the malay archipelago-1-第69节

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and。

My　abode　was　merely　a　little　thatched　hut；　consisting　of　an　open　verandah　in　front　and　a　small　dark　sleeping　room　behind。　It　was　raised　about　five　feet　from　the　ground；　and　was　reached　by　rude　steps　to　the　centre　of　the　verandah。　The　walls　and　floor　were　of　bamboo；　and　it　contained　a　table；　two　bamboo　chairs；　and　a　couch。　Here　I　soon　made　myself　comfortable；　and　set　to　work　hunting　for　insects　among　the　more　recently　felled　timber；　which　swarmed　with　fine　Curculionidae；　Longicorns；　and　Buprestidae；　most　of　them　remarkable　for　their　elegant　forms　or　brilliant　colours；　and　almost　all　entirely　new　to　me。　Only　the　entomologist　can　appreciate　the　delight　with　which　I　hunted　about　for　hours　in　the　hot　sunshine；　among　the　branches　and　twigs　and　bark　of　the　fallen　trees；　every　few　minutes　securing　insects　which　were　at　that　time　almost　all　rare　or　new　to　European　collections。

In　the　shady　forest　paths　were　many　fine　butterflies；　most　conspicuous　among　which　was　the　shining　blue　Papilio　Ulysses；　one　of　the　princes　of　the　tribe；　though　at　that　time　so　rare　in　Europe；　I　found　it　absolutely　common　in　Amboyna；　though　not　easy　to　obtain　in　fine　condition；　a　large　number　of　the　specimens　being　found　when　captured　to　have　the　wings　torn　or　broken。　It　flies　with　a　rather　weak　undulating　motion；　and　from　its　large　size；　its　tailed　wings　and　brilliant　colour；　is　one　of　the　most　tropical…looking　insects　the　naturalist　can　gaze　upon。

There　is　a　remarkable　contrast　between　the　beetles　of　Amboyna　and　those　of　Macassar；　the　latter　generally　small　and　obscure；　the　former　large　and　brilliant。　On　the　whole；　the　insects　here　most　resemble　those　of　the　Aru　islands；　but　they　are　almost　always　of　distinct　species；　and　when　they　are　most　nearly　allied　to　each　other；　the　species　of　Amboyna　are　of　larger　size　and　more　brilliant　colours；　so　that　one　might　be　led　to　conclude　that　in　passing　east　and　west　into　a　less　favourable　soil　and　climate；　they　had　degenerated　into　less　striking　forms。

Of　an　evening　I　generally　sat　reading　in　the　verandah；　ready　to　capture　any　insects　that　were　attracted　to　the　light。　One　night　about　nine　o'clock；　I　heard　a　curious　noise　and　rustling　overhead；　as　if　some　heavy　animal　were　crawling　slowly　over　the　thatch。　The　noise　soon　ceased；　and　I　thought　no　more　about　it　and　went　to　bed　soon　afterwards。　The　next　afternoon　just　before　dinner；　being　rather　tired　with　my　day's　work；　I　was　lying　on　the　couch　with　a　book　in　my　hand；　when　gazing　upwards　I　saw　a　large　mass　of　something　overhead　which　I　had　not　noticed　before。　Looking　more　carefully　I　could　see　yellow　and　black　marks；　and　thought　it　must　be　a　tortoise…shell　put　up　there　out　of　the　way　between　the　ridge…pole　and　the　roof　Continuing　to　gaze；　it　suddenly　resolved　itself　into　a　large　snake；　compactly　coiled　up　in　a　kind　of　knot；　and　I　could　detect　his　head　and　his　bright　eyes　in　the　very　centre　of　the　folds。　The　noise　of　the　evening　before　was　now　explained。　A　python　had　climbed　up　one　of　the　posts　of　the　house；　and　had　made　his　way　under　the　thatch　within　a　yard　of　my　head；　and　taken　up　a　comfortable　position　in　the　roofand　I　had　slept　soundly　all　night　directly　under　him。

I　called　to　my　two　boys　who　were　skinning　birds　below　and　said；　〃Here's　a　big　snake　in　the　roof；〃　but　as　soon　as　I　had　shown　it　to　them　they　rushed　out　of　the　house　and　begged　me　to　come　out　directly。　Finding　they　were　too　much　afraid　to　do　anything；　we　called　some　of　the　labourers　in　the　plantation；　and　soon　had　half　a　dozen　men　in　consultation　outside。　One　of　these；　a　native　of　Bouru；　where　there　are　a　great　many　snakes；　said　he　would　get　him　out；　and　proceeded　to　work　in　a　businesslike　manner。　He　made　a　strong　noose　of　rattan；　and　with　a　long　pole　in　the　other　hand　poked　at　the　snake；　who　then　began　slowly　to　uncoil　itself。　He　then　managed　to　slip　the　noose　over　its　head；　and　getting　it　well　on　to　the　body；　dragged　the　animal　down。　There　was　a　great　scuffle　as　the　snake　coiled　round　the　chairs　and　posts　to　resist　his　enemy；　but　at　length　the　man　caught　hold　of　its　tail；　rushed　out　of　the　house　（running　so　quick　that　the　creature　seemed　quite　confounded）；　and　tried　to　strike　its　head　against　a　tree。　He　missed　however；　and　let　go；　and　the　snake　got　under　a　dead　trunk　close　by。　It　was　again　poked　out；　and　again　the　Bourn　man　caught　hold　of　its　tail；　and　running　away　quickly　dashed　its　head　with　a　swing　against　a　tree；　and　it　was　then　easily　killed　with　a　hatchet。　It　was　about　twelve　feet　long　and　very　thick；　capable　of　doing　much　mischief　and　of　swallowing　a　dog　or　a　child。

