the malay archipelago-2-第6节

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metimes　there　was　a　little　coralline　limestone；　but　no　volcanic　rocks。　The　forest　had　a　dense　luxuriance　and　loftiness　seldom　found　on　the　dry　and　porous　lavas　and　raised　coral　reefs　of　Ternate　and　Gilolo；　and　hoping　for　a　corresponding　richness　in　the　birds　and　insects；　it　was　with　much　satisfaction　and　with　considerable　expectation　that　I　began　my　explorations　in　the　hitherto　unknown　island　of　Batchian。

CHAPTER　XXIV。

BATCHIAN。

（OCTOBER　1858　To　APRIL　1859。）

I　LANDED　opposite　the　house　kept　for　the　use　of　the　Resident　of　Ternate；　and　was　met　by　a　respectable　middle…aged　Malay；　who　told　me　he　was　Secretary　to　the　Sultan；　and　would　receive　the　official　letter　with　which　I　had　been　provided。　On　giving　it　him；　he　at　once　informed　me　I　might　have　the　use　of　the　official　residence　which　was　empty。　I　soon　got　my　things　on　shore；　but　on　looking　about　me　found　that　the　house　would　never　do　to　stay　long　in。　There　was　no　water　except　at　a　considerable　distance；　and　one　of　my　men　would　be　almost　entirely　occupied　getting　water　and　firewood；　and　I　should　myself　have　to　walk　all　through　the　village　every　day　to　the　forest；　and　live　almost　in　public；　a　thing　I　much　dislike。　The　rooms　were　all　boarded；　and　had　ceilings；　which　are　a　great　nuisance；　as　there　are　no　means　of　hanging　anything　up　except　by　driving　nails；　and　not　half　the　conveniences　of　a　native　bamboo　and　thatch　cottage。　I　accordingly　inquired　for　a　house　outside　of　the　village　on　the　road　to　the　coal　mines；　and　was　informed　by　the　Secretary　that　there　was　a　small　one　belonging　to　the　Sultan；　and　that　he　would　go　with　me　early　next　morning　to　see　it。

We　had　to　pass　one　large　river；　by　a　rude　but　substantial　bridge；　and　to　wade　through　another　fine　pebbly　stream　of　clear　water；　just　beyond　which　the　little　but　was　situated。　It　was　very　small；　not　raised　on　posts；　but　with　the　earth　for　a　floor；　and　was　built　almost　entirely　of　the　leaf…stems　of　the　sago…palm；　called　here　〃gaba…gaba。〃　Across　the　river　behind　rose　a　forest…clad　bank；　and　a　good　road　close　in　front　of　the　horse　led　through　cultivated　grounds　to　the　forest　about　half　a　mile　on；　and　thence　to　the　coal　mines　tour　miles　further。　These　advantages　at　once　decided　me；　and　I　told　the　Secretary　I　would　be　very　glad　to　occupy　the　house。　I　therefore　sent　my　two　men　immediately　to　buy　〃ataps〃　（palm…leaf　thatch）　to　repair　the　roof；　and　the　next　day；　with　the　assistance　of　eight　of　the　Sultan's　men；　got　all　my　stores　and　furniture　carried　up　and　pretty　comfortably　arranged。　A　rough　bamboo　bedstead　was　soon　constructed；　and　a　table　made　of　boards　which　I　had　brought　with　me；　fixed　under　the　window。　Two　bamboo　chairs；　an　easy　cane　chair；　and　hanging　shelves　suspended　with　insulating　oil　cups；　so　as　to　be　safe　from　ants；　completed　my　furnishing　arrangements。

