of　the　alluvial　plains　as　you　approach　the　mountains。　They　are　all　skittle…shaped；　larger　in　the　middle　than　at　the　base；　the　greatest　diameter　occurring　at　the　height　to　which　the　country　is　flooded　in　the　wet　season；　and　thence　decreasing　regularly　to　the　ground。　Many　of　them　overhang　considerably；　and　some　of　the　slenderer　pillars　appear　to　stand　upon　a　point。　When　the　rock　is　less　solid　it　becomes　curiously　honeycombed　by　the　rains　of　successive　winters；　and　I　noticed　some　masses　reduced　to　a　complete　network　of　stone　through　which　light　could　be　seen　in　every　direction。

From　these　mountains　to　the　sea　extends　a　perfectly　flat　alluvial　plain；　with　no　indication　that　water　would　accumulate　at　a　great　depth　beneath　it；　yet　the　authorities　at　Macassar　have　spent　much　money　in　boring　a　well　a　thousand　feet　deep　in　hope　of　getting　a　supply　of　water　like　that　obtained　by　the　Artesian　wells　in　the　London　and　Paris　basins。　It　is　not　to　be　wondered　at　that　the　attempt　was　unsuccessful。

Returning　to　my　forest　hut；　I　continued　my　daily　search　after　birds　and　insects。　The　weather；　however；　became　dreadfully　hot　and　dry；　every　drop　of　water　disappearing　from　the　pools　and　rock…　holes；　and　with　it　the　insects　which　frequented　them。　Only　one　group　remained　unaffected　by　the　intense　drought；　the　Diptera；　or　two…winged　flies；　continued　as　plentifully　as　ever；　and　on　these　I　was　almost　compelled　to　concentrate　my　attention　for　a　week　or　two；　by　which　means　I　increased　my　collection　of　that　Order　to　about　two　hundred　species。　I　also　continued　to　obtain　a　few　new　birds；　among　which　were　two　or　three　kinds　of　small　hawks　and　falcons；　a　beautiful　brush…tongued　paroquet；　Trichoglossus　ornatus；　and　a　rare　black　and　white　crow；　Corvus　advena。

At　length；　about　the　middle　of　October；　after　several　gloomy　days；　down　came　a　deluge　of　rain　which　continued　to　fall　almost　every　afternoon；　showing　that　the　early　part　of　the　wet　season　had　commenced。　I　hoped　now　to　get　a　good　harvest　of　insects；　and　in　some　respects　I　was　not　disappointed。　Beetles　became　much　more　numerous；　and　under　a　thick　bed　of　leaves　that　had　accumulated　on　some　rocks　by　the　side　of　a　forest　stream；　I　found　an　abundance　of　Carbidae；　a　family　generally　scarce　in　the　tropics。　The　butterflies；　however；　disappeared。　Two　of　my　servants　were　attacked　with　fever；　dysentery；　and　swelled　feet；　just　at　the　time　that　the　third　had　left　me；　and　for　some　days　they　both　lay　groaning　in　the　house。　When　they　got　a　little　better　I　was　attacked　myself；　and　as　my　stores　were　nearly　finished　and　everything　was　getting　very　damp；　I　was　obliged　to　prepare　for　my　return　to　Macassar；　especially　as　the　strong　westerly　winds　would　render　the　passage　in　a　small　open　boat　disagreeable；　if　not　dangerous。

Since　the　rains　began；　numbers　of　huge　millipedes；　as　thick　as　one's　finger　and　eight　or　ten　inches　long；　crawled　about　everywherein　the　paths；　on　trees；　about　the　houseand　one　morning　when　I　got　up　I　even　found　one　in　my　bed！　They　were　generally　of　a　dull　lead　colour　or　of　a　deep　brick　red；　and　were　very　nasty…looking　things　to　be　coming　everywhere　in　one's　way；　although　quite　harmless。　Snakes　too　began　to　show　themselves。　I　killed　two　of　a　very　abundant　speciesbig…headed；　and　of　a　bright　green　colour；　which　lie　coiled　up　on　leaves　and　shrubs　and　can　scarcely　be　seen　until　one　is　close　upon　them。　Brown　snakes　got　into　my　net　while　beating　among　dead　leaves　for　insects；　and　made　me　rather　cautious　about　inserting　my　hand　until　I　knew　what　kind　of　game　I　had　captured。　The　fields　and　meadows　which　had　been　parched　and　sterile；　now　became　suddenly　covered　with　fine　long　grass；　the　river…bed　where　I　had　so　many　times　walked　over　burning　rocks；　was　now　a　deep　and　rapid　stream；　and　numbers　of　herbaceous　plants　and　shrubs　were　everywhere　springing　up　and　bursting　into　flower。　I　found　plenty　of　new　insects；　and　if　I　had　had　a　good；　roomy；　water…and…wind…proof　house；　I　should　perhaps　have　stayed　during　the　wet　season；　as　I　feel　sure　many　things　can　then　be　obtained　which　are　to　be　found　at　no　other　time。　With　my　summer　hut；　however；　this　was　impossible。　During　the　heavy　rains　a　fine　drizzly　mist　penetrated　into　every　part　of　it；　and　I　began　to　have　the　greatest　difficulty　in　keeping　my　specimens　dry。

Early　in　November　I　returned　to　Macassar；　and　having　packed　up　my　collections；　started　in　the　Dutch　mail　steamer　for　Amboyna　and　Ternate。　Leaving　this　part　of　my　journey　for　the　present；　I　will　in　the　next　chapter　conclude　my　account　of　Celebes；　by　describing　the　extreme　northern　part　of　the　island　which　I　visited　two　years　later。

