the malay archipelago-1-第14节

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　away　on　some　excursion　after　edible　birds'…　nests　or　bees'…wax；　and　there　only　remained　in　the　house　two　or　three　old　men　and　women　with　a　lot　of　children。　The　mountain　or　hill　was　close　by；　covered　with　a　complete　forest　of　fruit…trees；　among　which　the　Durian　and　Mangusteen　were　very　abundant；　but　the　fruit　was　not　yet　quite　ripe；　except　a　little　here　and　there。　I　spent　a　week　at　this　place；　going　out　everyday　in　various　directions　about　the　mountain；　accompanied　by　a　Malay；　who　had　stayed　with　me　while　the　other　boatmen　returned。　For　three　days　we　found　no　Orangs；　but　shot　a　deer　and　several　monkeys。　On　the　fourth　day；　however；　we　found　a　Mias　feeding　on　a　very　lofty　Durian　tree；　and　succeeded　in　killing　it；　after　eight　shots。　Unfortunately　it　remained　in　the　tree；　hanging　by　its　hands；　and　we　were　obliged　to　leave　it　and　return　home；　as　it　was　several　miles　off。　As　I　felt　pretty　sure　it　would　fall　during　the　night；　I　returned　to　the　place　early　the　next　morning；　and　found　it　on　the　ground　beneath　the　tree。　To　my　astonishment　and　pleasure；　it　appeared　to　be　a　different　kind　from　any　I　had　yet　seen；　for　although　a　full…grown　male；　by　its　fully　developed　teeth　and　very　large　canines；　it　had　no　sign　of　the　lateral　protuberance　on　the　face；　and　was　about　one…tenth　smaller　in　all　its　dimensions　than　the　other　adult　males。　The　upper　incisors；　however；　appeared　to　be　broader　than　in　the　larger　species；　a　character　distinguishing　the　Simia　morio　of　Professor　Owen；　which　he　had　described　from　the　cranium　of　a　female　specimen。　As　it　was　too　far　to　carry　the　animal　home；　I　set　to　work　and　skinned　the　body　on　the　spot；　leaving　the　head；　hands；　and　feet　attached；　to　be　finished　at　home。　This　specimen　is　now　in　the　British　Museum。

At　the　end　of　a　week；　finding　no　more　Orangs；　I　returned　home；　and；　taking　in　a　few　fresh　stores；　and　this　time　accompanied　by　Charles；　went　up　another　branch　of　the　river；　very　similar　in　character；　to　a　place　called　Menyille；　where　there　were　several　small　Dyak　houses　and　one　large　one。　Here　the　landing　place　was　a　bridge　of　rickety　poles；　over　a　considerable　distance　of　water；　and　I　thought　it　safer　to　leave　my　cask　of　arrack　securely　placed　in　the　fork　of　a　tree。　To　prevent　the　natives　from　drinking　it；　I　let　several　of　them　see　me　put　in　a　number　of　snakes　and　lizards；　but　I　rather　think　this　did　not　prevent　them　from　tasting　it。　We　were　accommodated　here　in　the　verandah　of　the　large　house；　in　which　were　several　great　baskets　of　dried　human　heads；　the　trophies　of　past　generations　of　head…hunters。　Here　also　there　was　a　little　mountain　covered　with　fruit…trees；　and　there　were　some　magnificent　Durian　trees　close　by　the　house；　the　fruit　of　which　was　ripe；　and　as　the　Dyaks　looked　upon　me　as　a　benefactor　in　killing　the　Mias；　which　destroys　a　great　deal　of　their　fruit；　they　let　us　eat　as　much　as　we　liked；　we　revelled　in　this　emperor　of　fruits　in　its　greatest　perfection。

