the malay archipelago-1-第54节

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etermined　me　to　move。　I　accordingly　fixed　on　a　place　about　a　mile　off；　at　the　foot　of　a　forest…covered　hill；　where　in　a　few　days　Mr。　M。　built　for　me　a　nice　little　house；　consisting　of　a　good…sized　enclosed　verandah　or　open　room；　and　a　small　inner　sleeping…room；　with　a　little　cookhouse　outside。　As　soon　as　it　was　finished　I　moved　into　it；　and　found　the　change　most　agreeable。

The　forest　which　surrounded　me　was　open　and　free　from　underwood；　consisting　of　large　trees；　widely　scattered　with　a　great　quantity　of　palm…trees　（Arenga　saccharifera）；　from　which　palm　wine　and　sugar　are　made。　There　were　also　great　numbers　of　a　wild　Jack…　fruit　tree　（Artocarpus）；　which　bore　abundance　of　large　reticulated　fruit；　serving　as　an　excellent　vegetable。　The　ground　was　as　thickly　covered　with　dry　leaves　as　it　is　in　an　English　wood　in　November；　the　little　rocky　streams　were　all　dry；　and　scarcely　a　drop　of　water　or　even　a　damp　place　was　anywhere　to　be　seen。　About　fifty　yards　below　my　house；　at　the　foot　of　the　hill；　was　a　deep　hole　in　a　watercourse　where　good　water　was　to　be　had；　and　where　I　went　daily　to　bathe　by　having　buckets　of　water　taken　out　and　pouring　it　over　my　body。

My　host　Mr。　M。　enjoyed　a　thoroughly　country　life；　depending　almost　entirely　on　his　gun　and　dogs　to　supply　his　table。　Wild　pigs　of　large　size　were　very　plentiful　and　he　generally　got　one　or　two　a　week；　besides　deer　occasionally；　and　abundance　of　jungle…fowl；　hornbills；　and　great　fruit　pigeons。　His　buffaloes　supplied　plenty　of　milk　from　which　he　made　his　own　butter；　he　grew　his　own　rice　and　coffee；　and　had　ducks；　fowls；　and　their　eggs；　in　profusion。　His　palm…trees　supplied　him　all　the　year　round　with　〃sagueir；〃　which　takes　the　place　of　beer；　and　the　sugar　made　from　them　is　an　excellent　sweetmeat。　All　the　fine　tropical　vegetables　and　fruits　were　abundant　in　their　season；　and　his　cigars　were　made　from　tobacco　of　his　own　raising。　He　kindly　sent　me　a　bamboo　of　buffalo…milk　every　morning；　it　was　as　thick　as　cream；　and　required　diluting　with　water　to　keep　it　fluid　during　the　day。　It　mixes　very　well　with　tea　and　coffee；　although　it　has　a　slight　peculiar　flavour；　which　after　a　time　is　not　disagreeable。　I　also　got　as　much　sweet　〃sagueir　〃as　I　liked　to　drink；　and　Mr。　M。　always　sent　me　a　piece　of　each　pig　he　killed；　which　with　fowls；　eggs；　and　the　birds　we　shot　ourselves；　and　buffalo　beef　about　once　a　fortnight；　kept　my　larder　sufficiently　well　supplied。