CHAPTER　XVII。

CELEBES。

（MENADO。　JUNE　TO　SEPTEMBER；　1859。）

IT　was　after　my　residence　at　Timor…Coupang　that　I　visited　the　northeastern　extremity　of　Celebes；　touching　Banda；　Amboyna；　and　Ternate　on　my　way。　I　reached　Menado　on　the　10th　of　June；　1859；　and　was　very　kindly　received　by　Mr。　Tower；　an　Englishman；　but　a　very　old　resident　in　Menado；　where　he　carries　on　a　general　business。　He　introduced　me　to　Mr。　L。　Duivenboden　（whose　father　had　been　my　friend　at　Ternate）；　who　had　much　taste　for　natural　history；　and　to　Mr。　Neys；　a　native　of　Menado；　but　who　was　educated　at　Calcutta；　and　to　whom　Dutch；　English；　and　Malay　were　equally　mother…tongues。　All　these　gentlemen　showed　me　the　greatest　kindness；　accompanied　me　in　my　earliest　walks　about　the　country；　and　assisted　me　by　every　means　in　their　power。　I　spent　a　week　in　the　town　very　pleasantly；　making　explorations　and　inquiries　after　a　good　collecting　station；　which　I　had　much　difficulty　in　finding；　owing　to　the　wide　cultivation　of　coffee　and　cacao；　which　has　led　to　the　clearing　away　of　the　forests　for　many　miles　around　the　town；　and　over　extensive　districts　far　into　the　interior。

The　little　town　of　Menado　is　one　of　the　prettiest　in　the　East。　It　has　the　appearance　of　a　large　garden　containing　rows　of　rustic　villas　with　broad　paths　between；　forming　streets　generally　at　right　angles　with　each　other。　Good　roads　branch　off　in　several　directions　towards　the　interior；　with　a　succession　of　pretty　cottages；　neat　gardens；　and　thriving　plantations；　interspersed　with　wildernesses　of　fruit　trees。　To　the　west　and　south　the　country　is　mountainous；　with　groups　of　fine　volcanic　peaks　6；000　or　7；000　feet　high；　forming　grand　and　picturesque　backgrounds　to　the　landscape。

The　inhabitants　of　Minahasa　（as　this　part　of　Celebes　is　called）　differ　much　from　those　of　all　the　rest　of　the　island；　and　in　fact　from　any　other　people　in　the　Archipelago。　They　are　of　a　light…　brown　or　yellow　tint；　often　approaching　the　fairness　of　a　European；　of　a　rather　short　stature；　stout　and　well…made；　of　an　open　and　pleasing　countenance；　more　or　less　disfigured　as　age　increases　by　projecting　check…bones；　and　with　the　usual　long；　straight；　jet…black　hair　of　the　Malayan　races。　In　some　of　the　inland　villages　where　they　may　be　supposed　to　be　of　the　purest　race；　both　men　and　women　are　remarkably　handsome；　while　nearer　the　coasts　where　the　purity　of　their　blood　has　been　destroyed　by　the　intermixture　of　other　races；　they　approach　to　the　ordinary　types　of　the　wild　inhabitants　of　the　surrounding　countries。

In　mental　and　moral　characteristics　they　are　also　highly　peculiar。　They　are　remarkably　quiet　and　gentle　in　disposition；　submissive　to　the　authority　of　those　they　consider　their　superiors；　and　easily　induced　to　learn　and　adopt　the　habits　of　civilized　people。　They　are　clever　mechanics；　and　seem　capable　of　acquiring　a　considerable　amount　of　intellectual　education。

Up　to　a　very　recent　period　these　people　were　thorough　savages；　and　there　are　persons　now　living　in　Menado　who　remember　a　state　of　things　identical　with　that　described　by　the　writers　of　the　sixteenth　and　seventeenth　centuries。　The　inhabitants　of　the　several　villages　were　distinct　tribes；　each　under　its　own　chief；　speaking　languages　unintelligible　to　each　other；　and　almost　always　at　war。　They　built　their　houses　elevated　upon　lofty　posts　to　defend　themselves　from　the　attacks　of　their　enemies。　They　were　headhunters　like　the　Dyaks　of　Borneo；　and　were　said　to　be　sometimes　cannibals。　When　a　chief　died；　his　tomb　was　adorned　with　two　fresh　human　heads；　and　if　those　of　enemies　could　not　be　obtained；　slaves　were　killed　for　the　occasion。　Human　skulls　were　the　great　ornaments　of　the　chiefs'　houses。　Strips　of　bark　were　their　only　dress。　The　country　was　a　pathless　wilderness；　with　small　cultivated　patches　of　rice　and　vegetables；　or　clumps　of　fruit…trees；　diversifying　the　otherwise　unbroken　forest。　Their　religion　was　that　naturally　engendered　in　the　undeveloped　human　mind　by　the　contemplation　of　grand　natural　phenomena　and　the　luxuriance　of　tropical　nature。　The　burning　mountain；　the　torrent　and　the　lake；　were　the　abode　of　their　deities；　and　certain　trees　and　birds　were　supposed　to　have　special　influence　over　men's　actions　and　destiny。　They　held　wild　and　exciting　festivals　to　propitiate　these　deities　or　demons；　and　believed　that　men　could　be　changed　by　them　into　animalseither　during　life　or　after　death。

Here　we　have　a　picture　of　true　savage　life；　of　small　isolated　communities　at　war　with　all　around　them；　subject　to　the　wan