the malay archipelago-1-第60节

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f　capital　and　skill；　that　it　gives　free　education　to　the　people；　and　that　the　monopoly　is　in　lieu　of　taxation。　He　forgets　that　the　product　he　wants　to　purchase　and　make　a　profit　by；　is　the　creation　of　the　Government；　without　whom　the　people　would　still　be　savages。　He　knows　very　well　that　free　trade　would；　as　its　first　result；　lead　to　the　importation　of　whole　cargoes　of　arrack；　which　would　be　carried　over　the　country　and　exchanged　for　coffee。　That　drunkenness　and　poverty　would　spread　over　the　land；　that　the　public　coffee　plantations　would　not　be　kept　up；　that　the　quality　and　quantity　of　the　coffee　would　soon　deteriorate；　that　traders　and　merchants　would　get　rich；　but　that　the　people　would　relapse　into　poverty　and　barbarism。　That　such　is　invariably　is　the　result　of　free　trade　with　any　savage　tribes　who　possess　a　valuable　product；　native　or　cultivated；　is　well　known　to　those　who　have　visited　such　people；　but　we　might　even　anticipate　from　general　principles　that　evil　results　would　happen。

If　there　is　one　thing　rather　than　another　to　which　the　grand　law　of　continuity　or　development　will　apply；　it　is　to　human　progress。　There　are　certain　stages　through　which　society　must　pass　in　its　onward　march　from　barbarism　to　civilization。　Now　one　of　these　stages　has　always　been　some　form　or　other　of　despotism；　such　as　feudalism　or　servitude；　or　a　despotic　paternal　government；　and　we　have　every　reason　to　believe　that　it　is　not　possible　for　humanity　to　leap　over　this　transition　epoch；　and　pass　at　once　from　pure　savagery　to　free　civilization。　The　Dutch　system　attempts　to　supply　this　missing　link；　and　to　bring　the　people　on　by　gradual　steps　to　that　higher　civilization；　which　we　（the　English）　try　to　force　upon　them　at　once。　Our　system　has　always　failed。　We　demoralize　and　we　extirpate；　but　we　never　really　civilize。　Whether　the　Dutch　system　can　permanently　succeed　is　but　doubtful；　since　it　may　not　be　possible　to　compress　the　work　of　ten　centuries　into　one；　but　at　all　events　it　takes　nature　as　a　guide；　and　is　therefore；　more　deserving　of　success；　and　more　likely　to　succeed；　than　ours。

There　is　one　point　connected　with　this　question　which　I　think　the　Missionaries　might　take　up　with　great　physical　and　moral　results。　In　this　beautiful　and　healthy　country；　and　with　abundance　of　food　and　necessaries；　the　population　does　not　increase　as　it　ought　to　do。　I　can　only　impute　this　to　one　cause。　Infant　mortality；　produced　by　neglect　while　the　mothers　are　working　in　the　plantations；　and　by　general　ignorance　of　the　conditions　of　health　in　infants。　Women　all　work；　as　they　have　always　been　accustomed　to　do。　It　is　no　hardship　to　them；　but　I　believe　is　often　a　pleasure　and　relaxation。　They　either　take　their　infants　with　them；　in　which　case　they　leave　them　in　some　shady　spot　on　the　ground；　going　at　intervals　to　give　them　nourishment；　or　they　leave　them　at　home　in　the　care　of　other　children　too　young　to　work。　Under　neither　of　these　circumstances　can　infants　be　properly　attended　to；　and　great　mortality　is　the　result；　keeping　the　increase　of　population　far　below　the　rate　which　the　general　prosperity　of　the　country　and　the　universality　of　marriage　would　lead　us　to　expect。　This　is　a　matter　in　which　the　Government　is　directly　interested；　since　it　is　by　the　increase　of　the　population　alone　that　there　can　be　any　large　and　permanent　increase　in　the　production　of　coffee。　The　Missionaries　should　take　up　the　question　because；　by　inducing　married　women　to　confine　themselves　to　domestic　duties；　they　will　decidedly　promote　a　higher　civilization；　and　directly　increase　the　health　and　happiness　of　the　whole　community。　The　people　are　so　docile　and　so　willing　to　adopt　the　manners　and　customs　of　Europeans；　that　the　change　might　be　easily　effected　by　merely　showing　them　that　it　was　a　question　of　morality　and　civilization；　and　an　essential　step　in　their　progress　towards　an　equality　with　their　white　rulers。

After　a　fortnight's　stay　at　Rurúkan；　I　left　that　pretty　and　interesting　village　in　search　of　a　locality　and　climate　more　productive　of　birds　and　insects。　I　passed　the　evening　with　the　Controlleur　of　Tondano；　and　the　next　morning　at　nine；　left　in　a　small　boat　for　the　head　of　the　lake；　a　distance　of　about　ten　miles。　The　lower　end　of　the　lake　is　bordered　by　swamps　and　marshes　of　considerable　extent；　but　a　little　further　on；　the　hills　come　down　to　the　water's　edge　and　give　it　very　much　the　appearance　of　a　greet　river；　the　width　being　about　two　miles。　At　the　upper　end　is　the　village　of　Kakas；　where　I　dined　with　the　head　man　in　a　good　house　like　those　I　have　already　described；　and　then　went　on　to　Langówan；　four　miles　distant　over　a　level　plain。　This　was　the　place　where　I　had　been　recommended　to　stay；　and　I　accordingly　unpacked　my　baggage　and　made　myself　comfortable　in　the　large　house　devoted　to　visitors。　I　obtained　a　man　to　shoot　for　me；　and　another　to　accompany　me　the　next　day　to　the　forest；　where　I　was　in　hopes　of　finding　a　good　collecting　ground。

