the malay archipelago-1-第8节

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The　population　of　Malacca　consists　of　several　races。　The　ubiquitous　Chinese　are　perhaps　the　most　numerous；　keeping　up　their　manners；　customs；　and　language；　the　indigenous　Malays　are　next　in　point　of　numbers；　and　their　language　is　the　Lingua…franca　of　the　place。　Next　come　the　descendants　of　the　Portuguesea　mixed；　degraded；　and　degenerate　race；　but　who　still　keep　up　the　use　of　their　mother　tongue；　though　ruefully　mutilated　in　grammar；　and　then　there　are　the　English　rulers；　and　the　descendants　of　the　Dutch；　who　all　speak　English。　The　Portuguese　spoken　at　Malacca　is　a　useful　philological　phenomenon。　The　verbs　have　mostly　lost　their　inflections；　and　one　form　does　for　all　moods；　tenses；　numbers；　and　persons。　Eu　vai；　serves　for　〃I　go；〃　〃I　went；〃　or；　〃I　will　go。〃　Adjectives；　too；　have　been　deprived　of　their　feminine　and　plural　terminations；　so　that　the　language　is　reduced　to　a　marvellous　simplicity；　and；　with　the　admixture　of　a　few　Malay　words；　becomes　rather　puzzling　to　one　who　has　heard　only　the　pure　Lusitanian。

In　costume　these　several　peoples　are　as　varied　as　in　their　speech。　The　English　preserve　the　tight…fitting　coat；　waistcoat；　and　trousers；　and　the　abominable　hat　and　cravat；　the　Portuguese　patronise　a　light　jacket；　or；　more　frequently；　shirt　and　trousers　only；　the　Malays　wear　their　national　jacket　and　sarong　（a　kind　of　kilt）；　with　loose　drawers；　while　the　Chinese　never　depart　in　the　least　from　their　national　dress；　which；　indeed；　it　is　impossible　to　improve　for　a　tropical　climate；　whether　as　regards　comfort　or　appearance。　The　loosely…hanging　trousers；　and　neat　white　half…　shirt　half　jacket；　are　exactly　what　a　dress　should　be　in　this　low　latitude。

I　engaged　two　Portuguese　to　accompany　me　into　the　interior；　one　as　a　cook；　the　other　to　shoot　and　skin　birds；　which　is　quite　a　trade　in　Malacca。　I　first　stayed　a　fortnight　at　a　village　called　Gading；　where　I　was　accommodated　in　the　house　of　some　Chinese　converts；　to　whom　I　was　recommended　by　the　Jesuit　missionaries。　The　house　was　a　mere　shed；　but　it　was　kept　clean；　and　I　made　myself　sufficiently　comfortable。　My　hosts　were　forming　a　pepper　and　gambir　plantation；　and　in　the　immediate　neighbourhood　were　extensive　tin…washings；　employing　over　a　thousand　Chinese。　The　tin　is　obtained　in　the　form　of　black　grains　from　beds　of　quartzose　sand；　and　is　melted　into　ingots　in　rude　clay　furnaces。　The　soil　seemed　poor；　and　the　forest　was　very　dense　with　undergrowth；　and　not　at　all　productive　of　insects；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　birds　were　abundant；　and　I　was　at　once　introduced　to　the　rich　ornithological　treasures　of　the　Malayan　region。

