the malay archipelago-1-第13节

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eir　companions。　A　few　miles　down　the　river　there　is　a　Dyak　house；　and　the　inhabitants　saw　a　large　Orang　feeding　on　the　young　shoots　of　a　palm　by　the　riverside。　On　being　alarmed　he　retreated　towards　the　jungle　which　was　close　by；　and　a　number　of　the　men；　armed　with　spears　and　choppers；　ran　out　to　intercept　him。　The　man　who　was　in　front　tried　to　run　his　spear　through　the　animal's　body；　but　the　Mias　seized　it　in　his　hands；　and　in　an　instant　got　hold　of　the　man's　arm；　which　he　seized　in　his　mouth；　making　his　teeth　meet　in　the　flesh　above　the　elbow；　which　he　tore　and　lacerated　in　a　dreadful　manner。　Had　not　the　others　been　close　behind；　the　man　would　have　keen　more　seriously　injured；　if　not　killed；　as　he　was　quite　powerless；　but　they　soon　destroyed　the　creature　with　their　spears　and　choppers。　The　man　remained　ill　for　a　long　time；　and　never　fully　recovered　the　use　of　his　arm。

They　told　me　the　dead　Mias　was　still　lying　where　it　had　been　killed；　so　I　offered　them　a　reward　to　bring　it　up　to　our　landing…　place　immediately；　which　they　promised　to　do。　They　did　not　come；　however；　until　the　next　day；　and　then　decomposition　had　commenced；　and　great　patches　of　the　hair　came　off；　so　that　it　was　useless　to　skin　it。　This　I　regretted　much；　as　it　was　a　very　fine　full…grown　male。　I　cut　off　the　head　and　took　it　home　to　clean；　while　I　got　my　men　to　make　a　closed　fence　about　five　feet　high　around　the　rest　of　the　body；　which　would　soon　be　devoured　by　maggots；　small　lizards；　and　ants；　leaving　me　the　skeleton。　There　was　a　great　gash　in　his　face；　which　had　cut　deep　into　the　bone；　but　the　skull　was　a　very　fine　one；　and　the　teeth　were　remarkably　large　and　perfect。

On　June　18th　I　had　another　great　success；　and　obtained　a　fine　adult　male。　A　Chinaman　told　me　be　had　seen　him　feeding　by　the　side　of　the　path　to　the　river；　and　I　found　him　at　the　same　place　as　the　first　individual　I　had　shot。　He　was　feeding　on　an　oval　green　fruit　having　a　fine　red　arillus；　like　the　mace　which　surrounds　the　nutmeg；　and　which　alone　he　seemed　to　eat；　biting　off　the　thick　outer　rind　and　dropping　it　in　a　continual　shower。　I　had　found　the　same　fruit　in　the　stomach　of　some　others　which　I　had　killed。　Two　shots　caused　this　animal　to　loose　his　hold；　but　he　hung　for　a　considerable　time　by　one　hand；　and　then　fell　flat　on　his　face　and　was　half　buried　in　the　swamp。　For　several　minutes　he　lay　groaning　and　panting；　while　we　stood　close　around；　expecting　every　breath　to　be　his　last。　Suddenly；　however；　by　a　violent　effort　he　raised　himself　up；　causing　us　all　to　step　back　a　yard　or　two；　when；　standing　nearly　erect；　he　caught　hold　of　a　small　tree；　and　began　to　ascend　it。　Another　shot　through　the　back　caused　him　to　fall　down　dead。　A　flattened　bullet　was　found　in　his　tongue；　having　entered　the　lower　part　of　the　abdomen　and　completely　traversed　the　body；　fracturing　the　first　cervical　vertebra。　Yet　it　was　after　this　fearful　wound　that　he　had　risen；　and　begun　climbing　with　considerable　facility。　This　also　was　a　full…grown　male　of　almost　exactly　the　same　dimensions　as　the　other　two　I　had　measured。

