the malay archipelago-2-第25章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


bring　me　dead　and　broken　shells；　such　as　l　can　pick　up　by　hundreds　on　the　beach；　and　seem　quite　puzzled　and　distressed　when　I　decline　them。　If；　however；　there　are　any　snail　shells　among　a　lot；　I　take　them；　and　ask　for　morea　principle　of　selection　so　utterly　unintelligible　to　them；　that　they　give　it　up　in　despair；　or　solve　the　problem　by　imputing　hidden　medical　virtue　to　those　which　they　see　me　preserve　so　carefully。

These　traders　are　all　of　the　Malay　race；　or　a　mixture　of　which　Malay　is　the　chef　ingredient；　with　the　exception　of　a　few　Chinese。　The　natives　of　Aru；　on　the　other　hand；　are；　Papuans；　with　black　or　sooty　brown　skims；　woolly　or　frizzly　hair；　thick…　ridged　prominent　noses；　and　rather　slender　limbs。　Most　of　them　wear　nothing　but　a　waist…cloth；　and　a　few　of　them　may　be　seen　all　day　long　wandering　about　the　half…deserted　streets　of　Dobbo　offering　their　little　bit　of　merchandise　for　sale。

Living　in　a　trader's　house　everything　is　brought　to　me　as　well　as　to　the　rest；bundles　of　smoked　tripang；　or　〃beche　de　mer；〃　looking　like　sausages　which　have　been　rolled　in　mud　and　then　thrown　up　the　chimney；　dried　sharks'　fins；　mother…of…pearl　shells；　as　well　as　birds　of　Paradise；　which；　however；　are　so　dirty　and　so　badly　preserved　that　I　have　as　yet　found　no　specimens　worth　purchasing。　When　I　hardly　look　at　the　articles；　and　make　no　offer　for　them；　they　seem　incredulous；　and；　as　if　fearing　they　have　misunderstood　me；　again　offer　them；　and　declare　what　they　want　in　returnknives；　or　tobacco；　or　sago；　or　handkerchiefs。　I　then　have　to　endeavour　to　explain；　through　any　interpreter　who　may　be　at　hand；　that　neither　tripang　nor　pearl　oyster　shells　have　any　charms　for　me；　and　that　I　even　decline　to　speculate　in　tortoiseshell；　but　that　anything　eatable　I　will　buy…　…fish；　or　turtle；　or　vegetables　of　any　sort。　Almost　the　only　food；　however；　that　we　can　obtain　with　any　regularity；　are　fish　and　cockles　of　very　good　quality；　and　to　supply　our　daily　wants　it　is　absolutely　necessary　to　be　always　provided　with　four　articlestobacco；　knives；　sago…cakes；　and　Dutch　copper　doits　because　when　the　particular　thing　asked　for　is　not　forthcoming；　the　fish　pass　on　to　the　next　house；　and　we　may　go　that　day　without　a　dinner。　It　is　curious　to　see　the　baskets　and　buckets　used　here。　The　cockles　are　brought　in　large　volute　shells；　probably　the　Cymbium　ducale；　while　gigantic　helmet…shells；　a　species　of　Cassis；　suspended　by　a　rattan　handle；　form　the　vessels　in　which　fresh　water　is　daily　carried　past　my　door。　It　is　painful　to　a　naturalist　to　see　these　splendid　shells　with　their　inner　whorls　ruthlessly　broken　away　to　fit　them　for　their　ignoble　use。

My　collections；　however；　got　on　but　slowly；　owing　to　the　unexpectedly　bad　weather；　violent　winds　with　heavy　showers　having　been　so　continuous　as　only　to　give　me　four　good　collecting　days　out　of　the　first　sixteen　I　spent　here。　Yet　enough　had　been　collected　to　show　me　that　with　time　and　fine　weather　I　might　expect　to　do　something　good。　From　the　natives　I　obtained　some　very　fine　insects　and　a　few　pretty　land…shells；　and　of　the　small　number　of　birds　yet　shot　more　than　half　were　known　New　Guinea　species；　and　therefore　certainly　rare　in　European　collections；　while　the　remainder　were　probably　new。　In　one　respect　my　hopes　seemed　doomed　to　be　disappointed。　I　had　anticipated　the　pleasure　of　myself　preparing　fine　specimens　of　the　Birds　of　Paradise；　but　I　now　learnt　that　they　are　all　at　this　season　out　of　plumage；　and　that　it　is　in　September　and　October　that　they　have　the　long　plumes　of　yellow　silky　feathers　in　full　perfection。　As　all　the　praus　return　in　July；　I　should　not　be　able　to　spend　that　season　in　Aru　without　remaining　another　whole　year；　which　was　out　of　the　question。　I　was　informed；　however；　that　the　small　red　species；　the　〃King　Bird　of　Paradise；〃　retains　its　plumage　at　all　seasons；　and　this　I　might　therefore　hope　to　get。