In　the　afternoon　succeeding　my　arrival；　the　Secretary　accompanied　me　to　visit　the　Sultan。　We　were　kept　waiting　a　few　minutes　in　an　outer　gate…house；　and　then　ushered　to　the　door　of　a　rude；　half…　fortified　whitewashed　house。　A　small　table　and　three　chairs　were　placed　in　a　large　outer　corridor；　and　an　old　dirty…faced　man　with　grey　hair　and　a　grimy　beard；　dressed　in　a　speckled　blue　cotton　jacket　and　loose　red　trousers；　came　forward；　shook　hands；　and　asked　me　to　be　coated。　After　a　quarter　of　an　hour's　conversation　on　my　pursuits；　in　which　his　Majesty　seemed　to　take　great　interest；　tea　and　cakes…of　rather　better　quality　than　usual　on　such　occasions…were　brought　in。　I　thanked　him　for　the　house；　and　offered　to　show　him　my　collections；　which　he　promised　to　come　and　look　at。　He　then　asked　me　to　teach　him　to　take　views…to　make　maps…to　get　him　a　small　gun　from　England；　and　a　milch…goat　from　Bengal；　all　of　which　requests　I　evaded　as　skilfully　as　I　was　able；　and　we　parted　very　good　friends。　He　seemed　a　sensible　old　man；　and　lamented　the　small　population　of　the　island；　which　he　assured　me　was　rich　in　many　valuable　minerals；　including　gold；　but　there　were　not　people　enough　to　look　after　them　and　work　them。　I　described　to　him　the　great　rush　of　population　on　the　discovery　of　the　Australian　gold　mines；　and　the　huge　nuggets　found　there；　with　which　he　was　much　interested；　and　exclaimed；　〃Oh？　if　we　had　but　people　like　that；　my　country　would　be　quite　as　rich　〃

The　morning　after　I　had　got　into　my　new　house；　I　sent　my　boys　out　to　shoot；　and　went　myself　to　explore　the　road　to　the　coal　mines。　In　less　than　half　a　mile　it　entered　the　virgin　forest；　at　a　place　where　some　magnificent　trees　formed　a　kind　of　natural　avenue。　The　first　part　was　flat　and　swampy；　but　it　soon　rose　a　little；　and　ran　alongside　the　fine　stream　which　passed　behind　my　house；　and　which　here　rushed　and　gurgled　over　a　rocky　or　pebbly　bed；　sometimes　leaving　wide　sandbanks　on　its　margins；　and　at　other　places　flowing　between　high　banks　crowned　with　a　varied　and　magnificent　forest　vegetation。　After　about　two　miles；　the　valley　narrowed；　and　the　road　was　carried　along　the　steep　hill…side　which　rose　abruptly　from　the　water's　edge。　In　some　places　the　rock　had　been　cut　away；　but　its　surface　was　already　covered　with　elegant　ferns　and　creepers。　Gigantic　tree…ferns　were　abundant；　and　the　whole　forest　had　an　air　of　luxuriance　and　rich　variety　which　it　never　attains　in　the　dry　volcanic　soil　to　which　I　had　been　lately　accustomed。　A　little　further　the　road　passed　to　the　other　side　of　the　valley　by　a　bridge　across　the　stream　at　a　place　where　a　great　mass　of　rock　in　the　middle　offered　an　excellent　support　for　it；　and　two　miles　more　of　most　picturesque　and　interesting　road　brought　me　to　the　mining　establishment。

This　is　situated　in　a　large　open　space；　at　a　spot　where　two　tributaries　fall　into　the　main　stream。　Several　forest…paths　and　new　clearings　offered　fine　collecting　grounds；　and　I　captured　some　new　and　interesting　insects；　but　as　it　was　getting　late　I　had　to　reserve　a　more　thorough　exploration　for　future　occasions。　Coal　had　been　discovered　here　some　years　before；　and　the　road　was　made　in　order　to　bring　down　a　sufficient　quantity　for　a　fair　trial　on　the　Dutch　steamers。　The　quality；　however；　was　not　thought　sufficiently　good；　and　the　mines　were　abandoned。　Quite　recently；　works　had　been　commenced　in　another　spot；　in　Hopes　of　finding　a　better　vein。　There　ware　about　eighty　men　employed；　chiefly　convicts；　but　this　was　far　too　small　a　number　for　mining　operations　in　such　a　country；　where　the　mere　keeping　a　few　miles　of　road　in　repair　requires　the　constant　work　of　several　men。　If　coal　of　sufficiently　good　quality　should　be　found；　a　tramroad　would　be　made；　and　would　be　very　easily　worked；　owing　to　the　regular　descent　of　the　valley。

