the malay archipelago-2-第20节

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sing。　A　low　hut　with　a　very　rotten　roof；　showing　the　sky　through　in　several　places；　was　the　only　one　I　could　obtain。　Luckily　it　did　not　rain　that　night；　and　the　next　day　we　pulled　down　some　of　the　walls　to　repair　the　roof；　which　was　of　immediate　importance；　especially　over　our　beds　and　table。

About　half　a　mile　from　the　house　was　a　fine　mountain　stream；　running　swiftly　over　a　bed　of　rocks　and　pebbles；　and　beyond　this　was　a　hill　covered　with　fine　forest。　By　carefully　picking　my　way　I　could　wade　across　this　river　without　getting　much　above　my　knees；　although　I　would　sometimes　slip　off　a　rock　and　go　into　a　hole　up　to　my　waist；　and　about　twice　a　week　I　went　across　it　in　order　to　explore　the　forest。　Unfortunately　there　were　no　paths　here　of　any　extent；　and　it　did　not　prove　very　productive　either　in　insects　or　birds。　To　add　to　my　difficulties　I　had　stupidly　left　my　only　pair　of　strong　hoots　on　board　the　steamer；　and　my　others　were　by　this　time　all　dropping　to　pieces；　so　that　I　was　obliged　to　walk　about　barefooted；　and　in　constant　fear　of　hurting　my　feet；　and　causing　a　wound　which　might　lay　me　up　for　weeks；　as　had　happened　in　Borneo；　Are；　and　Dorey。　Although　there　were　numerous　plantations　of　maize　and　plantains；　there　were　no　new　clearings；　and　as　without　these　it　is　almost　impossible　to　find　many　of　the　best　kinds　of　insects；　I　determined　to　make　one　myself；　and　with　much　difficulty　engaged　two　men　to　clear　a　patch　of　forest；　from　which　I　hoped　to　obtain　many　fine　beetles　before　I　left。

During　the　whole　of　my　stay；　however；　insects　never　became　plentiful。　My　clearing　produced　me　a　few　fine；　longicorns　and　Buprestidae；　different　from　any　I　had　before　seen；　together　with　several　of　the　Amboyna　species；　but　by　no　means　so　numerous　or；　so　beautiful　as　I　had　found　in　that　small　island。　For　example；　I　collected　only　210　different　kinds　of　beetles　during　my　two　months'　stay　at　Bourn；　while　in　three　weeks　at　Amboyna；　in　1857；　I　found　more　than　300　species：　One　of　the　finest　insects　found　at　Bouru　was　a　large　Cerambyx；　of　a　deep　shining　chestnut　colour；　and　with　very　long　antennae。　It　varied　greatly　in　size；　the　largest　specimens　being　three　inches　long；　while　the　smallest　were　only　an　inch；　the　antenna　varying　from　one　and　a　half　to　five　inches。

One　day　my　boy　Ali　came　home　with　a　story　of　a　big　snake。　He　was　walking　through　some　high　grass；　and　stepped　on　something　which　he　took　for　a　small　fallen　tree；　but　it　felt　cold　and　yielding　to　his　feet；　and　far　to　the　right　and　left　there　was　a　waving　and　rustling　of　the　herbage。　He　jumped　back　in　affright　and　prepared　to　shoot；　but　could　not　get　a　good　vies　of　the　creature；　and　it　passed　away；　he　said；　like　a　tree　being　dragged　along　through　the　grass。　As　he　lead　several　times　already　shot　large　snakes；　which　he　declared　were　all　as　nothing　compared　with　this；　I　am　inclined　to　believe　it　must　really　have　been　a　monster。　Such　creatures　are　rather　plentiful　here；　for　a　man　living　close　by　showed　me　on　his　thigh　the　marks　where　he　bad　been　seized　by　one　close　to　his　house。　It　was　big　enough　to　take　the　man's　thigh　in　its　mouth；　and　he　would　probably　have　been　killed　and　devoured　by　it　had　not　his　cries　brought　out　his　neighbours；　who　destroyed　it　with　their　choppers。　As　far　as　I　could　make　out　it　was　about　twenty　feet　long；　but　Ali's　was　probably　much　larger。

It　sometimes　amuses　me　to　observe　how；　a　few　days　after　I　have　taken　possession　of　it；　a　native　hut　seems　quite　a　comfortable　home。　My　house　at　Waypoti　was　a　bare　shed；　with　a　large　bamboo　platform　at　one　side。　At　one　end　of　this　platform；　which　was　elevated　about　three　feet；　I　fixed　up　my　mosquito　curtain；　and　partly　enclosed　it　with　a　large　Scotch　plaid；　making　a　comfortable　little　sleeping　apartment。　I　put　up　a　rude　table　on　legs　buried　in　the　earthen　floor；　and　had　my　comfortable　rattan…　chair　for　a　seat。　A　line　across　one　corner　carried　my　daily…　washed　cotton　clothing；　and　on　a　bamboo　shelf　was　arranged　my　small　stock　of　crockery　and　hardware：　Boxes　were　ranged　against　the　thatch　walls；　and　hanging　shelves；　to　preserve　my　collections　from　ants　while　drying；　were　suspended　both　without　and　within　the　house。　On　my　table　lay　books；　penknives；　scissors；　pliers；　and　pins；　with　insect　and　bird　labels；　all　of　which　were　unsolved　mysteries　to　the　native　mind。

