the malay archipelago-2-第35节

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　back　the　cloth　which　the　〃Orang…　kaya〃　had　transferred　to　him　in　prepayment。　This　had　the　desired　effect；　matters　were　soon　arranged；　and　we　started　the　next　morning。　The　wind；　however；　was　dead　against　us；　and　after　rowing　hard　till　midday　we　put　in　to　a　small　river　where　there　were　few　huts；　to　cook　our　dinners。　The　place　did　not　look　very　promising；　but　as　we　could　not　reach　our　destination；　the　Watelai　river；　owing　to　the　contrary　wind；　I　thought　we　might　as　well　wait　here　a　day　or　two。　I　therefore　paid　a　chopper　for　the　use　of　a　small　shed；　and　got　my　bed　and　some　boxes　on　shore。　In　the　evening；　after　dark；　we　were　suddenly　alarmed　by　the　cry　of　〃Bajak！　bajak！〃　（Pirates！）　The　men　all　seized　their　bows　and　spears；　and　rushed　down　to　the　beach；　we　got　hold　of　our　guns　and　prepared　for　action；　but　in　a　few　minutes　all　came　back　laughing　and　chattering；　for　it　had　proved　to　be　only　a　small　boat　and　some　of　their　own　comrades　returned　from　fishing。　When　all　was　quiet　again；　one　of　the　men；　who　could　speak　a　little　Malay；　came　to　me　and　begged　me　not　to　sleep　too　hard。　〃Why？〃　said　I。　〃Perhaps　the　pirates　may　really　come；〃　said　he　very　seriously；　which　made　me　laugh　and　assure　him　I　should　sleep　as　hard　as　I　could。

Two　days　were　spent　here；　but　the　place　was　unproductive　of　insects　or　birds　of　interest；　so　we　made　another　attempt　to　get　on。　As　soon　as　we　got　a　little　away　from　the　land　we　had　a　fair　wind；　and　in　six　hours'　sailing　reached　the　entrance　of　the　Watelai　channel；　which　divides　the　most　northerly　from　the　middle　portion　of　Aru。　At　its　mouth　this　was　about　half　a　mile　wide；　but　soon　narrowed；　and　a　mile　or　two　on　it　assumed　entirely　the　aspect　of　a　river　about　the　width　of　the　Thames　at　London；　winding　among　low　but　undulating　and　often　hilly　country。　The　scene　was　exactly　such　as　might　be　expected　in　the　interior　of　a　continent。　The　channel　continued　of　a　uniform　average　width；　with　reaches　and　sinuous　bends；　one　bank　being　often　precipitous；　or　even　forming　vertical　cliffs；　while　the　other　was　flat　and　apparently　alluvial；　and　it　was　only　the　pure　salt…water；　and　the　absence　of　any　stream　but　the　slight　flux　and　reflux　of　the　tide；　that　would　enable　a　person　to　tell　that　he　was　navigating　a　strait　and　not　a　river。　The　wind　was　fair；　and　carried　us　along；　with　occasional　assistance　from　our　oars；　till　about　three　in　the　afternoon；　when　we　landed　where　a　little　brook　formed　two　or　three　basins　in　the　coral　rock；　and　then　fell　in　a　miniature　cascade　into　the　salt　water　river。　Here　we　bathed　and　cooked　our　dinner；　and　enjoyed　ourselves　lazily　till　sunset；　when　we　pursued　our　way　for　two　hours　snore；　and　then　moored　our　little　vessel　to　an　overhanging　tree　for　the　night。