Just　as　I　got　home　I　overtook　Ali　returning　from　shooting　with　some　birch　hanging　from　his　belt。　He　seemed　much　pleased；　and　said；　〃Look　here；　sir；　what　a　curious　bird；〃　holding　out　what　at　first　completely　puzzled　me。　I　saw　a　bird　with　a　mass　of　splendid　green　feathers　on　its　breast；　elongated　into　two　glittering　tufts；　but；　what　I　could　not　understand　was　a　pair　of　long　white　feathers；　which　stuck　straight　out　from　each　shoulder。　Ali　assured　me　that　the　bird　stuck　them　out　this　way　itself；　when　fluttering　its　wings；　and　that　they　had　remained　so　without　his　touching　them。　I　now　saw　that　I　had　got　a　great　prize；　no　less　than　a　completely　new　form　of　the　Bird　of　Paradise；　differing　most　remarkably　from　every　other　known　bird。　The　general　plumage　is　very　sober；　being　a　pure　ashy　olive；　with　a　purplish　tinge　on　the　back；　the　crown　of　the　head　is　beautifully　glossed　with　pale　metallic　violet；　and　the　feathers　of　the　front　extend　as　much　over　the　beak　as　inmost　of　the　family。　The　neck　and　breast　are　scaled　with　fine　metallic　green；　and　the　feathers　on　the　lower　part　are　elongated　on　each　side；　so　as　to　form　a　two…pointed　gorget；　which　can　be　folded　beneath　the　wings；　or　partially　erected　and　spread　out　in　the　same　way　as　the　side　plumes　of　most　of　the　birds　of　paradise。　The　four　long　white　plumes　which　give　the　bird　its　altogether　unique　character；　spring　from　little　tubercles　close　to　the　upper　edge　of　the　shoulder　or　bend　of　the　wing；　they　are　narrow；　gentle　curved；　and　equally　webbed　on　both　sides；　of　a　pure　creamy　white　colour。　They　arc　about　six　inches　long；　equalling　the　wing；　and　can　be　raised　at　right　angles　to　it；　or　laid　along　the　body　at　the　pleasure　of　the　bird。　The　bill　is　horn　colour；　the　legs　yellow；　and　the　iris　pale　olive。　This　striking　novelty　has　been　named　by　Mr。　G。　R。　Gray　of　the　British　Museum；　Semioptera　Wallacei；　or　〃Wallace's　Standard　wing。〃

A　few　days　later　I　obtained　an　exceedingly　beautiful　new　butterfly；　allied　to　the　fine　blue　Papilio　Ulysses；　but　differing　from　it　in　the　colour　being　of　a　more　intense　tint；　and　in　having　a　row　of　blue　stripes　around　the　margin　of　the　lower　wings。　This　good　beginning　was；　however；　rather　deceptive；　and　I　soon　found　that　insects；　and　especially　butterflies；　were　somewhat　scarce；　and　birds　in　tar　less　variety　than　I　had　anticipated。　Several　of　the　fine　Moluccan　species　were　however　obtained。　The　handsome　red　lory　with　green　wings　and　a　yellow　spot　in　the　back　（Lorius　garrulus）；　was　not　uncommon。　When　the　Jambu；　or　rose　apple　（Eugenic　sp。）；　was　in　flower　in　the　village；　flocks　of　the　little　lorikeet　（Charmosyna　placentis）；　already　met　with　in　Gilolo；　came　to　fee