The　very　day　after　my　arrival　in　this　place；　I　was　so　fortunate　as　to　shoot　another　adult　male　of　the　small　Orang；　the　Mias…　kassir　of　the　Dyaks。　It　fell　when　dead；　but　caught　in　a　fork　of　the　tree　and　remained　fixed。　As　I　was　very　anxious　to　get　it；　I　tried　to　persuade　two　young　Dyaks　who　were　with　me　to　cut　down　the　tree；　which　was　tall；　perfectly　straight　and　smooth…barked；　and　without　a　branch　for　fifty　or　sixty　feet。　To　my　surprise；　they　said　they　would　prefer　climbing　up　it；　but　it　would　be　a　good　deal　of　trouble；　and；　after　a　little　talking　together；　they　said　they　would　try。　They　first　went　to　a　clump　of　bamboo　that　stood　near；　and　cut　down　one　of　the　largest　stems。　From　this　they　chopped　off　a　short　piece；　and　splitting　it；　made　a　couple　of　stout　pegs；　about　a　foot　long　and　sharp　at　one　end。　Then　cutting　a　thick　piece　of　wood　for　a　mallet；　they　drove　one　of　the　pegs　into　the　tree　and　hung　their　weight　upon　it。　It　held；　and　this　seemed　to　satisfy　them；　for　they　immediately　began　making　a　quantity　of　pegs　of　the　same　kind；　while　I　looked　on　with　great　interest；　wondering　how　they　could　possibly　ascend　such　a　lofty　tree　by　merely　driving　pegs　in　it；　the　failure　of　any　one　of　which　at　a　good　height　would　certainly　cause　their　death。　When　about　two　dozen　pegs　were　made；　one　of　them　began　cutting　some　very　long　and　slender　bamboo　from　another　clump；　and　also　prepared　some　cord　from　the　hark　of　a　small　tree。　They　now　drove　in　a　peg　very　firmly　at　about　three　feet　from　the　ground；　and　bringing　one　of　the　long　bamboos；　stood　it　upright　close　to　the　tree；　and　bound　it　firmly　to　the　two　first　pegs；　by　means　of　the　bark　cord　and　small　notches　near　the　head　of　each　peg。　One　of　the　Dyaks　now　stood　on　the　first　peg　and　drove　in　a　third；　about　level　with　his　face；　to　which　he　tied　the　bamboo　in　the　same　way；　and　then　mounted　another　step；　standing　on　one　foot；　and　holding　by　the　bamboo　at　the　peg　immediately　above　him；　while　he　drove　in　the　next　one。　In　this　manner　he　ascended　about　twenty　feet；　when　the　upright　bamboo　was　becoming　thin；　another　was　handed　up　by　his　companion；　and　this　was　joined　by　tying　both　bamboos　to　three　or　four　of　the　pegs。　When　this　was　also　nearly　ended；　a　third　was　added；　and　shortly　after；　the　lowest　branches　of　the　tree　were　reached；　along　which　the　young　Dyak　scrambled；　and　soon　sent　the　Mias　tumbling　down　headlong。　I　was　exceedingly　struck　by　the　ingenuity　of　this　mode　of　climbing；　and　the　admirable　manner　in　which　the　peculiar　properties　of　the　bamboo　were　made　available。　The　ladder　itself　was　perfectly　safe；　since　if　any　one　peg　were　loose　or　faulty；　and　gave　way；　the　strain　would　be　thrown　on　several　others　above　and　below　it。　I　now　understood　the　use　of　the　line　of　bamboo　pegs　sticking　in　trees；　which　I　had　often　seen；　and　wondered　for　what　purpose　they　could　have　been　put　there。　This　animal　was　almost　identical　in　size　and　appearance　with　the　one　I　had　obtained　at　Semabang；　and　was　the　only　other　male　specimen　of　the　Simia　morio　which　I　obtained。　It　is　now　in　the　Derby　Museum。