As　I　became　familiar　with　the　forest　scenery　of　the　island；　（perceived　it　to　possess　some　characteristic　features　that　distinguished　it　from　that　of　Borneo　and　Malacca；　while；　what　is　very　singular　and　interesting；　it　recalled　to　my　mind　the　half…　forgotten　impressions　of　the　forests　of　Equatorial　America。　For　example；　the　palms　were　much　more　abundant　than　I　had　generally　found　them　in　the　East；　more　generally　mingled　with　the　other　vegetation；　more　varied　in　form　and　aspect；　and　presenting　some　of　those　lofty　and　majestic　smooth…stemmed；　pinnate…leaved　species　which　recall　the　Uauassu　（Attalea　speciosa）　of　the　Amazon；　but　which　I　had　hitherto　rarely　met　with　in　the　Malayan　islands。

In　animal　life　the　immense　number　and　variety　of　spiders　and　of　lizards　were　circumstances　that　recalled　the　prolific　regions　of　south　America；　more　especially　the　abundance　and　varied　colours　of　the　little　jumping　spiders　which　abound　on　flowers　and　foliage；　and　are　often　perfect　gems　of　beauty。　The　web…spinning　species　were　also　more　numerous　than　I　had　ever　seen　them；　and　were　a　great　annoyance；　stretching　their　nets　across　the　footpaths　just　about　the　height　of　my　face；　and　the　threads　composing　these　are　so　strong　and　glutinous　as　to　require　much　trouble　to　free　oneself　from　them。　Then　their　inhabitants；　great　yellow…spotted　monsters　with　bodies　two　inches　long；　and　legs　in　proportion；　are　not　pleasant　to　o　run　one's　nose　against　while　pursuing　some　gorgeous　butterfly；　or　gazing　aloft　in　search　of　some　strange…voiced　bird。　I　soon　found　it　necessary　not　only　to　brush　away　the　web；　but　also　to　destroy　the　spinner；　for　at　first；　having　cleared　the　path　one　day；　I　found　the　next　morning　that　the　industrious　insects　had　spread　their　nets　again　in　the　very　same　places。

The　lizards　were　equally　striking　by　their　numbers；　variety；　and　the　situations　in　which　they　were　found。　The　beautiful　blue…　tailed　species　so　abundant　in　Ke　was　not　seen　here。　The　Aru　lizards　are　more　varied　but　more　sombre　in　their　coloursshades　of　green；　grey；　brown；　and　even　black；　being　very　frequently　seen。　Every　shrub　and　herbaceous　plant　was　alive　with　them；　every　rotten　trunk　or　dead　branch　served　as　a　station　for　some　of　these　active　little　insect…hunters；　who；　I　fear；　to　satisfy　their　gross　appetites；　destroy　many　gems　of　the　insect　world；　which　would　feast　the　eyes　and　delight　the　heart　of　our　more　discriminating　entomologists。　Another　curious　feature　of　the　jungle　here　was　the　multitude　of　sea…shells　everywhere　met　with　on　the　ground　and　high　up　on　the　branches　and　foliage；　all　inhabited　by　hermit…　crabs；　who　forsake　the　beach　to　wander　in　the　forest。　I　lave　actually　seen　a　spider　carrying　away　a　good…sized　shell　and　devouring　its　（probably　juvenile）　tenant。　On　the　beach；　which　I　had　to　walls　along　every　morning　to　reach　the　forest；　these　creatures　swarmed　by　thousands。　Every　dead　shell；　from　the　largest　to　the　most　minute；　was　appropriated　by　them。　They　formed　small　social　parties　of　ten　or　twenty　around　bits　of　stick　or　seaweed；　but　dispersed　hurriedly　at　the　sound　of　approaching　footsteps。　After　a　windy　night；　that　nasty…looking　Chinese　delicacy　the　sea…slug　was　sometimes　thrown　up　on　the　beach；　which　was　at　such　times　thickly　strewn　with　some　of　the　most　beautiful　shells　that　adorn　our　cabinets；　along　with　fragments　and　masses　of　coral　and　strange　sponges；　of　which　I　picked　up　more　than　twenty　different　sorts。　In　many　cases　sponge　and　coral　are　so　much　alike　that　it　is　only　on　touching　them　that　they　can　be　distinguished。　Quantities　of　seaweed；　too；　are　thrown　up；　but　strange　as　it　may　seem；　these　are　far　less　beautiful　and　less　varied　than　may　be　found　on　any　favourable　part　of　our　own　coasts。

