the malay archipelago-1-第43节

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made；　and　that　to　make　them　every　village　and　every　district　must　send　a　bundle　of　needlesa　needle　for　every　head　in　the　village。　And　when　any　grievous　disease　appeared　in　any　village；　one　of　the　sacred　krisses　should　be　sent　there；　and　if　every　house　in　that　village　had　sent　the　right　number　of　needles；　the　disease　would　immediately　cease；　but　if　the　number　of　needles　sent　had　not　been　exact；　the　kris　would　have　no　virtue。

So　the　princes　and　chiefs　sent　to　all　their　villages　and　communicated　the　wonderful　news；　and　all　made　haste　to　collect　the　needles　with　the　greatest　accuracy；　for　they　feared　that　if　but　one　were　wanting；　the　whole　village　would　suffer。　So　one　by　one　the　head　men　of　the　villages　brought　in　their　bundles　of　needles；　those　who　were　near　Mataram　came　first；　and　those　who　were　far　off　came　last；　and　the　Rajah　received　them　with　his　own　hands　and　put　them　away　carefully　in　an　inner　chamber；　in　a　camphor…wood　chest　whose　hinges　and　clasps　were　of　silver；　and　on　every　bundle　was　marked　the　name　of　the　village　and　the　district　from　whence　it　came；　so　that　it　might　be　known　that　all　had　heard　and　obeyed　the　commands　of　the　great　spirit。

And　when　it　was　quite　certain　that　every　village　had　sent　in　its　bundle；　the　Rajah　divided　the　needles　into　twelve　equal　parts；　and　ordered　the　best　steelworker　in　Mataram　to　bring　his　forge　and　his　bellows　and　his　hammers　to　the　palace；　and　to　make　the　twelve　krisses　under　the　Rajah's　eye；　and　in　the　sight　of　all　men　who　chose　to　see　it。　And　when　they　were　finished；　they　were　wrapped　up　in　new　silk　and　put　away　carefully　until　they　might　be　wanted。

Now　the　journey　to　the　mountain　was　in　the　time　of　the　east　wind　when　no　rain　falls　in　Lombock。　And　soon　after　the　krisses　were　made　it　was　the　time　of　the　rice　harvest；　and　the　chiefs　of　districts　and　of　villages　brought　their　tax　to　the　Rajah　according　to　the　number　heads　in　their　villages。　And　to　those　that　wanted　but　little　of　the　full　amount；　the　Rajah　said　nothing；　but　when　those　came　who　brought　only　half　or　a　fourth　part　of　what　was　strictly　due；　he　said　to　them　mildly；　〃The　needles　which　you　sent　from　your　village　were　many　more　than　came　from　such…a…one's　village；　yet　your　tribute　is　less　than　his；　go　back　and　see　who　it　is　that　has　not　paid　the　tax。〃　And　the　next　year　the　produce　of　the　tax　increased　greatly；　for　they　feared　that　the　Rajah　might　justly　kill　those　who　a　second　time　kept　back　the　right　tribute。　And　so　the　Rajah　became　very　rich；　and　increased　the　number　of　his　soldiers；　and　gave　golden　jewels　to　his　wives；　and　bought　fine　black　horses　from　the　white…skinned　Hollanders；　and　made　great　feasts　when　his　children　were　born　or　were　married；　and　none　of　the　Rajahs　or　Sultans　among　the　Malays　were　so　great　or　powerful　as　the　Rajah　of　Lombock。

And　the　twelve　sacred　krisses　had　great　virtue。　And；　when　any　sickness　appeared　in　a　village　one　of　them　was　sent　for；　and　sometimes　the　sickness　went　away；　and　then　the　sacred　kris　was　taken　back　again　with　great　Honour；　and　the　head　men　of　the　village　came　to　tell　the　Rajah　of　its　miraculous　power；　and　to　thank　him。　And　sometimes　the　sickness　would　not　go　away；　and　then　everybody　was　convinced　that　there　had　been　a　mistake　in　the　number　of　needles　sent　from　that　village；　and　therefore　the　sacred　kris　had　no　effect；　and　had　to　be　taken　back　again　by　the　head　men　with　heavy　hearts；　but　still；　with　all　honourfor　was　not　the　fault　their　own？

CHAPTER　XIII。

TIMOR。

（COUPANG；　1857…1869。　DELLI；　1861。）

THE　island　of　Timor　is　about　three　hundred　miles　long　and　sixty　wide；　and　seems　to　form　the　termination　of　the　great　range　of　volcanic　islands　which　begins　with　Sumatra　more　than　two　thousand　miles　to　the　west。　It　differs　however　very　remarkably　from　all　the　other　islands　of　the　chain　in　not　possessing　any　active　volcanoes；　with　the　one　exception　of　Timor　Peak　near　the　centre　of　the　island；　which　was　formerly　active；　but　was　blown　up　during　an　eruption　in　1638　and　has　since　been　quiescent。　In　no　other　part　of　Timor　do　there　appear　to　be　any　recent　igneous　rocks；　so　that　it　can　hardly　be　classed　as　a　volcanic　island。　Indeed　its　position　is　just　outside　of　the　great　volcanic　belt；　which　extends　from　Flores　through　Ombay　and　Wetter　to　Banda。

I　first　visited　Timor　in　1857；　staying　a　day　at　Coupang；　the　chief　Dutch　town　at　the　west　end　of　the　island；　and　again　in　May　1859；　when　I　stayed　a　fortnight　in　the　same　neighbourhood。　In　the　spring　of　1861　I　spent　four　months　at　Delli；　the　capital　of　the　Portuguese　possessions　in　the　eastern　part　of　the　island。

