the malay archipelago-1-第70节

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at；　chimneypot　hat；　and　their　accompaniments；　displaying　all　the　absurdity　of　our　European　fashionable　dress。　Though　now　Protestants；　they　preserve　at　feasts　and　weddings　the　processions　and　music　of　the　Catholic　Church；　curiously　mixed　up　with　the　gongs　and　dances　of　the　aborigines　of　the　country。　Their　language　has　still　much　more　Portuguese　than　Dutch　in　it；　although　they　have　been　in　close　communication　with　the　latter　nation　for　more　than　two　hundred　and　fifty　years；　even　many　names　of　birds；　trees　and　other　natural　objects；　as　well　as　many　domestic　terms；　being　plainly　Portuguese。　＇The　following　are　a　few　of　the　Portuguese　words　in　common　use　by　the　Malay…speaking　natives　of　Amboyna　and　the　other　Molucca　islands：　Pombo　（pigeon）；　milo　（maize）；　testa　（forehead）；　horas　（hours）；　alfinete　（pin）；　cadeira　（chair）；　lenco　（handkerchief）；　fresco　（cool）；　trigo　（flour）；　sono　（sloop）；　familia　（family）；　histori　（talk）；　vosse　（you）；　mesmo　（even）；　cunhado　（brother…in…law）；　senhor　（sir）；　nyora　for　signora　（madam）。　None　of　them；　however；　have　the　least　notion　that　these　words　belong　to　a　European　language。＇　This　people　seems　to　have　had　a　marvellous　power　of　colonization；　and　a　capacity　for　impressing　their　national　characteristics　on　every　country　they　conquered；　or　in　which　they　effected　a　merely　temporary　settlement。　In　a　suburb　of　Amboyna　there　is　a　village　of　aboriginal　Malays　who　are　Mahometans；　and　who　speak　a　peculiar　language　allied　to　those　of　Ceram；　as　well　as　Malay。　They　are　chiefly　fishermen；　and　are　said　to　be　both　more　industrious　and　more　honest　than　the　native　Christians。

I　went　on　Sunday；　by　invitation；　to　see　a　collection　of　shells　and　fish　made　by　a　gentleman　of　Amboyna。　The　fishes　are　perhaps　unrivalled　for　variety　and　beauty　by　those　of　any　one　spot　on　the　earth。　The　celebrated　Dutch　ichthyologist；　Dr。　Blecker；　has　given　a　catalogue　of　seven　hundred　and　eighty　species　found　at　Amboyna；　a　number　almost　equal　to　those　of　all　the　seas　and　rivers　of　Europe。　A　large　proportion　of　them　are　of　the　most　brilliant　colours；　being　marked　with　bands　and　spots　of　the　purest　yellows；　reds；　and　blues；　while　their　forms　present　all　that　strange　and　endless　variety　so　characteristic　of　the　inhabitants　of　the　ocean。　The　shells　are　also　very　numerous；　and　comprise　a　number　of　the　finest　species　in　the　world。　The　Mactras　and　Ostreas　in　particular　struck　me　by　the　variety　and　beauty　of　their　colours。　Shells　have　long　been　an　object　of　traffic　in　Amboyna；　many　of　the　natives　get　their　living　by　collecting　and　cleaning　them；　and　almost　every　visitor　takes　away　a　small　collection。　The　result　is　that　many　of　the　commoner…sorts　have　lost　all　value　in　the　eyes　of　the　amateur；　numbers　of　the　handsome　but　very　common　cones；　cowries；　and　olives　sold　in　the　streets　of　London　for　a　penny　each；　being　natives　of　the　distant　isle　of　Amboyna；　where　they　cannot　be　bought　so　cheaply。　The　fishes　in　the　collection　were　all　well　preserved　in　clear　spirit　in　hundreds　of　glass　jars；　and　the　shells　were　arranged　in　large　shallow　pith　boxes　lined　with　paper；　every　specimen　being　fastened　down　with　thread。　I　roughly　estimated　that　there　were　nearly　a　thousand　different　kinds　of　shells；　and　perhaps　ten　thousand　specimens；　while　the　collection　of　Amboyna　fishes　was　nearly　perfect。