Every　bit　of　flatland　was　cleared　and　used　as　rice…fields；　and　on　the　lower　slopes　of　many　of　the　hills　tobacco　and　vegetables　were　grown。　Most　of　the　slopes　are　covered　with　huge　blocks　of　rock；　very　fatiguing　to　scramble　over；　while　a　number　of　the　hills　are　so　precipitous　as　to　be　quite　inaccessible。　These　circumstances；　combined　with　the　excessive　drought；　were　very　unfavourable　for　lily　pursuits。　Birds　were　scarce；　and　I　got　but　few　new　to　me。　Insects　were　tolerably　plentiful；　but　unequal。　Beetles；　usually　so　numerous　and　interesting；　were　exceedingly　scarce；　some　of　the　families　being　quite　absent　and　others　only　represented　by　very　minute　species。　The　Flies　and　Bees；　on　the　other　hand；　were　abundant；　and　of　these　I　daily　obtained　new　and　interesting　species。　The　rare　and　beautiful　Butterflies　of　Celebes　were　the　chief　object　of　my　search；　and　I　found　many　species　altogether　new　to　me；　but　they　were　generally　so　active　and　shy　as　to　render　their　capture　a　matter　of　great　difficulty。　Almost　the　only　good　place　for　them　was　in　the　dry　beds　of　the　streams　in　the　forest；　where；　at　damp　places；　muddy　pools；　or　even　on　the　dry　rocks；　all　sorts　of　insects　could　be　found。　In　these　rocky　forests　dwell　some　of　the　finest　butterflies　in　the　world。　Three　species　of　Ornithoptera；　measuring　seven　or　eight　inches　across　the　wings；　and　beautifully　marked　with　spots　or　masses　of　satiny　yellow　on　a　black　ground；　wheel　through　the　thickets　with　a　strong　sailing　flight。　About　the　damp　places　are　swarms　of　the　beautiful　blue…banded　Papilios；　miletus　and　telephus；　the　superb　golden　green　P。　macedon；　and　the　rare　little　swallow…tail　Papilio　rhesus；　of　all　of　which；　though　very　active；　I　succeeded　in　capturing　fine　series　of　specimens。

I　have　rarely　enjoyed　myself　more　than　during　my　residence　here。　As　I　sat　taking　my　coffee　at　six　in　the　morning；　rare　birds　would　often　be　seen　on　some　tree　close　by；　when　I　would　hastily　sally　out　in　my　slippers；　and　perhaps　secure　a　prize　I　had　been　seeking　after　for　weeks。　The　great　hornbills　of　Celebes　（Buceros　cassidix）　would　often　come　with　loud…flapping　wings；　and　perch　upon　a　lofty　tree　just　in　front　of　me；　and　the　black　baboon…　monkeys；　Cynopithecus　nigrescens；　often　stared　down　in　astonishment　at　such　an　intrusion　into　their　domains　while　at　night　herds　of　wild　pigs　roamed　about　the　house；　devouring　refuse；　and　obliging　us　to　put　away　everything　eatable　or　breakable　from　our　little　cooking…house。　A　few　minutes'　search　on　the　fallen　trees　around　my　house　at　sunrise　and　sunset；　would　often　produce　me　more　beetles　than　I　would　meet　with　in　a　day's　collecting；　and　odd　moments　could　be　made　valuable　which　when　living　in　villages　or　at　a　distance　from　the　forest　are　inevitably　wasted。　Where　the　sugar…palms　were　dripping　with　sap；　flies　congregated　in　immense　numbers；　and　it　was　by　spending　half　an　hour　at　these　when　I　had　the　time　to　spare；　that　I　obtained　the　finest　and　most　remarkable　collection　of　this　group　of　insects　that　I　have　ever　made。

Then　what　delightful　hours　I　passed　wandering　up　and　down　the　dry　river…courses；　full　of　water…holes　and　rocks　and　fallen　trees；　and　overshadowed　by　magnificent　vegetation。　I　soon　got　to　know　every　hole　and　rock　and　stump；　and　came　up　to　each　with　cautious　step　and　bated　breath　to　see　what　treasures　it　would　produce。　At　one　place　I　would　find　a　little　crowd　of　the　rare　butterfly　Tachyris　zarinda；　which　would　rise　up　at　my　approach；　and　display　their　vivid　orange　and　cinnabar…red　wings；　while　among　them　would　flutter　a　few　of　the　fine　blue…banded　Papilios。　Where　leafy　branches　hung　over　the　gully；　I　might　expect　to　find　a　grand　Ornithoptera　at　rest　and　an　easy　prey。　At　certain　rotten　trunks　I　was　sure　to　get　the　curious　little　tiger　beetle；　Therates　flavilabris。　In　the　denser　thickets　I　would　capture　the　small　metal…blue　butterflies　（Amblypodia）　sitting　on　the　leaves；　as　well　as　some　rare　and　beautiful　leaf…beetles　of　the　families　Hispidae　and　Chrysomelidae。

