the malay archipelago-2-第33章

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CHAPTER　XXXII。

THE　ARU　ISLANDS。SECOND　RESIDENCE　AT　DOBBO。

（MAY　AND　JUNE　1857。）

DOBBO　was　full　to　overflowing；　and　I　was　obliged　to　　occupy　the　court…house　where　the　Commissioners　hold　their　sittings。　They　had　now　left　the　island；　and　I　found　the　situation　agreeable；　as　it　was　at　the　end　of　the　village；　with　a　view　down　the　principal　street。　It　was　a　mere　shed；　but　half　of　it　had　a　roughly　boarded　floor；　and　by　putting　up　a　partition　and　opening　a　window　I　made　it　a　very　pleasant　abode。　In　one　of　the　boxes　I　had　left　in　charge　of　Herr　Warzbergen；　a　colony　of　small　ants　had　settled　and　deposited　millions　of　eggs。　It　was　luckily　a　fine　hot　day；　and　by　carrying　the　box　some　distance　from　the　house；　and　placing　every　article　in　the　sunshine　for　an　hour　or　two；　I　got　rid　of　them　without　damage；　as　they　were　fortunately　a　harmless　species。

Dobbo　now　presented　an　animated　appearance。　Five　or　six　new　houses　had　been　added　to　the　street；　the　praus　were　all　brought　round　to　the　western　side　of　the　point；　where　they　were　hauled　up　on　the　beach；　and　were　being　caulked　and　covered　with　a　thick　white　lime…plaster　for　the　homeward　voyage；　making　them　the　brightest　and　cleanest　looking　things　in　the　place。　Most　of　the　small　boats　had　returned　from　the　〃blakang…tana　〃（back　country）；　as　the　side　of　the　islands　towards　New　Guinea　is　called。　Piles　of　firewood　were　being　heaped　up　behind　the　houses；　sail…makers　and　carpenters　were　busy　at　work；　mother…of…pearl　shell　was　being　tied　up　in　bundles；　and　the　black　and　ugly　smoked　tripang　was　having　a　last　exposure　to　the　sun　before　loading。　The　spare　portion　of　the　crews　were　employed　cutting　and　squaring　timber；　and　boats　from　Ceram　and　Goram　were　constantly　unloading　their　cargoes　of　sago…cake　for　the　traders'　homeward　voyage。　The　fowls；　ducks；　and　goats　all　looked　fat　and　thriving　on　the　refuse　food　of　a　dense　population；　and　the　Chinamen's　pigs　were　in　a　state　of　obesity　that　foreboded　early　death。　Parrots　and　Tories　and　cockatoos；　of　a　dozen　different　binds；　were　suspended　on　bamboo　perches　at　the　doors　of　the　houses；　with　metallic　green　or　white　fruit…pigeons　which　cooed　musically　at　noon　and　eventide。　Young　cassowaries；　strangely　striped　with　black　and　brown；　wandered　about　the　houses　or　gambolled　with　the　playfulness　of　kittens　in　the　hot　sunshine；　with　sometimes　a　pretty　little　kangaroo；　caught　in　the　Aru　forests；　but　already　tame　and　graceful　as　a　petted　fawn。

Of　an　evening　there　were　more　signs　of　life　than　at　the　time　of　my　former　residence。　Tom…toms；　jews'…harps；　and　even　fiddles　were　to　be　heard；　and　the　melancholy　Malay　songs　sounded　not　unpleasantly　far　into　the　night。　Almost　every　day　there　was　a　cock…fight　in　the　street。　The　spectators　make　a　ring；　and　after　the　long　steel　spurs　are　tied　on；　and　the　poor　animals　are　set　down　to　gash　and　kill　each　other；　the　excitement　is　immense。　Those　who　lave　made　bets　scream　and　yell　and　jump　frantically；　if　they　think　they　are　going　to　win　or　lose；　but　in　a　very　few　minutes　it　is　all　over；　there　is　a　hurrah　from　the　winners；　the　owners　seize　their　cocks；　the　winning　bird　is　caressed　and　admired；　the　loser　is　generally　dead　or　very　badly　wounded；　and　his　master　may　often　be　seen　plucking　out　his　feathers　as　he　walks　away；　preparing　him　for　the　cooking　pot　while　the　poor　bird　is　still　alive。