On　June　21st　I　shot　another　adult　female；　which　was　eating　fruit　in　a　low　tree；　and　was　the　only　one　which　I　ever　killed　by　a　single　ball。

On　June　24th　I　was　called　by　a　Chinaman　to　shoot　a　Mias；　which；　he　said；　was　on　a　tree　close　by　his　house；　at　the　coal…mines。　Arriving　at　the　place；　we　had　some　difficulty　in　finding　the　animal；　as　he　had　gone　off　into　the　jungle；　which　was　very　rocky　and　difficult　to　traverse。　At　last　we　found　him　up　a　very　high　tree；　and　could　see　that　he　was　a　male　of　the　largest　size。　As　soon　as　I　had　fired；　he　moved　higher　up　the　tree；　and　while　he　was　doing　so　I　fired　again；　and　we　then　saw　that　one　arm　was　broken。　He　had　now　reached　the　very　highest　part　of　an　immense　tree；　and　immediately　began　breaking　off　boughs　all　around；　and　laying　them　across　and　across　to　make　a　nest。　It　was　very

interesting　to　see　how　well　he　had　chosen　his　place；　and　how　rapidly　he　stretched　out　his　unwounded　arm　in　every　direction；　breaking　off　good…sized　boughs　with　the　greatest　ease；　and　laying　them　back　across　each　other；　so　that　in　a　few　minutes　he　had　formed　a　compact　mass　of　foliage；　which　entirely　concealed　him　from　our　sight。　He　was　evidently　going　to　pass　the　night　here；　and　would　probably　get　away　early　the　next　morning；　if　not　wounded　too　severely。　I　therefore　fired　again　several　times；　in　hopes　of　making　him　leave　his　nest；　but；　though　I　felt　sure　I　had　hit　him；　as　at　each　shot　he　moved　a　little；　he　would　not　go　away。　At　length　he　raised　himself　up；　so　that　half　his　body　was　visible；　and　then　gradually　sank　down；　his　head　alone　remaining　on　the　edge　of　the　nest。　I　now　felt　sure　he　was　dead；　and　tried　to　persuade　the　Chinaman　and　his　companion　to　cut　down　the　tree；　but　it　was　a　very　large　one；　and　they　had　been　at　work　all　day；　and　nothing　would　induce　them　to　attempt　it。　The　next　morning；　at　daybreak；　I　came　to　the　place；　and　found　that　the　Mias　was　evidently　dead；　as　his　head　was　visible　in　exactly　the　same　position　as　before。　I　now　offered　four　Chinamen　a　day's　wages　each　to　cut　the　tree　down　at　once；　as　a　few　hours　of　sunshine　would　cause　decomposition　on　the　surface　of　the　skin；　but；　after　looking　at　it　and　trying　it；　they　determined　that　it　was　very　big　and　very　hard；　and　would　not　attempt　it。　Had　I　doubled　my　offer；　they　would　probably　have　accepted　it；　as　it　would　not　have　been　more　than　two　or　three　hours'　work；　and　had　I　been　on　a　short　visit　only；　I　would　have　done　so；　but　as　I　was　a　resident；　and　intended　remaining　several　months　longer；　it　would　not　have　answered　to　begin　paying　too　exorbitantly；　or　I　should　have　got　nothing　done　in　the　future　at　a　lower　rate。

For　some　weeks　after；　a　cloud　of　flies　could　be　seen　all　day；　hovering　over　the　body　of　the　dead　Mias；　but　in　about　a　month　all　was　quiet；　and　the　body　was　evidently　drying　up　under　the　influence　of　a　vertical　sun　alternating　with　tropical　rains。　Two　or　three　months　later　two　Malays；　on　the　offer　of　a　dollar；　climbed　the　tree　and　let　down　the　dried　remains。　The　skin　was　almost　entirely　enclosing　the　skeleton；　and　inside　were　millions　of　the　pupa…cases　of　flies　and　other　insects；　with　thousands　of　two　or　three　species　of　small　necrophagous　beetles。　The　skull　had　been　much　shattered　by　balls；　but　the　skeleton　was　perfect；　except　one　small　wristbone；　which　had　probably　dropped　out　and　been　carried　away　by　a　lizard。