At　five　the　next　morning　we　started　again；　and　in　an　hour　overtook　four　large　praus　containing　the　〃Commissie；〃　who　had　come　from　Dobbo　to　make　their　official　tour　round　the　islands；　and　had　passed　us　in　the　eight。　I　paid　a　visit　to　the　Dutchmen；　one　of　whom　spoke　a　little　English；　but　we　found　that　we　could　get　on　much　better　with　Malay。　They　told　me　that　they　had　been　delayed　going　after　the　pirates　to　one　of　the　northern　islands；　and　had　seen　three　of　their　vessels　but　could　not　catch　them；　because　on　being　pursued　they　rowed　out　in　the　wind's　eye；　which　they　are　enabled　to　do　by　having　about　fifty　oars　to　each　boat。　Having　had　some　tea　with　thorn；　I　bade　them　adieu；　and　turned　up　a　narrow　channel　which　our　pilot　said　would　take　us　to　the　village　of　Watelai；　on　the　west　side…　of　Are。　After　going　some　miles　we　found　the　channel　nearly　blocked　up　with　coral；　so　that　our　boat　grated　along　the　bottom；　crunching　what　may　truly　be　called　the　living　rock。　Sometimes　all　hands　had　to　get　out　and　wade；　to　lighten　the　vessel　and　lift　it　over　the　shallowest　places；　but　at　length　we　overcame　all　obstacles　and　reached　a　wide　bay　or　estuary　studded　with　little　rocks　and　islets；　and　opening　to　the　western　sea　and　the　numerous　islands　of　the　〃blakang…tuna。〃　I　now　found　that　the　village　we　were　going　to　was　miles　away；　that　we　should　have　to　go　out　to　sea；　and　round　a　rocky　point。　A　squall　seemed　coming　on；　and　as　I　have　a　horror　of　small　boats　at　sea；　and　from　all　I　could　learn　Watelai　village　was　not　a　place　to　stop　at　（no　birds　of　Paradise　being　found　there）；　I　determined　to　return　and　go　to　a　village　I　had　heard　of　up　a　tributary　of　the　Watelai　river；　and　situated　nearly　in　the　centre　of　the　mainland　of　Aru。　The　people　there　were　said　to　be　good；　and　to　be　accustomed　to　hunting　and　bird…catching；　being　too　far　inland　to　get　any　part　of　their　food　from　the　sea。　While　I　was　deciding　this　point　the　squall　burst　upon　us；　and　soon　raised　a　rolling　sea　in　the　shallow　water；　which　upset　an　oil　bottle　and　a　lamp；　broke　some　of　my　crockery；　and　threw　us　all　into　confusion。　Rowing　hard　we　managed　to　get　back　into　the　main　river　by　dusk；　and　looked　out　for　a　place　to　cook　our　suppers。　It　happened　to　be　high　water；　and　a　very　high　tide；　so　that　every　piece　of　sand　or　beach　was　covered；　and　it　was　with　the　greatest　difficulty；　and　after　much　groping　in　the　dark；　that　we　discovered　a　little　sloping　piece　of　rock　about　two　feet　square　on　which　to　make　a　fire　and　cook　some　rice。　The　next　day　we　continued　our　way　back；　and　on　the　following　day　entered　a　stream　on　the　south　side　of　the　Watelai　river；　and　ascending　to　where　navigation　ceased　found　the　little　village　of　Wanumbai；　consisting　of　two　large　houses　surrounded　by　plantations；　amid　the　virgin　forests　of　Aru。