I　found　that　the　rotten　jack…fruits　were　very　attractive　to　many　beetles；　and　used　to　split　them　partly　open　and　lay　them　about　in　the　forest　near　my　house　to　rot。　A　morning's　search　at　these　often　produced　me　a　score　of　speciesStaphylinidae；　Nitidulidae；　Onthophagi；　and　minute　Carabidae；　being　the　most　abundant。　Now　and　then　the　〃sagueir〃　makers　brought　me　a　fine　rosechafer　（Sternoplus　schaumii）　which　they　found　licking　up　the　sweet　sap。　Almost　the　only　new　birds　I　met　with　for　some　time　were　a　handsome　ground　thrush　（Pitta　celebensis）；　and　a　beautiful　violet…crowned　dove　（Ptilonopus　celebensis）；　both　very　similar　to　birds　I　had　recently　obtained　at　Aru；　but　of　distinct　species。

About　the　latter　part　of　September　a　heavy　shower　of　rain　fell；　admonishing　us　that　we　might　soon　expect　wet　weather；　much　to　the　advantage　of　the　baked…up　country。　I　therefore　determined　to　pay　a　visit　to　the　falls　of　the　Maros　river；　situated　at　the　point　where　it　issues　from　the　mountainsa　spot　often　visited　by　travellers　and　considered　very　beautiful。　Mr。　M。　lent　me　a　horse；　and　I　obtained　a　guide　from　a　neighbouring　village；　and　taking　one　of　my　men　with　me；　we　started　at　six　in　the　morning；　and　after　a　ride　of　two　hours　over　the　flat　rice…fields　skirting　the　mountains　which　rose　in　grand　precipices　on　our　left；　we　readied　the　river　about　half…way　between　Maros　and　the　falls；　and　thence　had　a　good　bridle…road　to　our　destination；　which　we　reached。　in　another　hour。　The　hills　had　closed　in　around　us　as　we　advanced；　and　when　we　reached　a　ruinous　shed　which　had　been　erected　for　the　accommodation　of　visitors；　we　found　ourselves　in　a　flat…bottomed　valley　about　a　quarter　of　a　mile　wide；　bounded　by　precipitous　and　often　overhanging　limestone　rocks。　So　far　the　ground　had　been　cultivated；　but　it　now　became　covered　with　bushes　and　large　scattered　trees。

As　soon　as　my　scanty　baggage　had　arrived　and　was　duly　deposited　in　the　shed；　I　started　off　alone　for　the　fall；　which　was　about　a　quarter　of　a　mile　further　on。　The　river　is　here　about　twenty　yards　wide；　and　issues　from　a　chasm　between　two　vertical　walls　of　limestone；　over　a　rounded　mass　of　basaltic　rock　about　forty　feet　high；　forming　two　curves　separated　by　a　slight　ledge。　The　water　spreads　beautifully　over　this　surface　in　a　thin　sheet　of　foam；　which　curls　and　eddies　in　a　succession　of　concentric　cones　until　it　falls　into　a　fine　deep　pool　below。　Close　to　the　very　edge　of　the　fall　a　narrow　and　very　rugged　path　leads　to　the　river　above；　and　thence　continues　close　under　the　precipice　along　the　water's　edge；　or　sometimes　in　the　water；　for　a　few　hundred　yards；　after　which　the　rocks　recede　a　little；　and　leave　a　wooded　bank　on　one　side；　along　which　the　path　is　continued；　until　in　about　half　a　mile；　a　second　and　smaller　fall　is　reached。　Here　the　river　seems　to　issue　from　a　cavern；　the　rocks　having　fallen　from　abo