The　whole　neighbourhood　of　Coupang　appears　to　have　been　elevated　at　a　recent　epoch；　consisting　of　a　rugged　surface　of　coral　rock；　which　rises　in　a　vertical　wall　between　the　beach　and　the　town；　whose　low；　white；　red…tiled　houses　give　it　an　appearance　very　similar　to　other　Dutch　settlements　in　the　East。　The　vegetation　is　everywhere　scanty　and　scrubby。　Plants　of　the　families　Apocynaceae　and　Euphorbiacea；　abound；　but　there　is　nothing　that　can　be　called　a　forest；　and　the　whole　country　has　a　parched　and　desolate　appearance；　contrasting　strongly　with　the　lofty　forest　trees　and　perennial　verdure　of　the　Moluccas　or　of　Singapore。　The　most　conspicuous　feature　of　the　vegetation　was　the　abundance　of　fine　fanleaved　palms　（Borassus　flabelliformis）；　from　the　leaves　of　which　are　constructed　the　strong　and　durable　water…buckets　in　general　use；　and　which　are　much　superior　to　those　formed　from　any　other　species　of　palm。　From　the　same　tree；　palm…wine　and　sugar　are　made；　and　the　common　thatch　for　houses　formed　of　the　leaves　lasts　six　or　seven　years　without　removal。　Close　to　the　town　I　noticed　the　foundation　of　a　ruined　house　below　high…water　mark；　indicating　recent　subsidence。　Earthquakes　are　not　severe　here；　and　are　so　infrequent　and　harmless　that　the　chief　houses　are　built　of　stone。

The　inhabitants　of　Coupang　consist　of　Malays；　Chinese；　and　Dutch；　besides　the　natives；　so　that　there　are　many　strange　and　complicated　mixtures　among　the　population。　There　is　one　resident　English　merchant；　and　whalers　as　well　as　Australian　ships　often　come　here　for　stores　and　water。　The　native　Timorese　preponderate；　and　a　very　little　examination　serves　to　show　that　they　have　nothing　in　common　with　Malays；　but　are　much　more　closely　allied　to　the　true　Papuans　of　the　Aru　Islands　and　New　Guinea。　They　are　tall；　have　pronounced　features；　large　somewhat　aquiline　noses；　and　frizzly　hair；　and　are　generally　of　a　dusky　brown　colour。　The　way　in　which　the　women　talk　to　each　other　and　to　the　men；　their　loud　voices　and　laughter；　and　general　character　of　self…　assertion；　would　enable　an　experienced　observer　to　decide；　even　without　seeing　them；　that　they　were　not　Malays。

Mr。　Arndt；　a　German　and　the　Government　doctor；　invited　me　to　stay　at　his　house　while　in　Coupang；　and　I　gladly　accepted　his　offer；　as　I　only　intended　making　a　short　visit。　We　at　first　began　speaking　French；　but　he　got　on　so　badly　that　we　soon　passed　insensibly　into　Malay；　and　we　afterwards　held　long　discussions　on　literary；　scientific；　and　philosophical　questions　in　that　semi…barbarous　language；　whose　deficiencies　we　made　up　by　the　free　use　of　French　or　Latin　words。

After　a　few　walks　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　town；　I　found　such　a　poverty　of　insects　and　birds　that　I　determined　to　go　for　a　few　days　to　the　island　of　Semao　at　the　western　extremity　of　Timor；　where　I　heard　that　there　was　forest　country　with　birds　not　found　at　Coupang。　With　some　difficulty　I　obtained　a　large　dugout　boat　with　outriggers；　to　take　me　over　a　distance　of　about　twenty　miles。　I　found　the　country　pretty　well　wooded；　but　covered　with　shrubs　and　thorny　bushes　rather　than　forest　trees；　and　everywhere　excessively　parched　and　dried　up　by　the　long…continued　dry　season。　I　stayed　at　the　village　of　Oeassa；　remarkable　for　its　soap　springs。　One　of　these　is　in　the　middle　of　the　village；　bubbling　out　from　a　little　cone　of　mud　to　which　the　ground　rises　all　round　like　a　volcano　in　miniature。　The　water　has　a　soapy　feel　and　produces　a　strong　lather　when　any　greasy　substance　is　washed　in　it。　It　contains　alkali　and　iodine；　in　such　quantities　as　to　destroy　all　vegetation　for　some　distance　around。　Close　by　the　village　is　one　of　the　finest　springs　I　have　ever　seen；　contained　in　several　rocky　basins　communicating　by　narrow　channels。　These　have　been　neatly　walled　where　required　and　partly　levelled；　and　form　fine　natural　baths。　The　water　is　well　tasted　and　clear　as　crystal；　and　the　basins　are　surrounded　by　a　grove　of　lofty　many…stemmed　banyan…trees；　which　keep　them　always　cool　and　shady；　and　add　greatly　to　the　picturesque　beauty　of　the　scene。

The　village　consists　of　curious　little　houses　very　different　from　any　I　have　seen　elsewhere。　They　are　of　an　oval　figure；　and　the　walls　are　made　of　sticks　about　four　feet　high　placed　close　together。　From　this　rises　a　high　conical　roof　thatched　with　grass。　The　only　opening　is　a　door　about　three　feet　high。　The　people　are　like　the　Timorese　with　frizzly　or　wavy　hair　and　of　a　coppery　brown　colour。　The　better　class　appear　to　have　a　mixture　of　some　superior　race　which　has　much　improved　their　features。　I　saw　in　Coupang　some　chiefs　from　the　island　of　Savu　further　west；　who　presented　characters　very　distinct　from　either　the　Malay　or　Papuan