the malay archipelago-2-第43章

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ke　a　woodpecker；　and　the　long　black　riband…like　filaments　in　his　tail　hung　down　in　the　most　graceful　double　curve　imaginable。　I　covered　him　with　my　gun；　and　was　going　to　use　the　barrel　which　had　a　very　small　charge　of　powder　and　number　eight　shot；　so　as　not　to　injure　his　plumage；　but　the　gun　missed　fire；　and　he　was　off　in　an　instant　among　the　thickest　jungle。　Another　day　we　saw　no　less　than　eight　fine　males　at　different　times；　and　fired　four　times　at　them；　but　though　other　birds　at　the　same　distance　almost　always　dropped；　these　all　got　away；　and　I　began　to　think　we　were　not　to　get　this　magnificent　species。　At　length　the　fruit　ripened　on　the　fig…tree　close　by　my　house；　and　many　birds　came　to　feed　on　it；　and　one　morning；　as　I　was　taking　my　coffee；　a　male　Paradise　Bird　was　seen　to　settle　on　its　top。　I　seized　my　gun；　ran　under　the　tree；　and；　gazing　up；　could　see　it　flying　across　from　branch　to　branch；　seizing　a　fruit　here　and　another　there；　and　then；　before　I　could　get　a　sufficient　aim　to　shoot　at　such　a　height　（for　it　was　one　of　the　loftiest　trees　of　the　tropics）；　it　was　away　into　the　forest。　They　now　visited　the　tree　every　morning；　but　they　stayed　so　short　a　time；　their　motions　were　so　rapid；　and　it　was　so　difficult　to　see　them；　owing　to　the　lower　trees；　which　impeded　the　view；　that　it　was　only　after　several　days'　watching；　and　one　or　two　misses；　that　I　brought　down　my　birda　male　in　the　most　magnificent　plumage。

This　bird　differs　very　much　from　the　two　large　species　which　I　had　already　obtained；　and；　although　it　wants　the　grace　imparted　by　their　long　golden　trains；　is　in　many　respects　more　remarkable　and　more　beautiful。　The　head；　back；　and　shoulders　are　clothed　with　a　richer　yellow；　the　deep　metallic　green　colour　of　the　throat　extends　further　over　the　head；　and　the　feathers　are　elongated　on　the　forehead　into　two　little　erectile　crests。　The　side　plumes　are　shorter；　but　are　of　a　rich　red　colour；　terminating　in　delicate　white　points；　and　the　middle　tail…　feathers　are　represented　by　two　long　rigid　glossy　ribands；　which　are　black；　thin；　and　semi…cylindrical；　and　droop　gracefully　in　a　spiral　curve。　Several　other　interesting　birds　were　obtained；　and　about　half…a…dozen　quite　new　ones；　but　none　of　any　remarkable　beauty；　except　the　lovely　little　dove；　Ptilonopus　pulchellus；　which　with　several　other　pigeons　I　shot　on　the　same　fig…tree　close　to　my　house。　It　is　of　a　beautiful　green　colour　above；　with　a　forehead　of　the　richest　crimson；　while　beneath　it　is　ashy　white　and　rich　yellow；　banded　with　violet　red。

On　the　evening　of　our　arrival　at　Muka　I　observed　what　appeared　like　a　display　of　Aurora　Borealis；　though　I　could　hardly　believe　that　this　was　possible　at　a　point　a　little　south　of　the　equator。　The　night　was　clear　and　calm；　and　the　northern　sky　presented　a　diffused　light；　with　a　constant　succession　of　faint　vertical　flashings　or　flickerings；　exactly　similar　to　an　ordinary　aurora　in　England。　The　next　day　was　fine；　but　after　that　the　weather　was　unprecedentedly　bad；　considering　that　it　ought　to　have　been　the　dry　monsoon。　For　near　a　month　we　had　wet　weather；　the　sun　either　not　appearing　at　all；　or　only　for　an　hour　or　two　about　noon。　Morning　and　evening；　as　well　as　nearly　all　night；　it　rained　or　drizzled；　and　boisterous　winds；　with　dark　clouds；　formed　the　daily　programme。　With　the　exception　that　it　was　never　cold；　it　was　just　such　weather　as　a　very　bad　English　November　or　February。

