the malay archipelago-1-第67节

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ere　is　a　telegraph　station　and　a　magnificent　view。　Below　lies　the　little　town；　with　its　neat　red…tiled　white　houses　and　the　thatched　cottages　of　the　natives；　bounded　on　one　side　by　the　old　Portuguese　fort。　Beyond；　about　half　a　mile　distant；　lies　the　larger　island　in　the　shape　of　a　horseshoe；　formed　of　a　range　of　abrupt　hills　covered　with　fine　forest　and　nutmeg　gardens；　while　close　opposite　the　town　is　the　volcano；　forming　a　nearly　perfect　cone；　the　lower　part　only　covered　with　a　light　green　bushy　vegetation。　On　its　north　side　the　outline　is　more　uneven；　and　there　is　a　slight　hollow　or　chasm　about　one…fifth　of　the　way　down；　from　which　constantly　issue　two　columns　of　smoke；　as　well　as　a　good　deal　from　the　rugged　surface　around　and　from　some　spots　nearer　the　summit。　A　white　efflorescence；　probably　sulphur；　is　thickly　spread　over　the　upper　part　of　the　mountain；　marked　by　the　narrow　black　vertical　lines　of　water　gullies。　The　smoke　unites　as　it　rises；　and　forms　a　dense　cloud；　which　in　calm；　damp　weather　spreads　out　into　a　wide　canopy　hiding　the　top　of　the　mountain。　At　night　and　early　morning；　it　often　rises　up　straight　and　leaves　the　whole　outline　clear。

It　is　only　when　actually　gazing　on　an　active　volcano　that　one　can　fully　realize　its　awfulness　and　grandeur。　Whence　comes　that　inexhaustible　fire　whose　dense　and　sulphurous　smoke　forever　issues　from　this　bare　and　desolate　peak？　Whence　the　mighty　forces　that　produced　that　peak；　and　still　from　time　to　time　exhibit　themselves　in　the　earthquakes　that　always　occur　in　the　vicinity　of　volcanic　vents？　The　knowledge　from　childhood　of　the　fact　that　volcanoes　and　earthquakes　exist；　has　taken　away　somewhat　of　the　strange　and　exceptional　character　that　really　belongs　to　them。　The　inhabitant　of　most　parts　of　northern　Europe　sees　in　the　earth　the　emblem　of　stability　and　repose。　His　whole　life…　experience；　and　that　of　all　his　age　and　generation；　teaches　him　that　the　earth　is　solid　and　firm；　that　its　massive　rocks　may　contain　water　in　abundance；　but　never　fire；　and　these　essential　characteristics　of　the　earth　are　manifest　in　every　mountain　his　country　contains。　A　volcano　is　a　fact　opposed　to　all　this　mass　of　experience；　a　fact　of　so　awful　a　character　that；　if　it　were　the　rule　instead　of　the　exception；　it　would　make　the　earth　uninhabitable　a　fact　so　strange　and　unaccountable　that　we　may　be　sure　it　would　not　be　believed　on　any　human　testimony；　if　presented　to　us　now　for　the　first　time；　as　a　natural　phenomenon　happening　in　a　distant　country。

The　summit　of　the　small　island　is　composed　of　a　highly　crystalline　basalt；　lower　down　I　found　a　hard；　stratified　slatey　sandstone；　while　on　the　beach　are　huge　blocks　of　lava；　and　scattered　masses　of　white　coralline　limestone。　The　larger　island　has　coral　rock　to　a　height　of　three　or　four　hundred　feet；　while　above　is　lava　and　basalt。　It　seems　probable；　therefore；　that　this　little　group　of　four　islands　is　the　fragment　of　a　larger　district　which　was　perhaps　once　connected　with　Ceram；　but　which　was　separated　and　broken　up　by　the　same　forces　which　formed　the　volcanic　cone。　When　I　visited　the　larger　island　on　another　occasion；　I　saw　a　considerable　tract　covered　with　large　forest　treesdead；　but　still　standing。　This　was　a　record　of　the　last　great　earthquake　only　two　years　ago；　when　the　sea　broke　in　over　this　part　of　the　island　and　so　flooded　it　as　to　destroy　the　vegetation　on　all　the　lowlands。　Almost　every　year　there　is　an　earthquake　here；　and　at　intervals　of　a　few　years；　very　severe　ones　which　throw　down　houses　and　carry　ships　out　of　the　harbour　bodily　into　the　streets。

Notwithstanding　the　losses　incurred　by　these　terrific　visitations；　and　the　small　size　and　isolated　position　of　these　little　islands；　they　have　been　and　still　are　of　considerable　value　to　the　Dutch　Government；　as　the　chief　nutmeg…garden　in　the　world。　Almost　the　whole　surface　is　planted　with　nutmegs；　grown　under　the　shade　of　lofty　Kanary　trees　（Kanarium　commune）。　The　light　volcanic　soil；　the　shade；　and　the　excessive　moisture　of　these　islands；　where　it　rains　more　or　less　every　month　in　the　year；　seem　exactly　to　suit　the　nutmeg…tree；　which　requires　no　manure　and　scarcely　any　attention。　All　the　year　round　flowers　and　ripe　fruit　are　to　be　found；　and　none　of　those　diseases　occur　which　under　a　forced　and　unnatural　system　of　cultivation　have　ruined　the　nutmeg　planters　of　Singapore　and　Penang。

