the malay archipelago-2-第21章

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　and　there　seems　to　be　seldom　more　than　a　dozen　at　work　at　a　time。　When　anything　important　is　to　be　done；　however；　all　start　up　willingly　enough；　but　then　all　think　themselves　at　liberty　to　give　their　opinion；　and　half　a　dozen　voices　are　heard　giving　orders；　and　there　is　such　a　shrieking　and　confusion　that　it　seems　wonderful　anything　gets　done　at　all。

Considering　we　have　fifty　men　of　several　tribes　and　tongues　onboard；　wild；　half…savage　looking　fellows；　and　few　of　them　feeling　any　of　the　restraints　of　morality　or　education；　we　get　on　wonderfully　well。　There　is　no　fighting　or　quarrelling；　as　there　would　certainly　be　among　the　same　number　of　Europeans　with　as　little　restraint　upon　their　actions；　and　there　is　scarcely　any　of　that　noise　and　excitement　which　might　be　expected。　In　fine　weather　the　greater　part　of　them　are　quietly　enjoying　themselves…　…some　are　sleeping　under　the　shadow　of　the　sails；　others；　in　little　groups　of　three　or　four；　are　talking　or　chewing　betel；　one　is　making　a　new　handle　to　his　chopping…knife；　another　is　stitching　away　at　a　new　pair　of　trousers　or　a　shirt；　and　all　are　as　quiet　and　well…conducted　as　on　board　the　best…ordered　English　merchantman。　Two　or　three　take　it　by　turns　to　watch　in　the　bows　and　see　after　the　braces　and　halyards　of　the　great　sails；　the　two　steersmen　are　below　in　the　steerage；　our　captain；　or　the　juragan；　gives　the　course；　guided　partly　by　the　compass　and　partly　by　the　direction　of　the　wind；　and　a　watch　of　two　or　three　on　the　poop　look　after　the　trimming　of　the　sails　and　call　out　the　hours　by　the　water…clock。　This　is　a　very　ingenious　contrivance；　which　measures　time　well　in　both　rough　weather　and　fine。　It　is　simply　a　bucket　half　filled　with　water；　in　which　floats　the　half　of　a　well…scraped　cocoa…nut　shell。　In　the　bottom　of　this　shell　is　a　very　small　hole；　so　that　when　placed　to　float　in　the　bucket　a　fine　thread　of　water　squirts　up　into　it。　This　gradually　fills　the　shell；　and　the　size　of　the　hole　is　so　adjusted　to　the　capacity　of　the　vessel　that；　exactly　at　the　end　of　an　hour；　plump　it　goes　to　the　bottom。　The　watch　then　cries　out　the　number　of　hours　from　sunrise　and　sets　the　shell　afloat　again　empty。　This　is　a　very　good　measurer　of　time。　I　tested　it　with　my　watch　and　found　that　it　hardly　varied　a　minute　from　one　hour　to　another；　nor　did　the　motion　of　the　vessel　have　any　effect　upon　it；　as　the　water　in　the　bucket　of　course　kept　level。　It　has　a　great　advantage　for　a　rude　people　in　being　easily　understood；　in　being　rather　bulky　and　easy　to　see；　and　in　the　final　submergence　being　accompanied　with　a　little　bubbling　and　commotion　of　the　water；　which　calls　the　attention　to　it。　It　is　also　quickly　replaced　if　lost　while　in　harbour。

Our　captain　and　owner　I　find　to　be　a　quiet；　good…tempered　man；　who　seems　to　get　on　very　well　with　all　about　him。　When　at　sea　he　drinks　no　wine　or　spirits；　but　indulges　only　in　coffee　and　cakes；　morning　and　afternoon；　in　company　with　his　supercargo　and　assistants。　He　is　a　man　of　some　little　education；　can　read　and　write　well　both　Dutch　and　Malay；　uses　a　compass；　and　has　a　chart。　He　has　been　a　trader　to　Aru　for　many　years；　and　is　well　known　to　both　Europeans　and　natives　in　this　part　of　the　world。

