the malay archipelago-2-第34章

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ural　luxuriance　by　the　protection　of　our　fleets　and　armies。　The　wisdom　and　the　justice　of　this　policy　have　been　already　doubted。　So　soon；　therefore；　as　it　is　seen　that　the　further　extension　of　our　manufactures　and　commerce　would　be　an　evil；　the　remedy　is　not　far　to　seek。

After　six　weeks'　confinement　to　the　house　I　was　at　length　well；　and　could　resume　my　daily　walks　in　the　forest。　I　did　not；　however；　find　it　so　productive　as　when　I　had　first　arrived　at　Dobbo。　There　was　a　damp　stagnation　about　the　paths；　and　insects　were　very　scarce。　In　some　of　my　best　collecting　places　I　now　found　a　mass　of　rotting　wood；　mingled　with　young　shoots；　and　overgrown　with　climbers；　yet　I　always　managed　to　add　something　daily　to　my　extensive　collections。　I　one　day　met　with　a　curious　example　of　failure　of　instinct；　which；　by　showing　it　to　be　fallible；　renders　it　very　doubtful　whether　it　is　anything　more　than　hereditary　habit；　dependent　on　delicate　modifications　of　sensation。　Some　sailors　cut　down　a　good…sized　tree；　and；　as　is　always　my　practice；　I　visited　it　daily　for　some　time　in　search　of　insects。　Among　other　beetles　came　swarms　of　the　little　cylindrical　woodborers　（Platypus；　Tesserocerus；　&c。）；　and　commenced　making　holes　in　the　bark。　After　a　day　or　two　I　was　surprised　to　find　hundreds　of　them　sticking　in　the　holes　they　had　bored；　and　on　examination　discovered　that　the　milky　sap　of　the　tree　was　of　the　nature　of　gutta…percha；　hardening　rapidly　on　exposure　to　the　air；　and　glueing　the　little　animals　in　self…dug　graves。　The　habit　of　boring　holes　in　trees　in　which　to　deposit　their　eggs；　was　not　accompanied　by　a　sufficient　instinctive　knowledge　of　which　trees　were　suitable；　and　which　destructive　to　them。　If；　as　is　very　probable；　these　trees　have　an　attractive　odour　to　certain　species　of　borers；　it　might　very　likely　lead　to　their　becoming　extinct；　while　other　species；　to　whom　the　same　odour　was　disagreeable；　and　who　therefore　avoided　the　dangerous　trees；　would　survive；　and　would　be　credited　by　us　with　an　instinct；　whereas　they　would　really　be　guided　by　a　simple　sensation。

Those　curious　little　beetles；　the　Brenthidae；　were　very　abundant　in　Aru。　The　females　have　a　pointed　rostrum；　with　which　they　bore　deep　holes　in　the　bark　of　dead　trees；　often　burying　the　rostrum　up　to　the　eyes；　and　in　these　holes　deposit　their　eggs。　The　males　are　larger；　and　have　the　rostrum　dilated　at　the　end；　and　sometimes　terminating　in　a　good…sized　pair　of　jaws。　I　once　saw　two　males　fighting　together；　each　had　a　fore…leg　laid　across　the　neck　of　the　other；　and　the　rostrum　bent　quite　in　an　attitude　of　defiance；　and　looking　most　ridiculous。　Another　time；　two　were　fighting　for　a　female；　who　stood　close　by　busy　at　her　boring。　They　pushed　at　each　other　with　their　rostra；　and　clawed　and　thumped；　apparently　in　the　greatest　rage；　although　their　coats　of　mail　must　have　saved　both　from　injury。　The　small　one；　however；　soon　ran　away；　acknowledging　himself　vanquished。　In　most　Coleoptera　the　female　is　larger　than　the　male；　and　it　is　therefore　interesting；　as　bearing　on　the　question　of　sexual　selection；　that　in　this　case；　as　in　the　stag…beetles　where　the　males　fight　together；　they　should　be　not　only　better　armed；　but　also　much　larger　than　the　females。　Just　as　we　were　going　away；　a　handsome　tree；　allied　to　Erythrina；　was　in　blossom；　showing　its　masses　of　large　crimson　flowers　scattered　here　and　there　about　the　forest。　Could　it　have　been　seen　from　an　elevation；　it　would　have　had　a　fine　effect；　from　below　I　could　only　catch　sight　of　masses　of　gorgeous　colour　in　clusters　and　festoons　overhead；　about　which　flocks　of　blue　and　orange　lories　were　fluttering　and　screaming。