Few　cultivated　plants　are　more　beautiful　than　nutmeg…trees。　They　are　handsomely　shaped　and　glossy…leaved；　growing　to　the　height　of　twenty　or　thirty　feet；　and　bearing　small　yellowish　flowers。　The　fruit　is　the　size　and　colour　of　a　peach；　but　rather　oval。　It　is　of　a　tough　fleshy　consistence；　but　when　ripe　splits　open；　and　shows　the　dark…brown　nut　within；　covered　with　the　crimson　mace；　and　is　then　a　most　beautiful　object。　Within　the　thin；　hard　shell　of　the　nut　is　the　seed；　which　is　the　nutmeg　of　commerce。　The　nuts　are　eaten　by　the　large　pigeons　of　Banda；　which　digest　the　mace；　but　cast　up　the　nut　with　its　seed　uninjured。

The　nutmeg　trade　has　hitherto　been　a　strict　monopoly　of　the　Dutch　Government；　but　since　leaving　the　country　I　believe　that　this　monopoly　has　been　partially　or　wholly　discontinued；　a　proceeding　which　appears　exceedingly　injudicious　and　quite　unnecessary。　There　are　cases　in　which　monopolies　are　perfectly　justifiable；　and　I　believe　this　to　be　one　of　them。　A　small　country　like　Holland　cannot　afford　to　keep　distant　and　expensive　colonies　at　a　loss；　and　having　possession　of　a　very　small　island　where　a　valuable　product；　not　a　necessity　of　life；　can　be　obtained　at　little　cost；　it　is　almost　the　duty　of　the　state　to　monopolise　it。　No　injury　is　done　thereby　to　anyone；　but　a　great　benefit　is　conferred　upon　the　whole　population　of　Holland　and　its　dependencies；　since　the　produce　of　the　state　monopolies　saves　them　from　the　weight　of　a　heavy　taxation。　Had　the　Government　not　kept　the　nutmeg　trade　of　Banda　in　its　own　hands；　it　is　probable　that　the　whole　of　the　islands　would　long　ago　have　become　the　property　of　one　or　more　large　capitalists。　The　monopoly　would　have　been　almost　the　same；　since　no　known　spot　on　the　globe　can　produce　nutmegs　so　cheaply　as　Banda；　but　the　profits　of　the　monopoly　world　have　gone　to　a　few　individuals　instead　of　to　the　nation。

As　an　illustration　of　how　a　state　monopoly　may　become　a　state　duty；　let　us　suppose　that　no　gold　existed　in　Australia；　but　that　it　had　been　found　in　immense　quantities　by　one　of　our　ships　in　some　small　and　barren　island。　In　this　case　it　would　plainly　become　the　duty　of　the　state　to　keep　and　work　the　mines　for　the　public　benefit；　since　by　doing　so；　the　gain　would　be　fairly　divided　among　the　whole　population　by　decrease　of　taxation；　whereas　by　leaving　it　open　to　free　trade　while　merely　keeping　the　government　of　the　island；　we　should　certainly　produce　enormous　evils　during　the　first　struggle　for　the　precious　metal；　and　should　ultimately　subside　into　the　monopoly　of　some　wealthy　individual　or　great　company；　whose　enormous　revenue　would　not　equally　benefit　the　community。　The　nutmegs　of　Banda　and　the　tin　of　Banca　are　to　some　extent　parallel　cases　to　this　supposititious　one；　and　I　believe　the　Dutch　Government　will　act　most　unwisely　if　they　give　up　their　monopoly。

Even　the　destruction　of　the　nutmeg　and　clove　trees　in　many　islands；　in　order　to　restrict　their　cultivation　to　one　or　two　where　the　monopoly　could　be　easily　guarded；　usually　made　the　theme　of　so　much　virtuous　indignation　against　the　Dutch；　may　be　defended　on　similar　principles；　and　is　certainly　not　nearly　so　bad　as　many　monopolies　we　ourselves　have　until　very　recently　maintained。　Nutmegs　and　cloves　arc　not　necessaries　of　life；　they　are　not　even　used　as　spices　by　the　natives　of　the　Moluccas；　and　no　one　was　materially　or　permanently　injured　by　the　destruction　of　the　trees；　since　there　are　a　hundred　other　products　that　can　be　grown　in　the　same　islands；　equally　valuable　and　far　more　beneficial　in　a　social　point　of　view。　It　is　a　case　exactly　parallel　to　our　prohibition　of　the　growth　of　tobacco　in　England；　for　fiscal　purposes；　and　is；　morally　and　economically；　neither　better　nor　worse。　The　salt　monopoly　which　we　so　long　maintained　in　India　was　in　much　worse。　As　long　as　we　keep　up　a　system　of　excise　and　customs　on　articles　of　daily　use；　which　requires　an　elaborate　array　of　officers　and　coastguards　to　carry　into　effect；　and　which　creates　a　number　of　purely　legal　crimes；　it　is　the　height　of　absurdity　for　us　to　affect　indignation　at　the　conduct　of　the　Dutch；　who　carried　out　a　much　more　justifiable；　less　hurtful；　and　more　profitable　system　in　their　Eastern　possessions。

I　challenge　objectors　to　point　out　any　physical　or　moral　evils　that　have　actually　resulted　from　the　action　of　the　Dutch　Government　in　this　matter；　whereas　such　evils　are　the　admitted　results　of　every　one　of　our　monopolies　and　restrictions。　The　conditions　of　the　two　experiments　are　totally　different。　The　true　〃political　economy〃　of　a　higher　race；　when　governing　a　lower　race；　has　never　yet　been　worked　out。　The　application　of　our　〃political　economy〃　to　such　cases　invariably　results　in　the　extinction　or　degradation　of　the　lower　race；　whence；　we　may　consider　it　probable　that　one　of　the　necessary　conditions　of　its　truth　is　the　approximate　mental　and　social　unity　of　the　society