the malay archipelago-2-第38章

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ghted　to　see　them　return　with　a　Bird　of　Paradise　in　full　plumage；　a　pair　of　the　fine　Papuan　lories　（Lorius　domicella）；　four　other　lories　and　parroquets；　a　grackle　（Gracula　dumonti）；　a　king…hunter　（Dacelo　gaudichaudi）；　a　racquet…tailed　kingfisher　（Tanysiptera　galatea）；　and　two　or　three　other　birds　of　less　beauty。

I　went　myself　to　visit　the　native　village　on　the　hill　behind　Dorey；　and　took　with　me　a　small　present　of　cloth；　knives；　and　beads；　to　secure　the　good…will　of　the　chief；　and　get　him　to　send　some　men　to　catch　or　shoot　birds　for　me。　The　houses　were　scattered　about　among　rudely　cultivated　clearings。　Two　which　I　visited　consisted　of　a　central　passage；　on　each　side　of　which　opened　short　passages；　admitting　to　two　rooms；　each　of　which　was　a　house　accommodating　a　separate　family。　They　were　elevated　at　least　fifteen　feet　above　the　ground；　on　a　complete　forest　of　poles；　and　were　so　rude　and　dilapidated　that　some　of　the　small　passages　had　openings　in　the　floor　of　loose　sticks；　through　which　a　child　might　fall。　The　inhabitants　seemed　rather　uglier　than　those　at　Dorey　village。　They　are；　no　doubt；　the　true　indigenes　of　this　part　of　New　Guinea；　living　in　the　interior；　and　subsisting　by　cultivation　and　hunting。　The　Dorey　men；　on　the　other　hand；　are　shore…dwellers；　fishers　and　traders　in　a　small　way；　and　have　thus　the　character　of　a　colony　who　have　migrated　from　another　district。　These　hillmen　or　〃Arfaks　〃differed　much　in　physical　features。　They　were　generally　black；　but　some　were　brown　like　Malays。　Their　hair；　though　always　more　or　less　frizzly；　was　sometimes　short　and　matted；　instead　of　being　long；　loose；　and　woolly；　and　this　seemed　to　be　a　constitutional　difference；　not　the　effect　of　care　and　cultivation。　Nearly　half　of　them　were　afflicted　with　the　scurfy　skin…disease。　The　old　chief　seemed　much　pleased　with　his　present；　and　promised　（through　an　interpreter　I　brought　with　me）　to　protect　my　men　when　they　came　there　shooting；　and　also　to　procure　me　some　birds　and　animals。　While　conversing；　they　smoked　tobacco　of　their　own　growing；　in　pipes　cut　from　a　single　piece　of　wood　with　a　long　upright　handle。

We　had　arrived　at　Dorey　about　the　end　of　the　wet　season；　when　the　whole　country　was　soaked　with　moisture　The　native　paths　were　so　neglected　as　to　be　often　mere　tunnels　closed　over　with　vegetation；　and　in　such　places　there　was　always　a　fearful　accumulation　of　mud。　To　the　naked　Papuan　this　is　no　obstruction。　He　wades　through　it；　and　the　next　watercourse　makes　him　clean　again；　but　to　myself；　wearing　boots　and　trousers；　it　was　a　most　disagreeable　thing　to　have　to　go　up　to　my　knees　in　a　mud…hole　every　morning。　The　man　I　brought　with　me　to　cut　wood　fell　ill　soon　after　we　arrived；　or　I　would　have　set　him　to　clear　fresh　paths　in　the　worst　places。　For　the　first　ten　days　it　generally　rained　every　afternoon　and　all　night　r　but　by　going　out　every　hour　of　fine　weather；　I　managed　to　get　on　tolerably　with　my　collections　of　birds　and　insects；　finding　most　of　those　collected　by　Lesson　during　his　visit　in　the　Coquille；　as　well　as　many　new　ones。　It　appears；　however；　that　Dorey　is　not　the　place　for　Birds　of　Paradise；　none　of　the　natives　being　accustomed　to　preserve　them。　Those　sold　here　are　all　brought　from　Amberbaki；　about　a　hundred　miles　west；　where　the　Doreyans　go　to　trade。