A　good　many　people　died　at　Dobbo　this　season；　I　believe　about　twenty。　They　were　buried　in　a　little　grove　of　Casuarinas　behind　my　house。　Among　the　traders　was　a。　Mahometan　priest；　who　superintended　the　funerals；　which　were　very　simple。　The　body　was　wrapped　up　in　new　white　cotton　cloth；　and　was　carried　on　a　bier　to　the　grave。　All　the　spectators　sat　down　on　the　ground；　and　the　priest　chanted　some　verses　from　the　Koran。　The　graves　were　fenced　round　with　a　slight　bamboo　railing；　and　a　little　carved　wooden　head…post　was　put　to　mark　the　spot。　There　was　also　in　the　village　a　small　mosque；　where　every　Friday　the　faithful　went　to　pray。　This　is　probably　more　remote　from　Mecca　than　any　other　mosque　in　the　world；　and　marks　the　farthest　eastern　extension　of　the　Mahometan　religion。　The　Chinese　here；　as　elsewhere；　showed　their　superior　wealth　and　civilization　by　tombstones　of　solid　granite　brought　from　Singapore；　with　deeply…cut　inscriptions；　the　characters　of　which　are　painted　in　red；　blue；　and　gold。　No　people　have　more　respect　for　the　graves　of　their　relations　and　friends　than　this　strange；　ubiquitous；　money…getting　people。

Soon　after　we　had　returned　to　Dobbo；　my　Macassar　boy；　Baderoon；　took　his　wages　and　left　me；　because　I　scolded　him　for　laziness。　He　then　occupied　himself　in　gambling；　and　at　first　had　some　luck；　and　bought　ornaments；　and　had　plenty　of　money。　Then　his　luck　turned；　he　lost　everything；　borrowed　money　and　lost　that；　and　was　obliged　to　become　the　slave　of　his　creditor　till　he　had　worked　out　the　debt。　He　was　a　quick　and　active　lad　when　he　pleased；　but　was　apt　to　be　idle；　and　had　such　an　incorrigible　propensity　for　gambling；　that　it　will　very　likely　lead　to　his　becoming　a　slave　for　life。

The　end　of　June　was　now　approaching；　the　east　monsoon　had　set　in　steadily；　and　in　another　week　or　two　Dobbo　would　be　deserted。　Preparations　for　departure　were　everywhere　visible；　and　every　sunny　day　（rather　rare　now）　the　streets　were　as　crowded　and　as　busy　as　beehives。　Heaps　of　tripang　were　finally　dried　and　packed　up　in　sacks；　mother…of…pearl　shell；　tied　up　with　rattans　into　convenient　bundles；　was　all　day　long　being　carried　to　the　beach　to　be　loaded；　water…casks　were　filled；　and　cloths　and　mat…sails　mended　and　strengthened　for　the　run　home　before　the　strong　east　wind。　Almost　every　day　groups　of　natives　arrived　from　the　most　distant　parts　of　the　islands；　with　cargoes　of　bananas　and　sugar…　cane　to　exchange　for　tobacco；　sago；　bread；　and　other　luxuries；　before　the　general　departure。　The　Chinamen　killed　their　fat　pig　and　made　their　parting　feast；　and　kindly　sent　me　some　pork；　and　a　basin　of　birds'　nest　stew；　which　had　very　little　more　taste　than　a　dish　of　vermicelli。　My　boy　Ali　returned　from　Wanumbai；　where　I　had　sent　him　alone　for　a　fortnight　to　buy　Paradise　birds　and　prepare　the　skins；　he　brought　me　sixteen　glorious　specimens；　and　had　he　not　been　very　ill　with　fever　and　ague　might　have　obtained　twice　the　number。　He　had　lived　with　the　people　whose　house　I　had　occupied；　and　it　is　a　proof　of　their　goodness；　if　fairly　treated；　that　although　he　took　with　him　a　quantity　of　silver　dollars　to　pay　for　the　birds　they　caught；　no　attempt　was　made　to　rob　him；　which　might　have　been　done　with　the　most　perfect　impunity。　He　was　kindly　treated　when　ill；　and　was　brought　back　to　me　with　the　balance　of　the　dollars　he　had　not　spent。