I　did　not　get　a　great　many　birds　here。　The　most　remarkable　were　the　fine　crimson　lory；　Eos　rubraa　brush…tongued　parroquet　of　a　vivid　crimson　colour；　which　was　very　abundant。　Large　flocks　of　them　came　about　the　plantation；　and　formed　a　magnificent　object　when　they　settled　down　upon　some　flowering　tree；　on　the　nectar　of　which　lories　feed。　I　also　obtained　one　or　two　specimens　of　the　fine　racquet…tailed　kingfisher　of　Amboyna；　Tanysiptera　nais；　one　of　the　most　singular　and　beautiful　of　that　beautiful　family。　These　birds　differ　from　all　other　kingfishers　（which　have　usually　short　tails）　by　having　the　two　middle　tail…feathers　immensely　lengthened　and　very　narrowly　webbed；　but　terminated　by　a　spoon…　shaped　enlargement；　as　in　the　motmots　and　some　of　the　humming…　birds。　They　belong　to　that　division　of　the　family　termed　king…　hunters；　living　chiefly　on　insects　and　small　land…molluscs；　which　they　dart　down　upon　and　pick　up　from　the　ground；　just　as　a　kingfisher　picks　a　fish　out　of　the　water。　They　are　confined　to　a　very　limited　area；　comprising　the　Moluccas；　New　Guinea　and　Northern　Australia。　About　ten　species　of　these　birds　are　now　known；　all　much　resembling　each　other；　but　yet　sufficiently　distinguishable　in　every　locality。　The　Amboynese　species；　of　which　a　very　accurate　representation　is　here　given；　is　one　of　the　largest　and　handsomest。　It　is　full　seventeen　inches　long　to　the　tips　of　the　tail…feathers；　the　bill　is　coral　red；　the　under…　surface　pure　white；　the　back　and　wings　deep　purple；　while　the　shoulders；　head　and　nape；　and　some　spots　on　the　upper　part　of　the　back　and　wings；　are　pure　azure　blue；　the　tail　is　white；　with　the　feathers　narrowly　blue…edged；　but　the　narrow　part　of　the　long　feathers　is　rich　blue。　This　was　an　entirely　new　species；　and　has　been　well　named　after　an　ocean　goddess；　by　Mr。　R。　G。　Gray。

On　Christmas　eve　I　returned　to　Amboyna；　where　I　stayed　about　ten　days　with　my　kind　friend　Dr。　Mohnike。　Considering　that　I　had　been　away　only　twenty　days；　and　that　on　five　or　six　of　those　I　was　prevented　doing　any　thing　by　wet　weather　and　slight　attacks　of　fever；　I　had　made　a　very　nice　collection　of　insects；　comprising　a　much　larger　proportion　of　large　and　brilliant　species　than　I　had　ever　before　obtained　in　so　short　a　time。　Of　the　beautiful　metallic　Buprestidae　I　had　about　a　dozen　handsome　species；　yet　in　the　doctor's　collection　I　observed　four　or　five　more　very　fine　ones；　so　that　Amboyna　is　unusually　rich　in　this　elegant　group。

During　my　stay　here　I　had　a　good　opportunity　of　seeing　how　Europeans　live　in　the　Dutch　colonies；　and　where　they　have　adopted　customs　far　more　in　accordance　with　the　climate　than　we　have　done　in　our　tropical　possessions。　Almost　all　business　is　transacted　in　the　morning　between　the　hours　of　seven　and　twelve；　the　afternoon　being　given　up　to　repose；　and　the　evening　to　visiting。　When　in　the　house　during　the　heat　of　the　day；　and　even　at　dinner；　they　use　a　loose　cotton　dress；　only　putting　on　a　suit　of　thin　European…made　clothes　for　out　of　doors　and　evening　wear。　They　often　walk　about　after　sunset　bareheaded；　reserving　the　black　hat　for　visits　of　ceremony。　Life　is　thus　made　far　more　agreeable；　and　the　fatigue　and　discomfort　incident　to　the　climate　greatly　diminished。　Christmas　day　is　not　made　much　of；　but　on　New　Year's　day　official　and　complimentary　visits　are　paid；　and　about　sunset　we　went　to　the　Governor's；　where　a　large　party　of　ladies　and　gentlemen　were　assembled。　Tea　and　coffee　were　handed　around；　as　is　almost　universal　during　a　visit；　as　well　as　cigars；　for　on　no　occasion　is　smoking　prohibited　in　Dutch　colonies；　cigars　being　generally　lighted　before　the　cloth　is　withdrawn　at　dinner；　even　though　half　the　company　are　ladies。　I　here　saw　for　the　first　time　the　rare　black　lory　from　New　Guinea；　Chalcopsitta　atra。　The　plumage　is　rather　glossy；　and　slightly　tinged　with　yellowish　and　purple；　the　bill　and　feet　being　entirely　black。

The　native　Amboynese　who　reside　in　the　city　are　a　strange　half…　civilized；　half…savage　lazy　people；　who　seem　to　be　a　mixture　of　at　least　three　racesPortuguese；　Malay；　and　Papuan　or　Ceramese；　with　an　occasional　cross　of　Chinese　or　Dutch。　The　Portuguese　element　decidedly　predominates　in　the　old　Christian　population；　as　indicated　by　features；　habits；　and　the　retention　of　many　Portuguese　words　in　the　Malay；　which　is　now　their　language。　They　have　a　peculiar　style　of　dress　which　they　wear　among　themselves；　a　close…fitting　white　shirt　with　black　trousers；　and　a　black　frock　or　upper　shirt。　The　women　seem　to　prefer　a　dress　entirely　black。　On　festivals　and　state　occasions　they　adopt　the　swallow…　tail　coat；　chimneypot　hat；　and　their　accompaniments；　displaying　all　the　absurdity　of　our　European　fashionab