In　the　morning　after　breakfast　I　started　off；　but　found　I　had　four　miles　to　walk　over　a　wearisome　straight　road　through　coffee　plantations　before　I　could　get　to　the　forest；　and　as　soon　as　I　did　so　；it　came　on　to　rain　heavily　and　did　not　cease　until　night。　This　distance　to　walk　everyday　was　too　far　for　any　profitable　work；　especially　when　the　weather　was　so　uncertain。　I　therefore　decided　at　once　that　I　must　go　further　on；　until　I　found　someplace　close　to　or　in　a　forest　country。　In　the　afternoon　my　friend　Mr。　Bensneider　arrived；　together　with　the　Controlleur　of　the　next　district；　called　Belang；　from　whom　I　learned　that　six　miles　further　on　there　was　a　village　called　Panghu；　which　had　been　recently　formed　and　had　a　good　deal　of　forest　close　to　it；　and　he　promised　me　the　use　of　a　small　house　if　I　liked　to　go　there。

The　next　morning　I　went　to　see　the　hot…springs　and　mud　volcanoes；　for　which　this　place　is　celebrated。　A　picturesque　path　among　plantations　and　ravines　brought　us　to　a　beautiful　circular　basin　about　forty　feet　in　diameter；　bordered　by　a　calcareous　ledge；　so　uniform　and　truly　curved；　that　it　looked　like　a　work　of　art。　It　was　filled　with　clear　water　very　near　the　boiling　point；　and　emitted　clouds　of　steam　with　a　strong　sulphureous　odour。　It　overflows　at　one　point　and　forms　a　little　stream　of　hot　water；　which　at　a　hundred　yards'　distance　is　still　too　hot　to　hold　the　hand　in。　A　little　further　on；　in　a　piece　of　rough　wood；　were　two　other　springs　not　so　regular　in　outline；　but　appearing　to　be　much　hotter；　as　they　were　in　a　continual　state　of　active　ebullition。　At　intervals　of　a　few　minutes；　a　great　escape　of　steam　or　gas　took　place；　throwing　up　a　column　of　water　three　or　four　feet　high。

We　then　went　to　the　mud…springs；　which　are　about　a　mile　off；　and　are　still　more　curious。　On　a　sloping　tract　of　ground　in　a　slight　hollow　is　a　small　lake　of　liquid　mud；　with　patches　of　blue；　red；　or　white；　and　in　many　places　boiling　and　bubbling　most　furiously。　All　around　on　the　indurated　clay　are　small　wells　and　craters　full　of　boiling　mud。　These　seem　to　be　forming　continually；　a　small　hole　appearing　first；　which　emits　jets　of　steam　and　boiling　mud；　which　upon　hardening；　forms　a　little　cone　with　a　crater　in　the　middle。　The　ground　for　some　distance　is　very　unsafe；　as　it　is　evidently　liquid　at　a　small　depth；　and　bends　with　pressure　like　thin　ice。　At　one　of　the　smaller；　marginal　jets　which　I　managed　to　approach；　I　held　my　hand　to　see　if　it　was　really　as　hot　as　it　looked；　when　a　little　drop　of　mud　that　spurted　on　to　my　finger　scalded　like　boiling　water。

A　short　distance　off；　there　was　a　flat　bare　surface　of　rock　as　smooth　and　hot　as　an　oven　floor；　which　was　evidently　an　old　mud…pool；　dried　up　and　hardened。　For　hundreds　of　yards　around　where　there　were　banks　of　reddish　and　white　clay　used　for　whitewash；　it　was　still　so　hot　close　to　the　surface　that　the　hand　could　hardly　bear　to　be　held　in　cracks　a　few　inches　deep；　and　from　which　arose　a　strong　sulphureous　vapour。　I　was　informed　that　some　years　back　a　French　gentleman　who　visited　these　springs　ventured　too　near　the　liquid　mud；　when　the　crust　gave　way　and　he　was　engulfed　in　the　horrible　caldron。

This　evidence　of　intense　heat　so　near　the　surface　over　a　large　tract　of　country　was　very　impressive；　and　I　could　hardly　divest　myself　of　the　notion　that　some　terrible　catastrophe　might　at　any　moment　devastate　the　country。　Yet　it　is　probable　that　all　these　apertures　are　really　safety…valves；　and　that　the　inequalities　of　the　resistance　of　various　parts　of　the　earth's　crust　will　always　prevent　such　an　accumulation　of　force　as　would　be　required　to　upheave　and　overwhelm　any　extensive　area。　About　seven　miles　west　of　this　is　a　volcano　which　was　in　eruption　about　thirty　years　before　my　visit；　presenting　a　magnificent　appearance　and　covering　the　surrounding　country　with　showers　of　ashes。　The　plains　around　the　lake　formed　by　the　intermingling　and　decomposition　of　volcanic　products　are　of　amazing　fertility；　and　with　a　little　management　in　the　rotation　of　crops　might　be　kept　in　continual　cultivation。　Rice　is　now　grown　on　them　for　three　or　four　years　in　succession；　when　they　are　left　fallow　for　the　same　period；　after　which　rice　or　maize　can　be　again　grown。　Good　rice　produces　thirty…fold；　and　coffee　trees　continue　bearing　abundantly　for