The　very　first　time　I　fired　my　gun　I　brought　down　one　of　the　most　curious　and　beautiful　of　the　Malacca　birds；　the　blue…billed　gaper　（Cymbirhynchus　macrorhynchus）；　called　by　the　Malays　the　〃Rainbird。〃　It　is　about　the　size　of　a　starling；　black　and　rich　claret　colour　with　white　shoulder　stripes；　and　a　very　large　and　broad　bill　of　the　most　pure　cobalt　blue　above　and　orange　below；　while　the　iris　is　emerald　green。　As　the　skins　dry　the　bill　turns　dull　black；　but　even　then　the　bird　is　handsome。　When　fresh　killed；　the　contrast　of　the　vivid　blue　with　the　rich　colours　of　the　plumage　is　remarkably　striking　and　beautiful。　The　lovely　Eastern　trogons；　with　their　rich…brown　backs；　beautifully　pencilled　wings；　and　crimson　breasts；　were　also　soon　obtained；　as　well　as　the　large　green　barbets　（Megalaema　versicolor）fruit…　eating　birds；　something　like　small　toucans；　with　a　short；　straight　bristly　bill；　and　whose　head　and　neck　are　variegated　with　patches　of　the　most　vivid　blue　and　crimson。　A　day　or　two　after；　my　hunter　brought　me　a　specimen　of　the　green　gaper　（Calyptomena　viridis）；　which　is　like　a　small　cock…of…the…rock；　but　entirely　of　the　most　vivid　green；　delicately　marked　on　the　wings　with　black　bars。　Handsome　woodpeckers　and　gay　kingfishers；　green　and　brown　cuckoos　with　velvety　red　faces　and　green　beaks；　red…breasted　doves　and　metallic　honeysuckers；　were　brought　in　day　after　day；　and　kept　me　in　a　continual　state　of　pleasurable　excitement。　After　a　fortnight　one　of　my　servants　was　seized　with　fever；　and　on　returning　to　Malacca；　the　same　disease；　attacked　the　other　as　well　as　myself。　By　a　liberal　use　of　quinine；　I　soon　recovered；　and　obtaining　other　men；　went　to　stay　at　the　Government　bungalow　of　Ayer…panas；　accompanied　by　a　young　gentleman；　a　native　of　the　place；　who　had　a　taste　for　natural　history。

At　Ayer…panas　we　had　a　comfortable　house　to　stay　in；　and　plenty　of　room　to　dry　and　preserve　our　specimens；　but；　owing　to　there　being　no　industrious　Chinese　to　cut　down　timber；　insects　were　comparatively　scarce；　with　the　exception　of　butterflies；　of　which　I　formed　a　very　fine　collection。　The　manner　in　which　I　obtained　one　fine　insect　was　curious；　and　indicates　bow　fragmentary　and　imperfect　a　traveller's　collection　must　necessarily　be。　I　was　one　afternoon　walking　along　a　favourite　road　through　the　forest；　with　my　gun；　when　I　saw　a　butterfly　on　the　ground。　It　was　large；　handsome；　and　quite　new　to　me；　and　I　got　close　to　it　before　it　flew　away。　I　then　observed　that　it　had　been　settling　on　the　dung　of　some　carnivorous　animal。　Thinking　it　might　return　to　the　same　spot；　I　next　day　after　breakfast　took　my　net；　and　as　I　approached　the　place　was　delighted　to　see　the　same　butterfly　sitting　on　the　same　piece　of　dung；　and　succeeded　in　capturing　it。　It　was　an　entirely　new　species　of　great　beauty；　and　has　been　named　by　Mr。　HewitsonNymphalis　calydona。　I　never　saw　another　specimen　of　it；　and　it　was　only　after　twelve　years　had　elapsed　that　a　second　individual　reached　this　country　from　the　northwestern　part　of　Borneo。

Having　determined　to　visit　Mount　Ophir；　which　is　situated　in　the　middle　of　the　peninsula　about　fifty　miles　east　of　Malacca；　we　engaged　six　Malays　to　accompany　us　and　carry　our　baggage。　As　we　meant　to　stay　at　least　a　week　at　the　mountain；　we　took　with　us　a　good　supply　of　rice；　a　little　biscuit；　butter　and　coffee；　some　dried　fish　and　a　little　brandy；　with　blankets；　a　change　of　clothes；　insect　and　bird　boxes；　nets；　guns　and　ammunition。　The　distance　from　Ayer…panas　was　supposed　to　be　about　thirty　miles。