The　people　of　Waigiou　are　not　truly　indigenes　of　the　island；　which　possesses　no　〃Alfuros；〃　or　aboriginal　inhabitants。　They　appear　to　be　a　mixed　race；　partly　from　Gilolo；　partly　from　New　Guinea。　Malays　and　Alfuros　from　the　former　island　have　probably　settled　here；　and　many　of　them　have　taken　Papuan　wives　from　Salwatty　or　Dorey；　while　the　influx　of　people　from　those　places；　and　of　slaves；　has　led　to　the　formation　of　a　tribe　exhibiting　almost　all　the　transitions　from　a　nearly　pure　Malayan　to　an　entirely　Papuan　type。　The　language　spoken　by　them　is　entirely　Papuan；　being　that　which　is　used　on　all　the　coasts　of　Mysol；　Salwatty；　the　north…west　of　New　Guinea；　and　the　islands　in　the　great　Geelvink　Bay；a　fact　which　indicates　the　way　in　which　the　coast　settlements　have　been　formed。　The　fact　that　so　many　of　the　islands　between　New　Guinea　and　the　Moluccassuch　as　Waigiou；　Guebe；　Poppa；　Obi；　Batchian；　as　well　as　the　south　and　east　peninsulas　of　Gilolopossess　no　aboriginal　tribes；　but　are　inhabited　by　people　who　are　evidently　mongrels　and　wanderers；　is　a　remarkable　corroborative　proof　of　the　distinctness　of　the　Malayan　and　Papuan　races；　and　the　separation　of　the　geographical　areas　they　inhabit。　If　these　two　great　races　were　direct　modifications；　the　one　of　the　other；　we　should　expect　to　find　in　the　intervening　region　some　homogeneous　indigenous　race　presenting　intermediate　characters。　For　example；　between　the　whitest　inhabitants　of　Europe　and　the　black　Klings　of　South　India；　there　are　in　the　intervening　districts　homogeneous　races　which　form　a　gradual　transition　from　one　to　the　other；　while　in　America；　although　there　is　a　perfect　transition　from　the　Anglo…　Saxon　to　the　negro；　and　from　the　Spaniard　to　the　Indian；　there　is　no　homogeneous　race　forming　a　natural　transition　from　one　to　the　other。　In　the　Malay　Archipelago　we　have　an　excellent　example　of　two　absolutely　distinct　races；　which　appear　to　have　approached　each　other；　and　intermingled　in　an　unoccupied　territory　at　a　very　recent　epoch　in　the　history　of　man；　and　I　feel　satisfied　that　no　unprejudiced　person　could　study　them　on　the　spot　without　being　convinced　that　this　is　the　true　solution　of　the　problem；　rather　than　the　almost　universally　accepted　view　that　they　are　but　modifications　of　one　and　the　same　race。

The　people　of　Muka　live　in　that　abject　state　of　poverty　that　is　almost　always　found　where　the　sago…tree　is　abundant。　Very　few　of　them　take　the　trouble　to　plant　any　vegetables　or　fruit；　but　live　almost　entirely　on　sago　and　fish；　selling　a　little　tripang　or　tortoiseshell　to　buy　the　scanty　clothing　they　require。　Almost　all　of　them；　however；　possess　one　or　more　Papuan　slaves；　on　whose　labour　they　live　in　almost　absolute　idleness；　just　going　out　on　little　fishing　or　trading　excursions；　as　an　excitement　in　their　monotonous　existence。　They　are　under　the　rule　of　the　Sultan　of　Tidore；　and　every　year　have　to　pay　a　small　tribute　of　Paradise　birds；　tortoiseshell；　or　sago。　To　obtain　these；　they　go　in　the　fine　season　on　a　trading　voyage　to　the　mainland　of　New　Guinea；　and　getting　a　few　goods　on　credit　from　some　Ceram　or　Bugis　trader；　make　hard　bargains　with　the　natives；　and　gain　enough　to　pay　their　tribute；　and　leave　a　little　profit　for　themselves。

Such　a　country　is　not　a　very　pleasant　one　to　live　in；　for　as　there　are　no　superfluities；　there　is　nothing　to　sell；　and　had　it　not　been　for　a　trader　from　Ceram　who　was　residing　there　during　my　stay；　who　had　a　small　vegetable　garden；　and　whose　men　occasionally　got　a　few　spare　fish；　I　should　often　have　had　nothing　to　eat。　Fowls；　fruit；　and　vegetables　are　luxuries　very　rarely　to　be　purchased　at　Muka；　and　even　cocoa…nuts；　so　indispensable　for　eastern　cookery；　are　not　to　be　obtained；　for　though　there　are　some　hundreds　of　trees　in　the　village；　all　the　fruit　is　eaten　green；　to　supply　the　place　of　the　vegetables　the　people　are　too　lazy　to　cultivate。　Without　eggs；　cocoa…nuts；　or　plantains；　we　had　very　short　commons；　and　the　boisterous　weather　being　unpropitious　for　fishing；　we　had　to　live　on　what　few　eatable　birds　we　could　shoot；　with　an　occasional　cuscus；　or　eastern　opossum；　the　only　quadruped；　except　pigs；　inhabiting　the　island。