As　I　liked　the　look　of　the　place；　and　was　desirous　of　staying　some　time；　I　sent　my　pilot　to　try　and　make　a　bargain　for　house　accommodation。　The　owner　and　chief　man　of　the　place　made　many　excuses。　First；　be　was　afraid　I　would　not　like　his　house；　and　then　was　doubtful　whether　his　son；　who　was　away；　would　like　his　admitting　me。　I　had　a　long　talk　with　him　myself；　and　tried　to　explain　what　I　was　doing；　and　how　many　things　I　would　buy　of　them；　and　showed　him　my　stock　of　heads；　and　knives；　and　cloth；　and　tobacco；　all　of　which　I　would　spend　with　his　family　and　friends　if　he　would　give　me　house…room。　He　seemed　a　little　staggered　at　this；　and　said　he；　would　talk　to　his　wife；　and　in　the　meantime　I　went　for　a　little　walk　to　see　the　neighbourhood。　When　I　carne　back；　I　again　sent　my　pilot；　saying　that　I　would　go　away　if　he　would　not　dive　me　part　of　his　house。　In　about　half　an　hour　he　returned　with　a　demand　for　about　half　the　cost　of　building　a　house；　for　the　rent　of　a　small　portion　of　it　for　a　few　weeks。　As　the　only　difficulty　now　was　a　pecuniary　one；　I　got　out　about　ten　yards　of　cloth；　an　axe；　with　a　few　beads　and　some　tobacco；　and　sent　them　as　my　final　offer　for　the　part　of　the　house　which　I　had　before　pointed　out。　This　was　accepted　after　a　little　more　talk；　and　I　immediately　proceeded　to　take　possession。

The　house　was　a　good　large　one；　raised　as　usual　about　seven　feet　on　posts；　the　walls　about　three　or　four　feet　more；　with　a　high…　pitched　roof。　The　floor　was　of　bamboo　laths；　and　in　the　sloping　roof　way　an　immense　shutter；　which　could　be　lifted　and　propped　up　to　admit　light　and　air。　At　the　end　where　this　was　situated　the　floor　was　raised　about　a　foot；　and　this　piece；　about　ten　feet　wide　by　twenty　long；　quite　open　to　the　rest　of　the　house；　was　the　portion　I　was　to　occupy。　At　one　end　of　this　piece；　separated　by　a　thatch　partition；　was　a　cooking　place；　with　a　clay　floor　and　shelves　for　crockery。　At　the　opposite　end　I　had　my　mosquito　curtain　hung；　and　round　the　walls　we　arranged　my　boxes　and　other　stores；　fated　up　a　table　and　seat；　and　with　a　little　cleaning　and　dusting　made　the　place　look　quite　comfortable。　My　boat　was　then　hauled　up　on　shore；　and　covered　with　palm…leaves；　the　sails　and　oars　brought　indoors；　a　hanging…stage　for　drying　my　specimens　erected　outside　the　house　and　another　inside；　and　my　boys　were　set　to　clean　their　gnus　and　get　ail　ready　for　beginning　work。

The　next　day　I　occupied　myself　in　exploring　the　paths　in　the　immediate　neighbourhood。　The　small　river　up　which　we　had　ascended　ceases　to　be　navigable　at　this　point；　above　which　it　is　a　little　rocky　brook；　which　quite　dries　up　in　the　hot　season。　There　was　now；　however；　a　fair　stream　of　water　in　it；　and　a　path　which　was　partly　in　and　partly　by　the　side　of　the　water；　promised　well　for　insects；　as　I　here　saw　the　magnificent　blue　butterfly；　Papilio　ulysses；　as　well　as　several　other　fine　species；　flopping　lazily　along；　sometimes　resting　high　up　on　the　foliage　which　drooped　over　the　water；　at　others　settling　down　on　the　damp　rock　or　on　the　edges　of　muddy　pools。　A　little　way　on　several　paths　branched　off　through　patches　of　second…growth　forest　to　cane…fields；　gardens；　and　scattered　houses；　beyond　which　again　the　dark　wall　of　verdure　striped　with　tree…trunks；　marked　out　the　limits　of　the　primeval　forests。　The　voices　of　many　birds　promised　good　shooting；　and　on　my　return　I　found　that　my　boy　s　had　already　obtained　two　or　three　kinds　I　had　not　seen　before；　and　in　the　evening　a　native　brought　me　a　rare　and　beautiful　species　of　ground…thrush　（Pitta　novaeguinaeae）　hitherto　only　known　from　New　Guinea。

As　I　improved　my　acquaintance　with　them　I　became　much　interested　in　these　people；　who　are　a　fair　sample　of　the　true　savage　inhabitants　of　the　Aru　Islands；　tolerably　free　from　foreig