Dec。　24th。…Fine；　and　little　wind。　No　land　in　sight　for　the　first　time　since　we　left　Macassar。　At　noon　calm；　with　heavy　showers；　in　which　our　crew　wash　their　clothes；　anti　in　the　afternoon　the　prau　is　covered　with　shirts；　trousers；　and　sarongs　of　various　gay　colours。　I　made　a　discovery　to…day　which　at　first　rather　alarmed　me。　The　two　ports；　or　openings；　through　which　the　tillers　enter　from　the　lateral　rudders　are　not　more　than　three　or　four　feet　above　the　surface　of　the　water；　which　thus　has　a　free　entrance　into　the　vessel。　I　of　course　had　imagined　that　this　open　space　from　one　side　to　the　other　was　separated　from　the　hold　by　a　water…tight　bulkhead；　so　that　a　sea　entering　might　wash　out　at　the　further　side；　and　do　no　more　harm　than　give　the　steersmen　a　drenching。　To　my　surprise　end　dismay；　however；　I　find　that　it　is　completely　open　to　the　hold；　so　that　half…a…dozen　seas　rolling　in　on　a　stormy　night　would　nearly；　or　quite；　swamp　us。　Think　of　a　vessel　going　to　sea　for　a　month　with　two　holes；　each　a　yard　square；　into　the　hold；　at　three　feet　above　the　water…line；…holes；　too；　which　cannot　possibly　be　closed！　But　our　captain　says　all　praus　are　so；　and　though　he　acknowledges　the　danger；　〃he　does　not　know　how　to　alter　itthe　people　are　used　to　it；　he　does　not　understand　praus　so　well　as　they　do；　and　if　such　a　great　alteration　were　made；　he　should　be　sure　to　have　difficulty　in　getting　a　crew！〃　This　proves　at　all　events　that　praus　must　be　good　sea…boats；　for　the　captain　has　been　continually　making　voyages　in　them　for　the　last　ten　years；　and　says　he　has　never　known　water　enough　enter　to　do　any　harm。

Dec。25th。…Christmas…day　dawned　upon　us　with　gusts　of　wind；　driving　rain；　thunder　and　lightning；　added　to　which　a　short　confused　sea　made　our　queer　vessel　pitch　and　roll　very　uncomfortably。　About　nine　o'clock；　however；　it　cleared　up；　and　we　then　saw　ahead　of　us　the　fine　island　of　Bouru；　perhaps　forty　or　fifty　miles　distant；　its　mountains　wreathed　with　clouds；　while　its　lower　lands　were　still　invisible。　The　afternoon　was　fine；　and　the　wind　got　round　again　to　the　west；　but　although　this　is　really　the　west　monsoon；　there　is　no　regularity　or　steadiness　about　it；　calms　and　breezes　from　every　point　of　the　compass　continually　occurring。　The　captain；　though　nominally　a　Protestant；　seemed　to　have　no　idea　of　Christmas…day　as　a　festival。　Our　dinner　was　of　rice　and　curry　as　usual；　and　an　extra　glass　of　wine　was　all　I　could　do　to　celebrate　it。

Dec。　26th。Fine　view　of　the　mountains　of　Bouru；　which　we　have　now　approached　considerably。　Our　crew　seem　rather　a　clumsy　lot。　They　do　not　walk　the　deck　with　the　easy　swing　of　English　sailors；　but　hesitate　and　stagger　like　landsmen。　In　the　night　the　lower　boom　of　our　mainsail　broke；　and　they　were　all　the　morning　repairing　it。　It　consisted　of　two　bamboos　lashed　together；　thick　end　to　thin；　and　was　about　seventy　feet　long。　The　rigging　and　arrangement　of　these　praus　contrasts　strangely　with　that　of　European　vessels；　in　which　the　various　ropes　and　spars；　though　much　more　numerous；　are　placed　so　as　not　to　interfere　with　each　other's　action。　Here　the　case　is　quite　different；　for　though　there　are　no　shrouds　or　stays　to　complicate　the　matter；　yet　scarcely　anything　can　be　done　without　first　clearing　something　else　out　of　the　way。　The　large　sails　cannot　be　shifted　round　to　go　on　the　other　tack　without　first　hauling　down　the　jibs；　and　the　booms　of　the　fore　and　aft　sails　have　to　be　lowered　and　completely　detached　to　perform　the　same　operation。　Then　there　are　always　a　lot　of　ropes　foul　of　each　other；　and　all　the　sails　can　never　be　set　（though　they　are　so　few）　without　a　good　part　of　their　surface　having　the　wind　kept　out　of　them　by　others。　Yet　praus　are　much　liked　even　by　those　who　have　had　European　vessels；　because　of　their　cheapness　both　in　first　cost　and　in　keeping　up；　almost　all　repairs　can　be　done　by　the　crew；　and　very　few　European　stores　are　required。

Dec。　28th。This　day　we　saw　the　Banda　group；　the　volcano　first　appearing；a　perfect　cone；　having　very　much　the　outline　of　the　Egyptian　pyramids；　and　looking　almost　as　regular。　In　the　evening　the　smoke　rested　over　its　summit　like　a　small　stationary　cloud。　This　was　my　first　view　of　an　active　volcano；　but　pictures　and　panoramas　have　so　impressed　such　things　on　one's　mind；　that　when　we　at　length　behold　them　they　seem　nothing　extraordinary。