Our　first　day's　march　lay　through　patches　of　forest；　clearings；　and　Malay　villages；　and　was　pleasant　enough。　At　night　we　slept　at　the　house　of　a　Malay　chief；　who　lent　us　a　verandah；　and　gave　us　a　fowl　and　some　eggs。　The　next　day　the　country　got　wilder　and　more　dilly。　We　passed　through　extensive　forests；　along　paths　often　up　to　our　knees　in　mud；　and　were　much　annoyed　by　the　leeches　for　which　this　district　is　famous。　These　little　creatures　infest　the　leaves　and　herbage　by　the　side　of　the　paths；　and　when　a　passenger　comes　along　they　stretch　themselves　out　at　full　length；　and　if　they　touch　any　part　of　his　dress　or　body；　quit　their　leaf　and　adhere　to　it。　They　then　creep　on　to　his　feet；　legs；　or　other　part　of　his　body　and　suck　their　fill；　the　first　puncture　being　rarely　felt　during　the　excitement　of　walking。　On　bathing　in　the　evening　we　generally　found　half　a　dozen　or　a　dozen　on　each　of　us；　most　frequently　on　our　legs；　but　sometimes　on　our　bodies；　and　I　had　one　who　sucked　his　fill　from　the　side　of　my　neck；　but　who　luckily　missed　the　jugular　vein。　There　are　many　species　of　these　forest　leeches。　All　are　small；　but　some　are　beautifully　marked　with　stripes　of　bright　yellow。　They　probably　attach　themselves　to　deer　or　other　animals　which　frequent　the　forest　paths；　and　have　thus　acquired　the　singular　habit　of　stretching　themselves　out　at　the　sound　of　a　footstep　or　of　rustling　foliage。　Early　in　the　afternoon　we　reached　the　foot　of　the　mountain；　and　encamped　by　the　side　of　a　fine　stream；　whose　rocky　banks　were　overgrown　with　ferns。　Our　oldest　Malay　had　been　accustomed　to　shoot　birds　in　this　neighbourhood　for　the　Malacca　dealers；　and　had　been　to　the　top　of　the　mountain；　and　while　we　amused　ourselves　shooting　and　insect　hunting；　he　went　with　two　others　to　clear　the　path　for　our　ascent　the　next　day。

Early　next　morning　we　started　after　breakfast；　carrying　blankets　and　provisions；　as　we　intended　to　sleep　upon　the　mountain。　After　passing　a　little　tangled　jungle　and　swampy　thickets　through　which　our　men　had　cleared　a　path；　we　emerged　into　a　fine　lofty　forest　pretty　clear　of　undergrowth；　and　in　which　we　could　walk　freely。　We　ascended　steadily　up　a　moderate　slope　for　several　miles；　having　a　deep　ravine　on　our　left。　We　then　had　a　level　plateau　or　shoulder　to　cross；　after　which　the　ascent　was　steeper　and　the　forest　denser　until　we　came　out　upon　the　〃Padang…batu；〃　or　stone　field；　a　place　of　which　we　had　heard　much；　but　could　never　get　anyone　to　describe　intelligibly。　We　found　it　to　be　a　steep　slope　of　even　rock；　extending　along　the　mountain　side　farther　than　we　could　see。　Parts　of　it　were　quite　bare；　but　where　it　was　cracked　and　fissured　there　grew　a　most　luxuriant　vegetation；　among　which　the　pitcher　plants　were　the　most　remarkable。　These　wonderful　plants　never　seem　to　succeed　well　in　our　hot…houses；　and　are　there　seen　to　little　advantage。　Here　they　grew　up　into　half　climbing　shrubs；　their　curious　pitchers　of　various　sizes　and　forms　hanging　abundantly　from　their　leaves；　and　continually　exciting　our　admiration　by　their　size　and　beauty。　A　few　coniferae　of　the　genus　Dacrydium　here　first　appeared；　and　in　the　thickets　just　ab