The　islands　in　the　bay；　with　the　low　lands　near　the　coast；　seem　to　have　been　formed　by　recently　raised　coral　reef's；　and　are　much　strewn　with　masses　of　coral　but　little　altered。　The　ridge　behind　my　house；　which　runs　out　to　the　point；　is　also　entirely　coral　rock；　although　there　are　signs　of　a　stratified　foundation　in　the　ravines；　and　the　rock　itself　is　more　compact　and　crystalline。　It　is　therefore；　probably　older；　a　more　recent　elevation　having　exposed　the　low　grounds　and　islands。　On　the　other　side　of　the　bay　rise　the　great　mass　of　the　Arfak　mountains；　said　by　the　French　navigators　to　be　about　ten　thousand　feet　high；　and　inhabited　by　savage　tribes。　These　are　held　in　great　dread　by　the　Dorey　people；　who　have　often　been　attacked　and　plundered　by　them；　and　have　some　of　their　skulls　hanging　outside　their　houses。　If　I　was　seem　going　into　the　forest　anywhere　in　the　direction　of　the　mountains；　the　little　boys　of　the　village　would　shout　after　me；　〃Arfaki！　Arfaki？〃　just　as　they　did　after　Lesson　nearly　forty　years　before。

On　the　15th　of　May　the　Dutch　war…steamer　Etna　arrived；　but；　as　the　coals　had　gone；　it　was　obliged　to　stay　till　they　came　back。　The　captain　knew　when　the　coalship　was　to　arrive；　and　how　long　it　was　chartered　to　stay　at　Dorey；　and　could　have　been　back　in　time；　but　supposed　it　would　wait　for　him；　and　so　did　not　hurry　himself。　The　steamer　lay　at　anchor　just　opposite　my　house；　and　I　had　the　advantage　of　hearing　the　half…hourly　bells　struck；　which　was　very　pleasant　after　the　monotonous　silence　of　the　forest。　The　captain；　doctor；　engineer；　and　some　other　of　the　officers　paid　me　visits；　the　servants　came　to　the　brook　to　wash　clothes；　and　the　son　of　the　Prince　of　Tidore；　with　one　or　two　companions；　to　bathe；　otherwise　I　saw　little　of　them；　and　was　not　disturbed　by　visitors　so　much　as　I　had　expected　to　be。　About　this　time　the　weather　set　in　pretty　fine；　but　neither　birds　nor　insects　became　much　more　abundant；　and　new　birds　…were　very　scarce。　None　of　the　Birds　of　Paradise　except　the　common　one　were　ever　met　with；　and　we　were　still　searching　in　vain　for　several　of　the　fine　birds　which　Lesson　had　obtained　here。　Insects　were　tolerably　abundant；　but　were　not　on　the　average　so　fine　as　those　of　Amboyna；　and　I　reluctantly　came　to　the　conclusion　that　Dorey　was　not　a　good　collecting　locality。　Butterflies　were　very　scarce；　arid　were　mostly　the　same　as　those　which　I　had　obtained　at　Aru。

Among　the　insects　of　other　orders；　the　most　curious　and　novel　were　a　group　of　horned　flies；　of　which　I　obtained　four　distinct　species；　settling　on　fallen　trees　and　decaying　trunks。　These　remarkable　insects；　which　have　been　described　by　Mr。　W。　W。　Saunders　as　a　new　genus；　under　the　name　of　Elaphomia　or　deer…　flies；　are　about　half　an　inch　long；　slender…bodied；　and　with　very　long　legs；　which　they　draw　together　so　as　to　elevate　their　bodies　high　above　the　surface　they　are　standing　upon。　The　front　pair　of　legs　are　much　shorter；　and　these　are　often　stretched　directly　forwards；　so　as　to　resemble　antenna。　The　horns　spring　from　beneath　the　eye；　and　seem　to　be　a　prolongation　of　the　lower　part　of　the　orbit。　In　the　largest　and　most　singular　species；　named　Elaphomia　cervicornis　or　the　stag…horned　deer…fly；　these　horns　are　nearly　as　long　as　the　body；　having　two　branches；　with　two　small　snags　near　their　bifurcation；　so　as　to　resemble　the　horns　of　a　stag。　They　are　black；　with　the　tips　pale；　while　the　body　and　legs　are　yellowish　brown；　and　the　eyes　（when　alive）　violet　and　green。　The　next　species　（Elaphomia　wallacei）　is　of　a　dark　brown　colour；　banded　and　spotted　with　yellow。　The　horns　are　about　one…　third　the　length　of　the　insect；　broad；　flat；　and　of　an　elongated　triangular　foam。　They　are　of　a　beautiful　pink　colour；　edged　with　black；　and　with　a　pale　central　stripe。　The　front　part　of　the　head　is　also　pink；　and　the　eyes　violet　pink；　with　a　green　stripe　across　them；　giving　the　insect　a　very　elegant　and　singular　appearance。　The　third　species　（Elaphomia　alcicornis；　the　elk…　horned　deer…fly）　is　a　little　smaller　than　the　two　already　described；　but　resembling　in　colour　Elaphomia　wallacei。　The　horns　are　very　remarkable；　being　suddenly　dilated　into　a　flat　plate；　strongly　toothed　round　the　outer　margin；　and　strikingly　resembling　the　horns　of　the　elk；　after　which　it　has　been　named。　They　are　of　a　yellowish　colour；　margined　with　brown；　and　tipped　with　black　on　the　three　upper　teeth。　The　fourth　species　（Elaphomia　brevicornis；　the　short…horned　deer…fly）　differs　considerably　from　the　rest。　It　is　stouter　in　form；　of　a　nearly　black　colour；　with　a　yellow　ring　at　the　base　of　the　abdomen；　the　wings　have　dusky　stripes；　and　the　head　is　compressed　and　dilated　laterally；　with　very　small　flat　horns；　which　are　black　with　a　pale　centre；　and　look　exactly　like　the　rudiment　of　the　horns　of　the　two　preceding　species。　None　of　the　females　have　any　trace　of　the　horns；　ane　Mr。　Saunders　places　in　the　same　genus　a　species　which　has　no　horns　in　either　sex　（Elaphomia　polita）。　It　is　of　a　shining　black　colour；　and　resembles　Elaphomia　cervicornis　in　form；　size；　and　general　appearance。　The　figures　above　given　represent　these　insects　of　their　natural　size　and　in　characteristic　attitudes。