The　Wanumbai　people；　like　almost　all　the　inhabitants　of　the　Aru　Islands；　are　perfect　savages；　and　I　saw　no　signs　of　any　religion。　There　are；　however；　three　or　four　villages　on　the　coast　where　schoolmasters　from　Amboyna　reside；　and　the　people　are　nominally　Christians；　and　are　to　some　extent　educated　and　civilized。　I　could　not　get　much　real　knowledge　of　the　customs　of　the　Aru　people　during　the　short　time　I　was　among　them；　but　they　have　evidently　been　considerably　influenced　by　their　long　association　with　Mahometan　traders。　They　often　bury　their　dead；　although　the　national　custom　is　to　expose　the　body　an　a　raised　stage　till　it　decomposes。　Though　there　is　no　limit　to　the　number　of　wives　a　man　may　have；　they　seldom　exceed　one　or　two。　A　wife　is　regularly　purchased　from　the　parents；　the　price　being　a　large　assortment　of　articles；　always　including　gongs；　crockery；　and　cloth。　They　told　me　that　some　of　the　tribes　kill　the　old　men　and　women　when　they　can　no　longer　work；　but　I　saw　many　very　old　and　decrepid　people；　who　seemed　pretty　well　attended　to。　No　doubt　all　who　have　much　intercourse　with　the　Bugis　and　Ceramese　traders　gradually　lose　many　of　their　native　customs；　especially　as　these　people　often　settle　in　their　villages　and　marry　native　women。

The　trade　carried　on　at　Dobbo　is　very　considerable。　This　year　there　were　fifteen　large　praus　from　Macassar；　and　perhaps　a　hundred　small　boats　from　Ceram；　Goram；　and　Ke。　The　Macassar　cargoes　are　worth　about　￡1；000。　each；　and　the　other　boats　take　away　perhaps　about　￡3；000；　worth；　so　that　the　whole　exports　may　be　estimated　at　￡18；000。　per　annum。　The　largest　and　most　bulky　items　are　pearl…shell　and　tripang；　or　〃beche…de…mer；〃　with　smaller　quantities　of　tortoise…shell；　edible　birds'　nests；　pearls；　ornamental　woods；　timber；　and　Birds　of　Paradise。　These　are　purchased　with　a　variety　of　goods。　Of　arrack；　about　equal　in　strength　to　ordinary　West　India　rum；　3；000　boxes；　each　containing　fifteen　half…gallon　bottles；　are　consumed　annually。　Native　cloth　from　Celebes　is　much　esteemed　for　its　durability；　and　large　quantities　are　sold；　as　well　as　white　English　calico　and　American　unbleached　cottons；　common　crockery；　coarse　cutlery；　muskets；　gunpowder；　gongs；　small　brass　cannon；　and　elephants'　tusks。　These　three　last　articles　constitute　the　wealth　of　the　Aru　people；　with　which　they　pay　for　their　wives；　or　which　they　hoard　up　as　〃real　property。〃　Tobacco　is　in　immense　demand　for　chewing；　and　it　must　be　very　strong；　or　an　Aru　man　will　not　look　at　it。　Knowing　how　little　these　people　generally　work；　the　mass　of　produce　obtained　annually　shows　that　the　islands　must　be　pretty　thickly　inhabited；　especially　along　the　coasts；　as　nine…tenths　of　the　whole　are　marine　productions。

It　was　on　the　2d　of　July　that　we　left　Aru；　followed　by　all　the　Macassar　praus；　fifteen　in　number；　who　had　agreed　to　sail　in　company。　We　passed　south　of　Banda；　　and　then　steered　due　west；　not　seeing　land　for　three　days；　till　we　sighted　some　low　islands　west　of　Bouton。　We　had　a　strong　and　steady　south…east　wind　day　and　night；　which　carried　us　on　at　about　five　knots　an　hour；　where　a　clipper　ship　would　have　made　twelve。　The　sky　was　continually　cloudy；　dark；　and　threatening；　with　occasional　drizzling　showers；　till　we　were　west　of　Bouru；　when　it　cleared　up　and　we　enjoyed　the　bright　sunny　skies　of　the　dry　season　for　the　rest　of　our　voyage。　It　is　about　here；　therefore　that　the　seasons　of　the　eastern　and　western　regions　of　the　Archipelago　are　divided。　West　of　this　line　from　June　to　December　is　generally　fine；　and　often　very　dry；　the　rest　of　the　year　being　the　wet　season。　East　of　it　the　weather　is　exceedingly　uncertain；　each　island；　and　each　side　of　an　island；　having　its　own　peculiarities。　The　difference　seems　to　consist　not　so　much　in　the　distribution　of　the　rainfall　as　in　that　of　the　clouds　and　the　moistness　of　the　atmosphere。　In　Aru；　for　example；　when　we　left；　the　little　streams　were　all　dried　up；　although　the　weather　was　gloomy；　while　in　January；　February；　and　March；　when　we　had　the　hottest　sunshine　and　the　finest　days；　they　were　always　flowing。　The　driest　time　of　all　the　year　in　Aru　occurs　in　September　and　October；　just　as　it　does　in　Java　and　Celebes。　The　rainy　seasons　agree；　therefore；　with　those　of　the　western　islands；　although　the　weather　is　very　different。　The　Molucca　sea