The　natives　here；　even　those　who　seem　to　be　of　pare　Papuan　race；　were　much　more　reserved　and　taciturn　than　those　of　Ke。　This　is　probably　because　I　only　saw　them　as　yet　among　strangers　and　in　small　parties；　One　must　see　the　savage　at　home　to　know　what　he　really　is。　Even　here；　however；　the　Papuan　character　sometimes　breaks　out。　Little　boys　sing　cheerfully　as　they　walk　along；　or　talk　aloud　to　themselves　（quite　a　negro　characteristic）；　and　try　all　they　can；　the　men　cannot　conceal　their　emotions　in　the　true　Malay　fashion。　A　number　of　them　were　one　day　in　my　house；　and　having　a　fancy　to　try　what　sort　of　eating　tripang　would　be；　I　bought　a　couple；　paying　for　them　with　such　an　extravagant　quantity　of　tobacco　that　the　seller　saw　I　was　a　green　customer。　He　could　not；　however；　conceal　his　delight；　but　as　he　smelt　the　fragrant　weed；　and　exhibited　the　large　handful　to　his　companions；　he　grinned　and　twisted　and　gave　silent　chuckles　in　a　most　expressive　pantomime。　I　had　often　before　made　the　same　mistake　in　paying　a　Malay　for　some　trifle。　In　no　case；　however；　was　his　pleasure　visible　on　his　countenancea　dull　and　stupid　hesitation　only　showing　his　surprise；　which　would　be　exhibited　exactly　in　the　same　way　whether　he　was　over　or　under　paid。　These　little　moral　traits　are　of　the　greatest　interest　when　taken　in　connexion　with　physical　features。　They　do　not　admit　of　the　same　ready　explanation　by　external　causes　which　is　so　frequently　applied　to　the　latter。　Writers　on　the　races　of　mankind　have　too　often　to　trust　to　the　information　of　travellers　who　pass　rapidly　from　country　to　country；　and　thus　have　few　opportunities　of　becoming　acquainted　with　peculiarities　of　national　character；　or　even　of　ascertaining　what　is　really　the　average　physical　conformation　of　the　people。　Such　are　exceedingly　apt　to　be　deceived　in　places　where　two　races　have　long；　intermingled；　by　looking　on　intermediate　forms　and　mixed　habits　as　evidences　of　a　natural　transition　from　one　race　to　the　other；　instead　of　an　artificial　mixture　of　two　distinct　peoples；　and　they　will　be　the　more　readily　led　into　this　error　if；　as　in　the　present　case；　writers　on　the　subject　should　have　been　in　the　habit　of　classing　these　races　as　mere　varieties　of　one　stock；　as　closely　related　in　physical　conformation　as　from　their　geographical　proximity　one　might　suppose　they　ought　to　be。　So　far　as　I　have　yet　seen；　the　Malay　and　Papuan　appear　to　be　as　widely　separated　as　any　two　human　races　that　exist；　being　distinguished　by　physical；　mental；　and　moral　characteristics；　all　of　the　most　marked　and　striking　kind。

Feb　5th。I　took　advantage　of　a　very　fine　calm　day　to　pay　a　visit　to　the　island　of　Wokan；　which　is　about　a　mile　from　us；　and　forms　part　of　the　〃canna　busar；〃　or　mainland　of　Aru。　This　is　a　large　island；　extending　from　north　to　south　about　a　hundred　miles；　but　so　low　in　many　parts　as　to　be　intersected　by　several　creeks；　which　run　completely　through　it；　offering　a　passage　for　good…　sized　vessels。　On　the　west　side；　where　we　are；　there　are　only　a　few　outlying　islands；　of　which　ours　（Wamma）　is　the　principal；　but　on　the　east　coast　are　a　great　number　of　islands；　extending　some　miles　beyond　the　mainland；　and　forming　the　〃blakang　tang；〃　or　〃back　country；〃　of　the　traders；　being　the　principal　seat　of　the　pearl；　tripang；　and　tortoiseshell　fisheries。　To　the　mainland　many　of　the　birds　and　animals　of　the　country　are　altogether　confined；　the　Birds　of　paradise；　the　black　cockatoo；　the　great　brush…　turkey；　and　the　cassowary；　are　none　of　them　found　on　Wamma　or　any　of　the　detached　islands。　I　did　not；　however；　expect　in　this　excursion　to　see　any　decided　difference　in　the　forest　or　its　productions；　and　was　therefore　agreeably　surprised。　The　beach　was　overhung　wi