the malay archipelago-2-第26章

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e　in　the　forest　or　its　productions；　and　was　therefore　agreeably　surprised。　The　beach　was　overhung　with　the　drooping　branches　of　lame　trees；　loaded　with　Orchideae；　ferns；　and　other　epiphytal　plants。　In　the　forest　there　was　more　variety；　some　parts　being　dry；　and　with　trees　of　a　lower　growth；　while　in　others　there　were　some　of　the　most　beautiful　palms　I　have　ever　seen；　with　a　perfectly　straight；　smooth；　slender　stem；　a　hundred　feet　high；　and　a　crown　of　handsome　drooping　leaves。　But　the　greatest　novelty　and　most　striking　feature　to　my　eyes　were　the　tree…ferns；　which；　after　seven　years　spent　in　the　tropics；　I　now　saw　in　perfection　for　the　first　time。　All　I　had　hitherto　met　with　were　slender　species；　not　more　than　twelve　feet　high；　and　they　gave　not　the　least　idea　of　the　supreme　beauty　of　trees　bearing　their　elegant　heads　of　fronds　more　than　thirty　feet　in　the　air；　like　those　which　were　plentifully　scattered　about　this　forest。　There　is　nothing　in　tropical　vegetation　so　perfectly　beautiful。

My　boys　shot　five　sorts　of　birds；　none　of　which　we　had　obtained　during　a　month's　shooting　in　Wamma。　Two　were　very　pretty　flycatchers；　already　known　from　New　Guinea；　one　of　them　（Monarcha　chrysomela）；　of　brilliant　black　and　bright　orange　colours；　is　by　some　authors　considered　to　be　the　most　beautiful　of　all　flycatchers；　the　other　is　pure　white　and　velvety　black；　with　a　broad　fleshy　ring　round　the　eye　of　are　azure　blue　colour；　it　is　named　the　〃spectacled　flycatcher〃　（Monarcha　telescopthalma）；　and　was　first　found　in　New　Guinea；　along　with　the　other；　by　the　French　naturalists　during　the　voyage　of　the　discovery…ship　Coquille。

Feb。　18th。Before　leaving　Macassar；　I　had　written　to　the　Governor　of　Amboyna　requesting　him　to　assist　me　with　the　native　chiefs　of　Aru。　I　now　received　by　a　vessel　which　had　arrived　from　Amboyna　a　very　polite　answer　informing　me　that　orders　had　been　sent　to　give　me　every　assistance　that　I　might　require；　and　I　was　just　congratulating　myself　on　being　at　length　able　to　get　a　boat　and　men　to　go　to　the　mainland　and　explore　the　interior；　when　a　sudden　check　carne　in　the　form　of　a　piratical　incursion。　A　small　prau　arrived　which　had　been　attacked　by　pirates　and　had　a　man　wounded。　They　were　said　to　have　five　boats；　but　more　were　expected　to　be　behind　and　the　traders　were　all　in　consternation；　fearing　that　their　small　vessels　sent　trading　to　the　〃blakang　tana〃　would　be　plundered。　The　Aru　natives　were　of　course　　dreadfully　alarmed；　as　these　marauders　attack　their　villages；　burn　and　murder；　and　carry　away　women　and　children　for　slaves。　Not　a　man　will　stir　from　his　village　for　some　time；　and　I　must　remain　still　a　prisoner　in　Dobbo。　The　Governor　of　Amboyna；　out　of　pure　kindness；　has　told　the　chiefs　that　they　are　to　be　responsible　for　my　safety；　so　that　they　have　au　excellent　excuse　for　refusing　to　stir。