The　natives　seldom　brought　me　anything。　They　are　poor　creatures；　and；　rarely　shoot　a　bird；　pig；　or　kangaroo；　or　even　the　sluggish　opossum…like　Cuscus。　The　tree…kangaroos　are　found　here；　but　must　be　very　scarce；　as　my　hunters；　although　out　daily　in　the　forest；　never　once　saw　them。　Cockatoos；　lories；　and　parroquets　were　really　the　only　common　birds。　Even　pigeons　were　scarce；　and　in　little　variety；　although　we　occasionally　got　the　fine　crown　pigeon；　which　was　always　welcome　as　an　addition　to　our　scantily　furnished　larder。

Just　before　the　steamer　arrived　I　had　wounded　my　ankle　by　clambering　among　the　trunks　and　branches　of　fallen　trees　（which　formed　my　best　hunting　grounds　for　insects）；　and；　as　usual　with　foot　wounds　in　this　climate；　it　turned　into　an　obstinate　ulcer；　keeping　me　in　the　house　for　several　days。　When　it　healed　up　it　was　followed　by　an　internal　inflammation　of　the　foot；　which　by　the　doctor's　advice　I　poulticed　incessantly　for　four　or　five　days；　bringing　out　a　severe　inflamed　swelling　on　the　tendon　above　the　heel。　This　had　to　be　leeched；　and　lanced；　and　doctored　with　ointments　and　poultices　for　several　weeks；　till　I　was　almost　driven　to　despair；for　the　weather　was　at　length　fine；　and　I　was　tantalized　by　seeing　grand　butterflies　flying　past　my　door；　and　thinking　of　the　twenty　or　thirty　new　species　of　insects　that　I　ought　to　be　getting　every　day。　And　this；　too；　in　New　Guineaa　country　which　I　might　never　visit　again；a　country　which　no　naturalist　had　ever　resided　in　before；a　country　which　contained　more　strange　and　new　and　beautiful　natural　objects　than　any　other　part　of　the　globe。　The　naturalist　will　be　able　to　appreciate　my　feelings；　sitting　from　morning　to　night　in　my　little　hut；　unable　to　move　without　a　crutch；　and　my　only　solace　the　birds　my　hunters　brought　in　every　afternoon；　and　the　few　insects　caught　by　my　Ternate　man；　Lahagi；　who　now　went　out　daily　in　my　place；　but　who　of　course　did　not　get　a　fourth　part　of　what　I　should　have　obtained。　To　add　to　my　troubles　all　my　men　were　more　or　less　ill；　some　with　fever；　others　with　dysentery　or　ague；　at　one　time　there　were　three　of　them　besides　myself　all　helpless；　the　coon　alone　being　well；　and　having　enough　to　do　to　wait　upon　us。　The　Prince　of　Tidore　and　the　Resident　of　Panda　were　both　on　board　the　steamer；　and　were　seeking　Birds　of　Paradise；　sending　men　round　in　every　direction；　so　that　there　was　no　chance　of　my　getting　even　native　skins　of　the　rarer　kinds；　and　any　birds；　insects；　or　animals　the　Dorey　people　had　to　sell　were　taken　on　board　the　steamer；　where　purchasers　were　found　for　everything；　and　where　a　larger　variety　of　articles　were　offered　in　exchange　than　I　had　to　show。

After　a　month's　close　confinement　in　the　house　I　was　at　length　able　to　go　out　a　little；　and　about　the　same　time　I　succeeded　in　getting　a　boat　and　six　natives　to　take　Ali