the malay archipelago-2-第3章

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h　wished　to　see。　I　set　off　one　morning　to　examine　this　place　myself；　expecting　to　pass　through　some　extent　of　forest　on　my　way。　In　this　however　I　was　much　disappointed；　as　the　whole　road　lies　through　grass　and　scrubby　thickets；　and　it　was　only　after　reaching　the　village　of　Sahoe　that　some　high　forest　land　was　perceived　stretching　towards　the　mountains　to　the　north　of　it。　About　half…way　we　dad　to　pass　a　deep　river　on　a　bamboo　raft；　which　almost　sunk　beneath　us。　This　stream　was　said　to　rise　a　long　way　off　to　the　northward。

Although　Sahoe　did　not　at　all　appear　what　I　expected；　I　determined　to　give　it　a　trial；　and　a　few　days　afterwards　obtained　a　boat　to　carry　my　things　by　sea　while　I　walked　overland。　A　large　house　on　the　beach　belonging　to　the　Sultan　was　given　me。　It　stood　alone；　and　was　quite　open　on　every　side；　so　that　little　privacy　could　be　had；　but　as　I　only　intended　to　stay　a　short　time　I　made　it　do。　Avery；　few　days　dispelled　all　hopes　I　might　have　entertained　of　making　good　collections　in　this　place。　Nothing　was　to　be　found　in　every　direction　but　interminable　tracts　of　reedy　grass；　eight　or　ten　feet　high；　traversed　by　narrow　baths；　often　almost　impassable。　Here　and　there　were　clumps　of　fruit　trees；　patches　of　low　wood；　and　abundance　of　plantations　and　rice　grounds；　all　of　which　are；　in　tropical　regions；　a　very　desert　for　the　entomologist。　The　virgin　forest　that　I　was　in　search　of；　existed　only　on　the　summits　and　on　the　steep　rocky　sides　of　the　mountains　a　long　way　off；　and　in　inaccessible　situations。　In　the　suburbs　of　the　village　I　found　a　fair　number　of　bees　and　wasps；　and　some　small　but　interesting　beetles。　Two　or　three　new　birds　were　obtained　by　my　hunters；　and　by　incessant　inquiries　and　promises　í　succeeded　in　getting　the　natives　to　bring　me　some　land　shells；　among　which　was　a　very　fine　and　handsome　one；　Helix　pyrostoma。　I　was；　however；　completely　wasting　my　time　here　compared　with　what　I　might　be　doing　in　a　good　locality；　and　after　a　week　returned　to　Ternate；　quite　disappointed　with　my　first　attempts　at　collecting　in　Gilolo。

In　the　country　round　about　Sahoe；　and　in　the　interior；　there　is　a　large　population　of　indigenes；　numbers　of　whom　came　daily　into　the　village；　bringing　their　produce　for　sale；　while　others　were　engaged　as　labourers　by　the　Chinese　and　Ternate　traders。　A　careful　examination　convinced　me　that　these　people　are　radically　distinct　from　all　the　Malay　races。　Their　stature　and　their　features；　as　well　as　their　disposition　and　habits；　are　almost　the　same　as　those　of　the　Papuans；　their　hair　is　semi…Papuan…neither　straight；　smooth；　and　glossy；　like　all　true　Malays'；　nor　so　frizzly　and　woolly　as　the　perfect　Papuan　type；　but　always　crisp；　waved；　and　rough；　such　as　often　occurs　among　the　true　Papuans；　but　never　among　the　Malays。　Their　colour　alone　is　often　exactly　that　of　the　Malay；　or　even　lighter。　Of　course　there　has　been　intermixture；　and　there　occur　occasionally　individuals　which　it　is　difficult　to　classify；　but　in　most　cases　the　large；　somewhat　aquiline　nose；　with　elongated　apex；　the　tall　stature；　the　waved　hair；　the　bearded　face；　and　hairy　body；　as　well　as　the　less　reserved　manner　and　louder　voice；　unmistakeably　proclaim　the　Papuan　type。　Here　then　I　had　discovered　the　exact　boundary　lice　between　the　Malay　and　Papuan　races；　and　at　a　spot　where　no　other　writer　had　expected　it。　I　was　very　much　pleased　at　this　determination；　as　it　gave　me　a　clue　to　one　of　the　most　difficult　problems　in　Ethnology；　and　enabled　me　in　many　other　places　to　separate　the　two　races；　and　to　unravel　their　intermixtures。