Several　praus　went　out　in　search　of　the　pirates；　sentinels　were　appointed；　and　watch…fires　lighted　on　the　beach　to　guard　against　the　possibility　of　a　night　attack；　though　it　was　hardly　thought　they　would　be　bold　enough　to　attempt　to　plunder　Dobbo。　The　next　day　the　praus　returned；　and　we　had　positive　information　that　these　scourges　of　the　Eastern　seas　were　really　among　us。　One　of　Herr　Warzbergen's　small　praus　also　arrived　in　a　sad　plight。　It　had　been　attacked　six　days　before；　just　as　it　was　returning；　from　the　〃blakang　tana。〃　The　crew　escaped　in　their　small　boat　and　hid　in　the　jungle；　while　the　pirates　came　up　and　plundered　the　vessel。　They　took　away　everything　but　the　cargo　of　mother…of…　pearl　shell；　which　was　too　bulky　for　them。　All　the　clothes　and　boxes　of　the　men；　and　the　sails　and　cordage　of　the　prau；　were　cleared　off。　They　had　four　large　war　boats；　and　fired　a　volley　of　musketry　as　they　came　up；　and　sent　off　their　small　boats　to　the　attack。　After　they　had　left；　our　men　observed　from　their　concealment　that　three　had　stayed　behind　with　a　small　boat；　and　being　driven　to　desperation　by　the　sight　of　the　plundering；　one　brave　fellow　swam　off　armed　only　with　his　parang；　or　chopping…　knife；　and　coming　on　them　unawares　made　a　desperate　attack；　killing　one　and　wounding　the　other　two；　receiving　himself　numbers　of　slight　wounds；　and　then　swimming　off　again　when　almost　exhausted。　Two　other　prams　were　also　plundered；　and　the　crew　of　one　of　them　murdered　to　a　man。　They　are　said　to　be　Sooloo　pirates；　but　have　Bugis　among　them。　On　their　way　here　they　have　devastated　one　of　the　small　islands　east　of　Ceram。　It　is　now　eleven　years　since　they　have　visited　Aru；　and　by　thus　making　their　attacks　at　long　and　uncertain　intervals　the　alarm　dies　away；　and　they　find　a　population　for　the　most　part　unarmed　and　unsuspicious　of　danger。　None　of　the　small　trading　vessels　now　carry　arms；　though　they　did　so　for　a　year　or　two　after　the　last　attack；　which　was　just　the　time　when　there　was　the　least　occasion　for　it。　A　week　later　one　of　the　smaller　pirate　boats　was　captured　in　the　〃blakang　tana。〃　Seven　men　were　killed　and　three　taken　prisoners。　The　larger　vessels　have　been　often　seen　but　cannot　be　caught；　as　they　have　very　strong　crews；　and　can　always　escape　by　rowing　out　to　sea　in　the　eye　of　the　wind；　returning　at　night。　They　will　thus　remain　among　the　innumerable　islands　and　channels；　till　the　change　of　the　monsoon　enables　them　to　sail　westward。

March　9th。…For　four　or　five　days　we　have　had　a　continual　gale　of　wind；　with　occasional　gusts　of　great　fury；　which　seem　as　if　they　would　send　Dobbo　into　the　sea。　Rain　accompanies　it　almost　every　alternate　hour；　so　that　it　is　not　a　pleasant　time。　During　such　weather　I　can　do　little；　but　am　busy　getting　ready　a　boat　I　have　purchased；　for　an　excursion　into　the　interior。　There　is　immense　difficulty　about　men；　but　I　believe　the　〃Orang…kaya；〃　or　head　man　of　Wamma；　　will　accompany　me　to　see　that　I　don't　run　into　danger。

Having　become　quite　an　old　inhabitant　of　Dobbo；　I　will　endeavour　to　sketch　the　sights　and　sounds　that　pervade　it；　and　the　manners　and　customs　of　its　inhabitants。　The　place　is　now　pretty　full；　and　the　streets　present　a　far　more　cheerful　aspect　than　when　we　first　arrived。　Every　house　is　a　store；　where　the　natives　barter　their　produce　for　what　they　are　most　in　need　of。　Knives；　choppers；　swords；　guns；　tobacco；　gambier；　plates；　basins；　handkerchiefs；　sarongs；　calicoes；　and　arrack；　are　the　principal　articles　wanted　by　the　natives；　but　some　of　the　stores　contain　also　tea；　coffee；　sugar；　wine；　biscuits；　&c。；　for　the　supply　of　the　traders；　and　others　are　full　of　fancy　goods；　china　ornaments；　looking…glasses；　razors；　umbrellas；　pipes；　and　purses；　which　take　the　fancy　of　the　wealthier　natives。　Every　fine　day　mats　are　spread　before　the　doors　and　the　tripang　is　put　out　to　dry；　as　well　as　sugar；　salt；　biscuit；　tea；　cloths；　and　other　things　that　get　injured　by　an　excessively　moist　atmosphere。　In　the　morning　and　evening；　spruce　Chinamen　stroll　about　or　chat　at　each　other's　doors；　in　blue　trousers；　white　jacket；　and　a　queue　into　which　red　silk　is　plaited　till　it　reaches　almost　to　their　heels。　An　old　Bugis　hadji　regularly　takes　an　evening　stroll　in　all　the　dignity　of　flowing　green　silk　robe　and　gay　turban；　followed　by　two　small　boys　carrying　his　sirih　and　betel　boxes。

In　every　vacant　space　new　houses　are　being　built；　and　all　sorts　of　odd　little　cooking…sheds　are　erected　against　the　old　ones；　while　in　some　out…of…the…way　corners；　massive　log　pigsties　are　tenanted　by　growing　porkers；　for　how　can　the　Chinamen　exist　six　months　without　one　feast　of　pig？