Three　days　after　I　had　shot　this　one　and　lost　it；　Charles　found　three　small　Orangs　feeding　together。　We　had　a　long　chase　after　them；　and　had　a　good　opportunity　of　seeing　how　they　make　their　way　from　tree　to　tree　by　always　choosing　those　limbs　whose　branches　are　intermingled　with　those　of　some　other　tree；　and　then　grasping　several　of　the　small　twigs　together　before　they　venture　to　swing　themselves　across。　Yet　they　do　this　so　quickly　and　certainly；　that　they　make　way　among　the　trees　at　the　rate　of　full　five　or　six　miles　an　hour；　as　we　had　continually　to　run　to　keep　up　with　them。　One　of　these　we　shot　and　killed；　but　it　remained　high　up　in　the　fork　of　a　tree；　and；　as　young　animals　are　of　comparatively　little　interest；　I　did　not　have　the　tree　cut　down　to　get　it。

At　this　time　I　had　the　misfortune　to　slip　among　some　fallen　trees；　and　hurt　my　ankle；　and；　not　being　careful　enough　at　first；　it　became　a　severe　inflamed　ulcer；　which　would　not　heal；　and　kept　me　a　prisoner　in　the　house　the　whole　of　July　and　part　of　August。　When　I　could　get　out　again；　I　determined　to　take　a　trip　up　a　branch　of　the　Simunjon　River　to　Semabang；　where　there　was　said　to　be　a　large　Dyak　house；　a　mountain　with　abundance　of　fruit；　and　plenty　of　Orangs　and　fine　birds。　As　the　river　was　very　narrow；　and　I　was　obliged　to　go　in　a　very　small　boat　with　little　luggage；　I　only　took　with　me　a　Chinese　boy　as　a　servant。　I　carried　a　cask　of　medicated　arrack　to　put　Mias　skins　in；　and　stores　and　ammunition　for　a　fortnight。　After　a　few　miles；　the　stream　became　very　narrow　and　winding；　and　the　whole　country　on　each　side　was　flooded。　On　the　banks　were　an　abundance　of　monkeysthe　common　Macacus　cynomolgus；　a　black　Semnopithecus；　and　the　extraordinary　long…nosed　monkey　（Nasalis　larvatus）；　which　is　as　large　as　a　three…year　old　child；　has　a　very　long　tail；　and　a　fleshy　nose　longer　than　that　of　the　biggest…nosed　man。　The　further　we　went　on　the　narrower　and　more　winding　the　stream　became；　fallen　trees　sometimes　blocked　up　our　passage；　and　sometimes　tangled　branches　and　creepers　met　completely　across　it；　and　had　to　be　cut　away　before　we　could　get　on。　It　took　us　two　days　to　reach　Semabang；　and　we　hardly　saw　a　bit　of　dry　land　all　the　way。　In　the　latter　part　of　the　journey　I　could　touch　the　bushes　on　each　side　for　miles；　and　we　were　often　delayed　by　the　screw…pines　（Pandanus）；　which　grow　abundantly　in　the　water；　falling　across　the　stream。　In　other　places　dense　rafts　of　floating　grass　completely　filled　up　the　channel；　making　our　journey　a　constant　succession　of　difficulties。

Near　the　landing…place　we　found　a　fine　house；　250　feet　long；　raised　high　above　the　ground　on　posts；　with　a　wide　verandah　and　still　wider　platform　of　bamboo　in　front　of　it。　Almost　all　the　people；　however；　were　away　on　some　excursion　after　edible　birds'…　nests　or　bees'…wax；　and　there　only　remained　in　the　hous