I　afterwards　shot　two　adult　females　and　two　young　ones　of　different　ages；　all　of　which　I　preserved。　One　of　the　females；　with　several　young　ones；　was　feeding　on　a　Durian　tree　with　unripe　fruit；　and　as　soon　as　she　saw　us　she　began　breaking　off　branches　and　the　great　spiny　fruits　with　every　appearance　of　rage；　causing　such　a　shower　of　missiles　as　effectually　kept　us　from　approaching　too　near　the　tree。　This　habit　of　throwing　down　branches　when　irritated　has　been　doubted；　but　I　have；　as　here　narrated；　observed　it　myself　on　at　least　three　separate　occasions。　It　was　however　always　the　female　Arias　who　behaved　in　this　way；　and　it　may　be　that　the　male；　trusting　more　to　his　great　strength　and　his　powerful　canine　teeth；　is　not　afraid　of　any　other　animal；　and　does　not　want　to　drive　them　away；　while　the　parental　instinct　of　the　female　leads　her　to　adopt　this　mode　of　defending　herself　and　her　young　ones。

In　preparing　the　skins　and　skeletons　of　these　animals；　I　was　much　troubled　by　the　Dyak　dogs；　which；　being　always　kept　in　a　state　of　semi…starvation；　are　ravenous　for　animal　food。　I　had　a　great　iron　pan；　in　which　I　boiled　the　bones　to　make　skeletons；　and　at　night　I　covered　this　over　with　boards；　and　put　heavy　stones　upon　it；　but　the　dogs　managed　to　remove　these　and　carried　away　the　greater　part　of　one　of　my　specimens。　On　another　occasion　they　gnawed　away　a　good　deal　of　the　upper　leather　of　my　strong　boots；　and　even　ate　a　piece　of　my　mosquito…curtain；　where　some　lamp…oil　had　been　spilt　over　it　some　weeks　before。

On　our　return　down　the　stream；　we　had　the　fortune　to　fall　in　with　a　very　old　male　Mias；　feeding　on　some　low　trees　growing　in　the　water。　The　country　was　flooded　for　a　long　distance；　but　so　full　of　trees　and　stumps　that　the　laden　boat　could　not　be　got　in　among　them；　and　if　it　could　have　been　we　should　only　have　frightened　the　Mias　away。　I　therefore　got　into　the　water；　which　was　nearly　up　to　my　waist；　and　waded　on　until　I　was　near　enough　for　a　shot。　The　difficulty　then　was　to　load　my　gun　again；　for　I　was　so　deep　in　the　water　that　I　could　not　hold　the　gun　sloping　enough　to　pour　the　powder　in。　I　therefore　had　to　search　for　a　shallow　place；　and　after　several　shots　under　these　trying　circumstances；　I　was　delighted　to　see　the　monstrous　animal　roll　over　into　the　water。　I　now　towed　him　after　me　to　the　stream；　but　the　Malays　objected　to　having　the　animal　put　into　the　boat；　and　he　was　so　heavy　that　I　could　not　do　it　without　their　help。　I　looked　about　for　a　place　to　skin　him；　but　not　a　bit　of　dry　ground　was　to　be　seen；　until　at　last　I　found　a　clump　of　two　or　three　old　trees　and　stumps；　between　which　a　few　feet　of　soil　had　collected　just　above　the　water；　which　was　just　large　enough　for　us　to　drag　the　animal　upon　it。　I　first　measured　him；　and　found　him　to　be　by　far　the　largest　I　had　yet　seen；　for；　though　the　standing　height　was　the　same　as　the　others　（4　feet　2　inches）；　the　outstretched　arms　were　7　feet　9　inches；　which　was　six　inches　more　than　the　previous　one；　and　the　immense　broad　face　was　13　1/2　inches　wide；　whereas　the　widest　I　had　hitherto　seen　was　only　11　1/2　inches。　The　girth　of　the　body　was　3　feet　7　1/2　inches。　I　am　inclined　to　believe；　therefore；　that　the　length　and　strength　of　the　arms；　and　the　width　of　the　face　continues　increasing　to　a　very　great　age；　whi