On　the　4th　of　January　I　left　Amboyna　for　Ternate；　but　two　years　later；　in　October　1859；　I　again　visited　it　after　my　residence　in　Menado；　and　stayed　a　month　in　the　town　in　a　small　house　which　I　hired　for　the　sake　of　assorting　and　packing　up　a　large　and　varied　collection　which　I　had　brought　with　me　from　North　Celebes；　Ternate；　and　Gilolo。　I　was　obliged　to　do　this　because　the　mail　steamer　would　have　come　the　following　month　by　way　of　Amboyna　to　Ternate；　and　I　should　have　been　delayed　two　months　before　I　could　have　reached　the　former　place。　I　then　paid　my　first　visit　to　Ceram；　and　on　returning　to　prepare　for　my　second　more　complete　exploration　of　that　island；　I　stayed　（much　against　my　will）　two　months　at　Paso；　on　the　isthmus　which　connects　the　two　portions　of　the　island　of　Amboyna。　This　village　is　situated　on　the　eastern　side　of　the　isthmus；　on　sandy　ground；　with　a　very　pleasant　view　over　the　sea　to　the　island　of　Haruka。　On　the　Amboyna　side　of　the　isthmus　there　is　a　small　river　which　has　been　continued　by　a　shallow　canal　to　within　thirty　yards　of　high…water　mark　on　the　other　side。　Across　this　small　space；　which　is　sandy　and　but　slightly　elevated；　all　small　boats　and　praus　can　be　easily　dragged；　and　all　the　smaller　traffic　from　Ceram　and　the　islands　of　Saparúa　and　Harúka；　passes　through　Paso。　The　canal　is　not　continued　quite　through；　merely　because　every　spring…tide　would　throw　up　just　such　a　sand…bank　as　now　exists。

I　had　been　informed　that　the　fine　butterfly　Ornithoptera　priamus　was　plentiful　here；　as　well　as　the　racquet…tailed　kingfisher　and　the　ring…necked　lory。　I　found；　however；　that　I　had　missed　the　time　for　the　former：　and　birds　of　all　kinds　were　very　scarce；　although　I　obtained　a　few　good　ones；　including　one　or　two　of　the　above…mentioned　rarities。　I　was　much　pleased　to　get　here　the　fine　long…armed　chafer；　Euchirus　longimanus。　This　extraordinary　insect　is　rarely　or　never　captured　except　when　it　comes　to　drink　the　sap　of　the　sugar　palms；　where　it　is　found　by　the　natives　when　they　go　early　in　the　morning　to　take　away　the　bamboos　which　have　been　filled　during　the　night。　For　some　time　one　or　two　were　brought　me　every　day；　generally　alive。　They　are　sluggish　insects；　and　pull　themselves　lazily　along　by　means　of　their　immense　forelegs。　A　figure　of　this　and　other　Moluccan　beetles　is　given　in　the　27th　chapter　of　this　work。

I　was　kept　at　Paso　by　an　inflammatory　eruption；　brought　on　by　the　constant　attacks　of　small　acari…like　harvest…bugs；　for　which　the　forests　of　Ceram　are　famous；　and　also　by　the　want　of　nourishing　food　while　in　that　island。　At　one　time　I　was　covered　with　severe　boils。　I　had　them　on　my　eye；　cheek；　armpits；　elbows；　back；　thighs；　knees；　and　ankles；　so　that　I　was　unable　to　sit　or　walk；　and　had　great　difficulty　in　finding　a　side　to　lie　upon　without　pain。　These　continued　for　some　weeks；　fresh　ones　coming　out　as　fast　as　others　got　well；　but　good　living　and　sea　baths　ultimately　cured　them。