A　game　at　foot…ball；　which　generally　took　place　at　sunset；　was；　however；　much　more　interesting　to　me。　The　ball　used　is　a　rather　small　one；　and　is　made　of　rattan；　hollow；　light；　and　elastic。　The　player　keeps　it　dancing　a　little　while　on　his　foot；　then　occasionally　on　his　arm　or　thigh；　till　suddenly　he　gives　it　a　good　blow　with　the　hollow　of　the　foot；　and　sends　it　flying　high　in　the　air。　Another　player　runs　to　meet　it；　and　at　its　first　bound　catches　it　on　his　foot　and　plays　in　his　turn。　The　ball　must　never　be　touched　with　the　hand；　but　the　arm；　shoulder；　knee；　or　thigh　are　used　at　pleasure　to　rest　the　foot。　Two　or　three　played　very　skilfully；　keeping　the　ball　continually　flying　about；　but　the　place　was　too　confined　to　show　off　the　game　to　advantage。　One　evening　a　quarrel　arose　from　some　dispute　in　the　game；　and　there　was　a　great　row；　and　it　was　feared　there　would　be　a　fight　about　itnot　two　men　only；　but　a　party　of　a　dozen　or　twenty　on　each　side；　a　regular　battle　with　knives　and　krisses；　but　after　a　large　amount　of　talk　it　passed　off　quietly；　and　we　heard　nothing　about　it　afterwards。

Most　Europeans　being　gifted　by　nature　with　a　luxuriant　growth　of　hair　upon　their　faces；　think　it　disfigures　them；　and　keep　up　a　continual　struggle　against　her　by　mowing　down　every　morning　the　crop　which　has　sprouted　up　flaring　the　preceding　twenty…four　hours。　Now　the　men　of　Mongolian　race　are；　naturally；　just　as　many　of　us　want　to　he。　They　mostly　pass　their　lives　with　faces　as　smooth　and　beardless　as　an　infant's。　But　shaving　seems　an　instinct　of　the　human　race；　for　many　of　these　people；　having　no　hair　to　take　off　their　faces；　shave　their　heads。　Others；　however；　set　resolutely　to　work　to　force　nature　to　give　them　a　beard。　One　of　the　chief　cock…fighters　at　Dobbo　was　a　Javanese；　a　sort　of　master　of　the　ceremonies　of　the　ring；　who　tied　on　the　spars　and　acted　as　backer…up　to　one　of　the　combatants。　This　man　had　succeeded；　by　assiduous　cultivation；　in　raising　a　pair　of　moustaches　which　were　a　triumph　of　art；　for　they　each　contained　about　a　dozen　hairs　more　than　three　inches　long；　and　which；　being　well　greased　and　twisted；　were　distinctly　visible　（when　not　too　far　off）　as　a　black　thread　hanging　down　on　each　side　of　his　mouth。　But　the　beard　to　match　was　the　difficulty；　for　nature　had　cruelly　refused　to　give　him　a　rudiment　of　hair　on　his　chin；　and　the　most　talented　gardener　could　not　do　much　if　he　had　nothing　to　cultivate。　But　true　genius　triumphs　over　difficulties。　Although　there　was　no　hair　proper　on　the　chin；　there　happened　to　be；　rather　on　one　side　of　it；　a　small　mole　or　freckle　which　contained　（as　such　things　frequently　do）　a　few　stray　hairs。　These　had　been　made　the　most　of。　They　had　reached　four　or　five　inches　in　length；　and　formed　another　black　thread　dangling　from　the　left　angle　of　the　chin。　The　owner　carried　this　as　if　it　were　something　remarkable　（as　it　certainly　was）；　he　often　felt　it　affectionately；　passed　it　between　his　fingers；　and　was　evidently　extremely　proud　of　his　moustaches　and　beard！

One　of　the　most　surprising　things　connected　with　Aru　was　the　excessive　cheapness　of　all　articles　of　European　or　native　manufacture。　We　were　here　two　thousand　miles　beyond　Singapore　and　Batavia；　which　are　themselves　emporiums　of　the　〃far　east；〃　in　a　place　unvisited　by；　and　almost　unknown　to；　European　traders；　everything　reached　us　through　at　least　two　or　three　hands；　often　many　more；　yet　English　calicoes　and　American　cotton　cloths　could　be　bought　for　8s。　the　piece；　muskets　for　15s。；　common　scissors　and　German　knives　at　three…halfpence　each；　and　other　cutlery；　cotton　goods；　and　earthenware　in　the　same　proportion。　The　natives　of　this　out…of…the…way　country　can；　in　fact；　buy　all　these　things　at　about　the　same　money　price　as　our　workmen　at　home；　but　in　reality　very　much　cheaper；　for　the　produce　of　a　few　hours'　labour　enables　the　savage　to　purchase　in　abundance　what　are　to　him　luxuries；　while　to　the　European　they　are　necessaries　of　life。　The　barbarian　is　no　happier　and　no　better　off　for　this　cheapness。　On　the　contrary；　it　has　a　most　injurious　effect　on　him。　He　wants　the　stimulus　of　necessity　to　force　him　to　labour；　and　if　iron　were　as　dear　as　silver；　and　calico　as　costly　as　satin；　the　effect　would　be　beneficial　to　him。　As　it　is；　he　has　more　idle　hours；　gets　a　more　constant　supply　of　tobacco；　and　can　intoxicate　himself　with　arrack　more　frequently　and　more　thoroughly；　for　your　Aru　man　scorns　to　get　half　drunk…a　tumbler　full　of　arrack　is　but　a　slight　stimulus；　and　nothing　less　than　half　a　gallon　of　spirit　will　make　him　tipsy　to　his　own　satisfaction。