Most　of　the　people　here　had　never　seen　a　pin；　and　the　better　informed　took　a　pride　in　teaching　their　more　ignorant　companions　the　peculiarities　and　uses　of　that　strange　European　productiona　needle　with　a　head；　but　no　eye！　Even　paper；　which　we　throw　away　hourly　as　rubbish；　was　to　them　a　curiosity；　and　I　often　saw　them　picking　up　little　scraps　which　had　been　swept　out　of　the　house；　and　carefully　putting　them　away　in　their　betel…pouch。　Then　when　I　took　my　morning　coffee　and　evening　tea；　how　many　were　the　strange　things　displayed　to　them！　Teapot；　teacups；　teaspoons；　were　all　more　or　less　curious　in　their　eyes；　tea；　sugar；　biscuit；　and　butter；　were　articles　of　human　consumption　seen　by　many　of　them　for　the　first　time。　One　asks　if　that　whitish　powder　is　〃gula　passir〃　（sand…sugar）；　so　called　to　distinguish　it　from　the　coarse　lump　palm…sugar　or　molasses　of　native　manufacture；　and　the　biscuit　is　considered　a　sort　of　European　sago…cake；　which　the　inhabitants　of　those　remote　regions　are　obliged　to　use　in　the　absence　of　the　genuine　article。　My　pursuit；　were　of　course　utterly　beyond　their　comprehension。　They　continually　asked　me　what　white　people　did　with　the　birds　and　insects　I　tools　so　much　care　to　preserve。　If　I　only　kept　what　was　beautiful；　they　might　perhaps　comprehend　it；　but　to　see　ants　and　files　and　small　ugly　insects　put　away　so　carefully　was　a　great　puzzle　to　them；　and　they　were　convinced　that　there　must　be　some　medical　or　magical　use　for　them　which　I　kept　a　profound　secret。　These　people　were　in　fact　as　completely　unacquainted　with　civilized　life　as　the　Indians　of　the　Rocky　Mountains；　or　the　savages　of　Central　Africa…　…yet　a　steamship；　that　highest　triumph　of　human　ingenuity；　with　its　little　floating　epitome　of　European　civilization；　touches　monthly　at　Cajeli；　twenty　miles　off；　while　at　Amboyna；　only　sixty　miles　distant；　a　European　population　and　government　have　been　established　for　more　than　three　hundred　years。

Having　seen　a　good　many　of　the　natives　of　Bouru　from　different　villages；　and　from　distant　parts　of　the　island；　I　feel　convinced　that　they　consist　of　two　distinct　races　now　partially　amalgamated。　The　larger　portion　are　Malays　of　the　Celebes　type；　often　exactly　similar　to　the　Tomóre　people　of　East　Celebes；　whom　I　found　settled　in　Batchian；　while　others　altogether　resemble　the　Alfuros　of　Ceram。

The　influx　of　two　races　can　easily　be　accounted　for。　The　Sula　Islands；　which　are　closely　connected　with　East　Celebes；　approach　to　within　forty　miles　of　the　north　coast　of　Bouru；　while　the　island　of　Manipa　offers　an　easy　point　of　departure　for　the　people　of　Ceram。　I　was　confirmed　in　this　view　by　finding　that　the　languages　of　Bouru　possessed　distinct　resemblances　to　that　of　Sula；　as　well　as　to　those　of　Ceram。

Soon　after　we　had　arrived　at　Waypoti；　Ali　had　seen　a　beautiful　little　bird　of　the　genus　Pitta；　which　I　was　very　anxious　to　obtain；　as　in　almost　every　island　the　species　are　different；　and　none　were　yet　known　from　Bourn。　He　and　my　other　hunter　continued　to　see　it　two　or　three　times　a　week；　and　to　hear　its　peculiar　note　much　oftener；　but　could　never　get　a　specimen；　owing　to　its　always　frequenting　the　most　dense　thorny　thickets；　where　only　hasty　glimpses　of　it　could　be　obtained；　and　at　so　short　a　distance　that　it　would　be　difficult　to　avoid　blowing　the　bird　to　pieces。　Ali　was　very　much　annoyed　that　he　could　not　get　a　specimen　of　this　bird；　in　going　after　which　he　had　already　severely；　wounded　his　feet　with　thorns；　and　when　we　had　only　two　days　more　to　stay；　he　went　of　his　own　accord　one　evening　to　sleep　at　a　little　but　in　the　forest　some　miles　off；　in　order　to　have　a　last　try　for　it　at　daybreak；　when　many　birds　come　out　to　feed；　and　are　very　intent　on　their　morning　meal。　The　next　evening　he　brought　me　home　two　specimens；　one　with　the　head　blown　completely　off；　and　otherwise　too　much　injured　to　preserve；　the　other　in　very　good　order；　and　which　I　at　once　saw　to　be　a　new　species；　very　like　the　Pitta　celebensis；　but　ornamented　with　a　square　patch　of　bright　red　on　the　nape　of　the　neck。

The　next　day　after　securing　this　prize　we　returned　to　Cajeli；　and　packing　up　my　collections　left　Bouru　by　the　steamer。　During　our　two　days'　stay　at　Ternate；　I　took　on　board　what　baggage　I　had　left　there；　and　bade　adieu　to　all　my　friends。　We　then　crossed　over　to　Menado；　on　our　way　to　Macassar　and　Java；　and　I　finally　quitted　the　Moluccas；　among　whose　luxuriant　and　beautiful　islands　I　had　wandered　for　more　than　three　years。

My　collections　in　Bouru；　though　not　extensive；　were　of　considerable　interest；　for　out　of　sixty…six　species　of　birds　which　I　collected　there；　no　less　than　seventeen　were　new；　or　had　not　been　previously　found　in　any　island　of　the　Moluccas。　Among　these　were　two　kingfishers；　Tanysiptera　acis　and　Ceyx　Cajeli；　a　beautiful　sunbird；　Nectarines　proserpina；　a　handsome　little　black　and　white　flycatcher；　Monarcha　loricata；　whose　swelling　throat　was　beautifully　scaled　with　metallic　blue；　and　several