About　the　end　of　January　Charles　Allen；　who　had　been　my　assistant　in　Malacca　and　Borneo；　again　joined　me　on　agreement　for　three　years；　and　as　soon　as　I　got　tolerably　well；　we　had　plenty　to　do　laying　in　stores　and　making　arrangements　for　our　ensuing　campaign。　Our　greatest　difficulty　was　in　obtaining　men；　but　at　last　we　succeeded　in　getting　two　each。　An　Amboyna　Christian　named　Theodorus　Watakena；　who　had　been　some　time　with　me　and　had　learned　to　skin　birds　very　well；　agreed　to　go　with　Allen；　as　well　as　a　very　quiet　and　industrious　lad　named　Cornelius；　whom　I　had　brought　from　Menado。　I　had　two　Amboynese；　named　Petrus　Rehatta；　and　Mesach　Matahena；　the　latter　of　whom　had　two　brothers；　named　respectively　Shadrach　and　Abednego；　in　accordance　with　the　usual　custom　among　these　people　of　giving　only　Scripture　names　to　their　children。

During　the　time　I　resided　in　this　place；　I　enjoyed　a　luxury　I　have　never　met　with　either　before　or　sincethe　true　bread…fruit。　A　good　deal　of　it　has　been　planted　about　here　and　in　the　surrounding　villages；　and　almost　everyday　we　had　opportunities　of　purchasing　some；　as　all　the　boats　going　to　Amboyna　were　unloaded　just　opposite　my　door　to　be　dragged　across　the　isthmus。　Though　it　grows　in　several　other　parts　of　the　Archipelago；　it　is　nowhere　abundant；　and　the　season　for　it　only　lasts　a　short　time。　It　is　baked　entire　in　the　hot　embers；　and　the　inside　scooped　out　with　a　spoon。　I　compared　it　to　Yorkshire　pudding；　Charles　Allen　said　it　was　like　mashed　potatoes　and　milk。　It　is　generally　about　the　size　of　a　melon；　a　little　fibrous　towards　the　centre；　but　everywhere　else　quite　smooth　and　puddingy；　something　in　consistence　between　yeast…dumplings　and　batter…pudding。　We　sometimes　made　curry　or　stew　of　it；　or　fried　it　in　slices；　but　it　is　no　way　so　good　as　simply　baked。　It　may　be　eaten　sweet　or　savory。　With　meat　and　gravy　it　is　a　vegetable　superior　to　any　I　know；　either　in　temperate　or　tropical　countries。　With　sugar；　milk；　butter；　or　treacle；　it　is　a　delicious　pudding；　having　a　very　slight　and　delicate　but　characteristic　flavour；　which；　like　that　of　good　bread　and　potatoes；　one　never　gets　tired　of。　The　reason　why　it　is　comparatively　scarce　is　that　it　is　a　fruit　of　which　the　seeds　are　entirely　aborted　by　cultivation；　and　the　tree　can　therefore　only　be　propagated　by　cuttings。　The　seed…bearing　variety　is　common　all　over　the　tropics；　and　though　the　seeds　are　very　good　eating；　resembling　chestnuts；　the　fruit　is　quite　worthless　as　a　vegetable。　Now　that　steam　and　Ward's　cases　render　the　transport　of　young　plants　so　easy；　it　is　much　to　be　wished　that　the　best　varieties　of　this　unequalled　vegetable　should　be　introduced　into　our　West　India　islands；　and　largely　propagated　there。　As　the　fruit　will　keep　some　time　after　being　gathered；　we　might　then　be　able　to　obtain　this　tropical　luxury　in　Covent　Garden　Market。

Although　the　few　months　I　at　various　times　spent　in　Amboyna　were　not　altogether　very　profitable　to　me　in　the　way　of　collections；　it　will　always　remain　as　a　bright　spot　in　the　review　of　my