It　is　not　agreeable　to　reflect　on　this　state　of　things。　At　least　half　of　the　vast　multitudes　of　uncivilized　peoples；　on　whom　our　gigantic　manufacturing　system；　enormous　capital；　and　intense　competition　force　the　produce　of　our　looms　and　workshops；　would　be　not　a　whit　worse　off　physically；　and　would　certainly　be　improved　morally；　if　all　the　articles　with　which　w　e　supply　them　were　double　or　treble　their　present　prices。　If　at　the　same　time　the　difference　of　cost；　or　a　large　portion　of　it；　could　find　its　way　into　the　pockets　of　the　manufacturing　workmen；　thousands　would　be　raised　from　want　to　comfort；　from　starvation　to　health；　and　would　be　removed　from　one　of　the　chief　incentives　to　crime。　It　is　difficult　for　an　Englishman　to　avoid　contemplating　with　pride　our　gigantic　and　ever…increasing　manufactures　and　commerce；　and　thinking　everything　good　that　renders　their　progress　still　more　rapid；　either　by　lowering　the　price　at　which　the　articles　can　be　produced；　or　by　discovering　new　markets　to　which　they　may　be　sent。　If；　however；　the　question　that　is　so　frequently　asked　of　the　votaries　of　the　less　popular　sciences　were　put　here〃Cui　bono？〃it　would　be　found　more　difficult　to　answer　than　had　been　imagined。　The　advantages；　even　to　the　few　who　reap　them；　would　be　seen　to　be　mostly　physical；　while　the　wide…spread　moral　and　intellectual　evils　resulting　from　unceasing　labour；　low　wages；　crowded　dwellings；　and　monotonous　occupations；　to　perhaps　as　large　a　number　as　those　who　gain　any　real　advantage；　might　be　held　to　show　a　balance　of　evil　so　great；　as　to　lead　the　greatest　admirers　of　our　manufactures　and　commerce　to　doubt　the　advisability　of　their　further　development。　It　will　be　said：　〃We　cannot　stop　it；　　capital　must　be　employed；　our　population　must　be　kept　at　work；　if　we　hesitate　a　moment；　other　nations　now　hard　pressing　us　will　get　ahead；　and　national　ruin　will　follow。〃　Some　of　this　is　true；　some　fallacious。　It　is　undoubtedly　a　difficult　problem　which　we　have　to　solve；　and　I　am　inclined　to　think　it　is　this　difficulty　that　makes　men　conclude　that　what　seems　a　necessary　and　unalterable　state　of　things　must　be　good…that　its　benefits　must　he　greater　than　its　evils。　This　was　the　feeling　of　the　American　advocates　of　slavery；　they　could　not　see　an　easy；　comfortable　way　out　of　it。　In　our　own　case；　however；　it　is　to　be　hoped；　that　if　a　fair　consideration　of　the　matter　in　all　its　hearings　shows　that　a　preponderance　of　evil　arises　from　the　immensity　of　our　manufactures　and　commerce…evil　which　must　go　on　increasing　with　their　increase…there　is　enough　both　of　political　wisdom　and　true　philanthropy　in　Englishmen；　to　induce　them　to　turn　their　superabundant　wealth　into　other　channels。　The　fact　that　has　led　to　these　remarks　is　surely　a　striking　one：　that　in　one　of　the　most　remote　corners　of　the　earth　savages　can　buy　clothing　cheaper　than　the　people　of　the　country　where　it　is　made；　that　the　weaver's　child　should　shiver　in　the　wintry　wind；　unable　to　purchase　articles　attainable　by　the　wild　natives　of　a　tropical　climate；　where　clothing　is　mere　ornament　or　luxury；　should　make　us　pause　ere　we　regard　with　unmixed　admiration　the　system　which　has　led　to　such　a　result；　and　cause　us　to　look　with　some　suspicion　on　the　further　extension　of　that　system。　It　must　be　remembered　too　that　our　commerce　is　not　a　purely　natural　growth。　It　has　been　ever　fostered　by　the　legislature；　and　forced　to　an　unnatur