Here　and　there　are　stalls　where　bananas　are　sold；　and　every　morning　two　little　boys　go　about　with　trays　of　sweet　rice　and　crated　cocoa…nut；　fried　fish；　or　fried　plantains；　and　whichever　it　may　be；　they　have　but　one　cry；　and　that　is　〃Chocolat…tt！〃　This　must　be　a　Spanish　or　Portuguese　cry；　handed　down　for　centuries；　while　its　meaning　has　been　lost。　The　Bugis　sailors；　while　hoisting　the　main　sail；　cry　out；　〃Vela　a　vela；　vela；　vela；　vela！〃　repeated　in　an　everlasting　chorus。　As　〃vela〃　is　Portuguese　a　sail；　I　supposed　I　had　discovered　the　origin　of　this；　but　I　found　afterwards　they　used　the　same　cry　when　heaving　anchor；　and　often　chanted　it　to　〃hela；〃　which　is　so　much　an　universal　expression　of　exertion　and　hard　breathing　that　it　is　most　probably　a　mere　interjectional　cry。

I　daresay　there　are　now　near　five　hundred　people　in　Dobbo　of　various　races；　all　met　in　this　remote　corner　of　the　East；　as　they　express　it；　〃to　look　for　their　fortune；〃　to　get　money　any　way　they　can。　They　are　most　of　them　people　who　have　the　very　worst　reputation　for　honesty　as　well　as　every　other　form　of　morality；　Chinese；　Bugis；　Ceramese；　and　half…caste　Javanese；　with　a　sprinkling　of　half…wild　Papuans　from　Timor；　Babber；　and　other　islands；　yet　all　goes　on　as　yet　very　quietly。　This　motley；　ignorant；　bloodthirsty；　thievish　population　live　here　without　the　shadow　of　a　government；　with　no　police；　no　courts；　and　no　lawyers；　yet　they　do　not　cut　each　other's　throats；　do　not　plunder　each　other　day　and　night；　do　not　fall　into　the　anarchy　such　a　state　of　things　might　be　supposed　to　lead　to。　It　is　very　extraordinary！　It　puts　strange　thoughts　into　one's　head　about　the　mountain…load　of　government　under　which　people　exist　in　Europe；　and　suggests　the　idea　that　we　may　be　over…governed。　Think　of　the　hundred　Acts　of　Parliament　annually　enacted　to　prevent　us；　the　people　of　England；　from　cutting　each　other's　throats；　or　from　doing　to　our　neighbour　as　we　would　not　be　done　by。　Think　of　the　thousands　of　lawyers　and　barristers　whose　whole　lives　are　spent　in　telling　us　what　the　hundred　Acts　of　Parliament　mean；　and　one　would　be　led　to　infer　that　if　Dobbo　has　too　little　law　England　has　too　much。

Here　we　may　behold　in　its　simplest　form　the　genius　of　Commerce　at　the　work　of　Civilization。　Trade　is　the　magic　that　keeps　all　at　peace；　and　unites　these　discordant　elements　into　a　well…behaved　community。　All　are　traders；　and　know　that　peace　and　order　are　essential　to　successful　trade；　and　thus　a　public　opinion　is　created　which　puts　down　all　lawlessness。　Often　in　former　year；　when　strolling　along　the　Campong　Glam　in　Singapore；　I　have　thought　how　wild　and　ferocious　the　Bugis　sailors　looked；　and　how　little　should　like　to　trust　myself　among　them。　But　now　I　find　them　to　be　very　decent；　well…behaved　fellows；　I　walk　daily　unarmed　in　the　jungle；　where　I　meet　them　continually；　I　sleep　in　a　palm…leaf　hut；　which　any　one　may　enter；　with　as　little　fear　and　as　little　danger　of　thieves　or　murder　as　if　I　were　under　the　protection　of　the　Metropolitan　police。　It　is　true　the　Dutch　influence　is　felt　here。　The　islands　are　nominally　under　the　government　of　the　Moluccas；　which　the　native　chiefs　acknowledge；　and　in　most　years　a　commissioner　arrives　from　Amboyna；　who　makes　the　tour　of　the　islands；　hears　complaints；　settle　disputes；　and　carries　away　prisoner　any　heinous　offender。　This　year　he　is　not　expected　to　come；　as　no　orders　have　yet　been　received　to　prepare　for　him；　so　the　people　of　Dobbo　will　probably　be　left　to　their　own　devices。　One　day　a　man　was　caught　in　the　act　of　stealing　a　piece　of　iron　from　Herr　Warzbergen's　house；　which　he　had　entered　by　making　a　hole　through　the　thatch　wall。　In　the　evening　the　chief　traders　of　the　place；　Bugis　and　Chinese；　assembled；　the　offender　was　tried　and　found　guilty；　and　sentenced　to　receive　twenty　lashes　on　the　spot。　They　were　given　with　a　small　rattan　i