On　my　return　from　Waigiou　in　1860；　I　stayed　some　days　on　the　southern　extremity　of　Gilolo；　but；　beyond　seeing　something　more　of　its　structure　and　general　character；　obtained　very　little　additional　information。　It　is　only　in　the　northern　peninsula　that　there　are　any　indígenes；　the　whole　of　the　rest　of　the　island；　with　Batchian　and　the　other　islands　westward；　being　exclusively　inhabited　by　Malay　tribes；　allied　to　those　of　Ternate　and　Tidore。　This　would　seem　to　indicate　that　the　Alfuros　were　a　comparatively　recent　immigration；　and　that　they　lead　come　from　the　north　or　east；　perhaps　from　some　of　the　islands　of　the　Pacific。　It　is　otherwise　difficult　to　understand　how　so　many　fertile　districts　should　possess　no　true　indigenes。

Gilolo；　or　Halmaheira　as　it　is　called　by　the　Malays　and　Dutch；　seems　to　have　been　recently　modified　by　upheaval　and　subsidence。　In　1673；　a　mountain　is　said　to　stave　been　upheaved　at　Gamokonora　on　the　northern　peninsula。　All　the　parts　that　I　have　seen　have　either　been　volcanic　or　coralline；　and　along　the　coast　there　are　fringing　coral　reefs　very　dangerous　to　navigation。　At　the　same　time；　the　character　of　its　natural　history　proves　it　to　be　a　rather　ancient　land；　since　it　possesses　a　number　of　animals　peculiar　to　itself　or　common　to　the　small　islands　around　it；　but　almost　always　distinct　from　those　of　New　Guinea　on　the　east；　of　Ceram　on　the　south；　and　of　Celebes　and　the　Sula　islands　on　the　west。

The　island　of　Morty；　close　to　the　north…eastern　extremity　of　Gilolo；　was　visited　by　my　assistant　Charles　Allen；　as　well　as　by　Dr。　Bernstein；　and　the　collections　obtained　there　present　some　curious　differences　from　those　of　the　main　island。　About　fifty…　six　species　of　land…birds　are　known　to　inhabit　this　island；　and　of　these；　a　kingfisher　（Tanysiptera　Boris）；　a　honey…sucker　（Tropidorhynchus　fuscicapillus）；　and　a　large　crow…like　starling　（Lycocorax　morotensis）；　are　quite　distinct　from　allied　species　found　in　Gilolo。　The　island　is　coralline　and　sandy；　and　we　must　therefore　believe　it　to　have　been　separated　from　Gilolo　at　a　somewhat　remote　epoch；　while　we　learn　from　its　natural　history　that　an　arm　of　the　sea　twenty…five　miles　wide　serves　to　limit　the　range　even　of　birds　of　considerable　powers　of　flight。

CHAPTER　XXIII。

TERNATE　TO　THE　KAIOA　ISLANDS　AND　BATCHIAN。

（OCTOBER　1858。）

ON　returning　to　Ternate　from　Sahoe；　I　at　once　began　　making　preparations　for　a　journey　to　Batchian；　an　island　which　I　had　been　constantly　recommended　to　visit　since　I　had　arrived　in　this　part　of　the　Moluccas。　After　all　was　ready　I　found　that　I　should　have　to　hire　a　boat；　as　no　opportunity　of　obtaining　a　passage　presented　itself。　I　accordingly　went　into　the　native　town；　and　could　only　find　two　boats　for　hire；　one　much　larger　than　I　required；　and　the　other　far　smaller　than　I　wished。　I　chose　the　smaller　one；　chiefly　because　it　would　not　cost　me　one…third　as　much　as　the　larger　one；　and　also　because　in　a　coasting　voyage　a　small　vessel　can　be　more　easily　managed；　and　more　readily　got　into　a　place　of　safety　during　violent　gales；　than　a　large　one。　I　took　with　me　my　Bornean　lad　Ali；　who　was　now　very　useful　to　me；　Lahagi；　a　native　of　Ternate；　a　very　good　steady　man；　and　a　fair　shooter；　who　had　been　with　me　to　New　Guinea；　Lahi；　a　native　of　Gilolo；　who　could　speak　Malay；　as　woodcutter　and　general　assistant；　and　Garo；　a　boy　who　was　to　act　as　cook。　As　the　boat　was　so　small　that　we　had　hardly　room　to　stow　ourselves　away　when　all　my　stores　were　on　board；　I　only　took　one　other　man　named　Latchi；　as　pilot。　He　was　a　Papuan　slave；　a　tall；　strong　black　fellow；　but　very　civil　and　careful。　The　boat　I　had　hired　from　a　Chinaman　named　Lau　Keng　Tong；　for　five　guilders　a　month。