I　had　only　shot　two　male　Paradiseas　on　my　tree　when　they　ceased　visiting　it；　either　owing　to　the　fruit　becoming　scarce；　or　that　they　were　wise　enough　to　know　there　was　danger。　We　continued　to　hear　and　see　them　in　the　forest；　but　after　a　month　had　not　succeeded　in　shooting　any　more；　and　as　my　chief　object　in　visiting　Waigiou　was　to　get　these　birds；　I　determined　to　go　to　Bessir；　where　there　are　a　number　of　Papuans　who　catch　and　preserve　them。　I　hired　a　small　outrigger　boat　for　this　journey；　and　left　one　of　my　men　to　guard　my　house　and　goods。　We　had　to　wait　several　days　for　fine　weather；　and　at　length　started　early　one　morning；　and　arrived　late　at　night；　after　a　rough　and　disagreeable　passage。　The　village　of　Bessir　was　built　in　the　water　at　the　point　of　a　small　island。　The　chief　food　of　the　people　was　evidently　shell…fish；　since　great　heaps　of　the　shells　had　accumulated　in　the　shallow　water　between　the　houses　and　the　land；　forming　a　regular　〃kitchen…midden　〃for　the　exploration　of　some　future　archeologist。　We　spent　the　night　in　the　chief's　house；　and　the　next　morning　went　over　to　the　mainland　to　look　out　for　a　place　where　I　could　reside。　This　part　of　Waigiou　is　really　another　island　to　the　south　of　the　narrow　channel　we　had　passed　through　in　coming　to　Muka。　It　appears　to　consist　almost　entirely　of　raised　coral；　whereas　the　northern　island　contains　hard　crystalline　rocks。　The　shores　were　a　range　of　low　limestone　cliffs；　worn　out　by　the　water；　so　that　the　upper　part　generally　overhung。　At　distant　intervals　were　little　coves　and　openings；　where　small　streams　came　down　from　the　interior；　and　in　one　of　these　we　landed；　pulling　our　boat　up　on　a　patch　of　white　sandy　beach。　Immediately　above　was　a　large　newly…made　plantation　of　yams　and　plantains；　and　a　small　hot；　which　the　chief　said　we　might　have　the　use　of；　if　it　would　do　for　me。　It　was　quite　a　dwarf's　house；　just　eight　feet　square；　raised　on　posts　so　that　the　floor　was　four　and　a　half　feet　above　the　ground；　and　the　highest　part　of　the　ridge　only　five　feet　above　the　flour。　As　I　am　six　feet　and　an　inch　in　my　stockings；　I　looked　at　this　with　some　dismay；　but　finding　that　the　other　houses　were　much　further　from　water；　were　dreadfully　dirty；　and　were　crowded　with　people；　I　at　once　accepted　the　little　one；　and　determined　to　make　the　best　of　it。　At　first　I　thought　of　taking　out　the　floor；　which　would　leave　it　high　enough　to　walk　in　and　out　without　stooping；　but　then　there　would　not　be　room　enough；　so　I　left　it　just　as　it　was；　had　it　thoroughly　cleaned　out；　and　brought　up　my　baggage。　The　upper　story　I　used　for　sleeping　in；　and　for　a　store…room。　In　the　lower　part　（which　was　quite　open　all　round）　I　fixed　up　a　small　table；　arranged　my　boxes；　put　up　hanging…shelves；　laid　a　mat　on　the　ground　with　my　wicker…chair　upon　it；　hung　up　another　mat　on　the　windward　side；　and　then　found　that；　by　bending　double　and　carefully　creeping　in；　I　could　sit　on　my　chair　with　my　head　just　clear　of　the　ceiling。　Here　I　lived　pretty　comfortably　for　six　weeks；　taking　all　my　meals　and　doing　all　my　work　at　my　little　table；　to　and　from　which　I　had　to　creep　in　a　semi…horizontal　position　a　dozen　times　a　day；　and；　after　a　few　severe　knocks　on　the　head　by　suddenly　rising　from　my　chair；　learnt　to　accommodate　myself　to　circumstances。　We　put　up　a　little　sloping　cooking…but　outside；　and　a　bench　on　which　my　lads　could　skin　their　birds。　At　night　I　went　up　to　my　little　loft；　they　spread　their　mats　on　the；　floor　below；　and　we　none　of　us　grumbled　at　our　lodgings。

My　first　business　was　to　send　for　the　men　who　were　accustomed　to　catch　the　Birds　of　Paradise。　Several　came；　and　I　showed　them　my　hatchets；　beads；　knives；　and　handkerchiefs；　and　explained　to　them；　as　well　as　I　could　by　signs；　the　pri