Dec。　30th。Passed　the　island　of　Teor；　and　a　group　near　it；　which　are　very　incorrectly　marked　on　the　charts。　Flying…fish　were　numerous　to…day。　It　is　a　smaller　species　than　that　of　the　Atlantic；　and　more　active　and　elegant　in　its　motions。　As　they　skim　along　the　surface　they　turn　on　their　sides；　so　as　fully　to　display　their　beautiful　fins；　taking　a　flight　of　about　a　hundred　yards；　rising　and　falling　in　n　most　graceful　manner。　At　a　little　distance　they　exactly　resemble　swallows；　and　no　one　who　sees　them　can　doubt　that　they　really　do　fly；　not　merely　descend　in　an　oblique　direction　from　the　height　they　gain　by　their　first　spring。　In　the　evening　an　aquatic　bird；　a　species　of　booby　（Sula　fiber。）　rested　on　our　hen…coop；　and　was　caught　by　the　neck　by　one　of　my　boys。

Dec。　31st；。At　daybreak　the　Ke　Islands　（pronounced　Kay）　were　in　sight；　where　we　are　to　stay　a　few　days。　About　noon　we　rounded　the　northern　point；　and　endeavoured　to　coast　along　to　the　anchorage；　but　being　now　on　the　leeward　side　of　the　island；　the　wind　came　in　violent　irregular　gusts；　and　then　leaving　us　altogether；　we　were　carried　back　by　a　strong　current。　Just　then　two　boats…load　of　natives　appeared；　and　our　owner　having　agreed　with　them　to　tow　us　into　harbour；　they　tried　to　do　so；　assisted　by　our　own　boat；　but　could　make　no　way。　We　were　therefore　obliged　to　anchor　in　a　very　dangerous　place　on　a　rocky　bottom；　and　we　were　engaged　till　nearly　dark　getting　hawsers　secured　to　some　rocks　under　water。　The　coast　of　Ke　along　which　we　had　passed　was　very　picturesque。　Light　coloured　limestone　rocks　rose　abruptly　from　the　water　to　the　height　of　several　hundred　feet；　everywhere　broken　into　jutting　peaks　and　pinnacles；　weather…worn　into　sharp　points　and　honeycombed　surfaces；　and　clothed　throughout　with　a　most　varied　and　luxuriant　vegetation。　The　cliffs　above　the　sea　offered　to　our　view　screw…pines　and　arborescent　Liliaceae　of　strange　forms；　mingled　with　shrubs　and　creepers；　while　the　higher　slopes　supported　a　dense　growth　of　forest　trees。　Here　and　there　little　bays　and　inlets　presented　beaches　of　dazzling　whiteness。　The　water　was　transparent　as　crystal；　and　tinged　the　rock…strewn　slope　which　plunged　steeply　into　its　unfathomable　depths　with　colours　varying　from　emerald　to　lapis…lazuli。　The　sea　was　calm　as　a　lake；　and　the　glorious　sun　of　the　tropics　threw　a　flood　of　golden　light　over　all。　The　scene　was　to　me　inexpressibly　delightful。　I　was　in　a　new　world；　and　could　dream　of　the　wonderful　productions　hid　in　those　rocky　forests；　and　in　those　azure　abysses。　But　few　European　feet　had　ever　trodden　the　shores　I　gazed　upon　its　plants；　and　animals；　and　men　were　alike　almost　unknown；　and　I　could　not　help　speculating　on　what　my　wanderings　there　for　a　few　days　might　bring　to　light。


CHAPTER　XXIX

THE　KE　ISLANDS。

（JANUARY　1857）

THE　native　boats　that　had　come　to　meet　us　were　three　or　four　in　number；　containing　in　all　about　fifty　men。

They　were　long　canoes；　with　the　bow　and　stern　rising　up　into　a　beak　six　or　night　feet　high；　decorated　with　shells　and　waving　plumes　of　cassowaries　hair。　I　now　had　my　first　view　of　Papuans　in　their　own　country；　and　in　less　than　five　minutes　was　convinced　that　the　opinion　already　arrived　at　by　the　examination　of　a　few　Timor　and　New　Guinea　slaves　was　substantially　correct；　and　that　the　people　I　now　had　an　opportunity　of　comparing　side　by　side　belonged　to　two　of　the　most　　distinct　and　strongly　marked　races　that　the　earth　contains。　Had　I　been　blind；　I　could　have　been　certain　that　these　islanders　were　not　Malays。　The　loud；　rapid；　eager　tones；　the　incessant　motion；　the　intense　vital　activity　manifested　in　speech　and　action；　are　the　very　antipodes　of　the　quiet；　unimpulsive；　unanimated　Malay　These　Ke　men　came　up　singing　and　shouting；　dipping