We　started　on　the　morning　of　October　9th；　but　had　not　got　a　hundred　yards　from　land；　when　a　strong　head　wind　sprung　up；　against　which　we　could　not　row；　so　we　crept　along　shore　to　below　the　town；　and　waited　till　the　turn　of　the　tide　should　enable　us　to　cross　over　to　the　coast　of　Tidore。　About　three　in　the　afternoon　we　got　off；　and　found　that　our　boat　sailed　well；　and　would　keep　pretty　close　to　the　wind。　We　got　on　a　good　way　before　the　wind　fell　and　we　had　to　take　to　our　oars　again。　We　landed　on　a　nice　sandy　beach　to　cook　our　suppers；　just　as　the　sun　set　behind　the　rugged　volcanic　hills；　to　the　south　of　the　great　cone　of　Tidore；　and　soon　after　beheld　the　planet　Venus　shining　in　the　twilight　with　the　brilliancy　of　a　new　moon；　and　casting　a　very　distinct　shadow。　We　left　again　a　little　before　seven；　and　as　we　got　out　from　the　shadow　of　the　mountain　I　observed　a　bright　light　over　one　part　of　the　edge；　and　soon　after；　what　seemed　a　fire　of　remarkable　whiteness　on　the　very　summit　of　the　hill。　I　called　the　attention　of　my　men　to　it；　and　they　too　thought　it　merely　a　fire；　but　a　few　minutes　afterwards；　as　we　got　farther　off　shore；　the　light　rose　clear　up　above　the　ridge　of　the　hill；　and　some　faint　clouds　clearing　away　from　it；　discovered　the　magnificent　comet　which　was　at　the　same　time；　astonishing　all　Europe。　The　nucleus　presented　to　the　naked　eye　a　distinct　disc　of　brilliant　white　light；　from　which　the　tail　rose　at　an　angle　of　about　30°　or　35°　with　the　horizon；　curving　slightly　downwards；　and　terminating　in　a　broad　brush　of　faint　light；　the　curvature　of　which　diminished　till　it　was　nearly　straight　at　the　end。　The　portion　of　the　tail　next　the　comet　appeared　three　or　four　tunes　as　bright　as　the　most　luminous　portion　of　the　milky　way；　and　what　struck　me　as　a　singular　feature　was　that　its　upper　margin；　from　the　nucleus　to　very　near　the　extremity；　was　clearly　and　almost　sharply　defined；　while　the　lower　side　gradually　shaded　off　into　obscurity。　Directly　it　rose　above　the　ridge　of　the　hill；　I　said　to　my　men；　〃See；　it's　not　a　fire；　it's　a　bintang　ber…ekor〃　（〃tailed…star；〃　the　Malay　idiom　for　a　comet）。　〃So　it　is；〃　said　they；　and　all　declared　that　they　had　often　heard　tell　of　such；　but　had　never　seen　one　till　now。　I　had　no　telescope　with　me；　nor　any　instrument　at　hand；　but　I　estimated　the　length　of　the　tail　at　about　20°；　and　the　width；　towards　the　extremity；　about　4°　or　5°。

The　whole　of　the　next　day　we　were　obliged　to　stop　near　the　village　of　Tidore；　owing　to　a　strong　wind　right　in　our　teeth。　The　country　was　all　cultivated；　and　I　in　vain　searched　for　any　insects　worth　capturing。　One　of　my　men　went　out　to　shoot；　but　returned　home　without　a　single　bird。　At　sunset；　the　wind　having　dropped；　we　quitted　Tidore；　and　reached　the　next　island；　March；　where　we　stayed　till　morning。　The　comet　was　again　visible；　but　not　nearly　so　brilliant；　being　partly　obscured　by　clouds；　and　dimmed　by　the　light　of　the　new　moon。　We　then　rowed　across　to　the　island　of　Motir；　which　is　so　surrounded　with　coral…reefs　that　it　is　dangerous　to　approach。　These　are　perfectly　flat；　and　are　only　covered　at　high　water；　ending　in　craggy　vertical　walls　of　coral　in　very　deep　water。　When　there　is　a　little　wind；　it　is　dangerous　to　come　near　these　rocks；　but　luckily　it　was　quite　smooth；　so　we　moored　to　their　edge；　while　the　men　crawled　over　the　reef　to　the　land；　to　make；　a　fire　and　cook　our　dinner…the　boat　having　no　accommodation　for　more　than　heating　water　for　my　morning　and　evening　coffee。　We　then　rowed　along　the　edge　of　the　reef　to　the　end　of　the　island；　and　were　glad　to　get　a　nice　westerly　breeze；　which　carried　us　over　the　strait　to　the　island　of　Makian；　where　we　arrived　about　8　P。M；　The　sky　was　quite　clear；　and　though　the　moon　shone　brightly；　the　comet　appeared　with　quite　as　much　splendour　as　when　we　first　saw　it。

The　coasts　of　these　small　islands　are　very　different　according　to　their　geological　formation。　The　volcanoes；　active　or　extinct；　have　steep　black　beaches　of　volcanic　sand；　or　are　fringed　with　rugged　masses　of　lava　and　basalt。　Coral　is