the golden chersonese and the way thither-第29章

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speechlessly　passed　along。　　It　looked　like　a　funeral　or　something
uncanny。　We　crawled　dismally　for　fully　three…quarters　of　a　mile　to　cut
off　some　considerable　windings　of　the　river；　crossed　a　stream　on　a
plank　bridge；　and　found　our　boat　lying　at　a　very　high　pier　with　a
thatched　roof。

The　mystery　of　night　in　a　strange　place　was　wildly　picturesque；　the
pale；　greenish；　undulating　light　of　fireflies；　and　the　broad；　red
waving　glare　of　torches　flashing　fitfully　on　the　skeleton　pier；　the
lofty　jungle　trees；　the　dark；　fast…flowing　river；　and　the　dark；　lithe
forms　of　our　half…naked　boatmen。

The　prahu　was　a　flattish…bottomed　boat　about　twenty…two　and　a　half　feet
long　by　six　and　a　half　feet　broad；　with　a　bamboo　gridiron　flooring
resting　on　the　gunwale　for　the　greater　part　of　its　length。　This　was
covered　for　seven　feet　in　the　middle　by　a　low；　circular　roof；　thatched
with　attap。　　It　was　steered　by　a　broad　paddle　loosely　lashed；　and　poled
by　three　men　who；　standing　at　the　bow；　planted　their　poles　firmly　in
the　mud　and　then　walked　half…way　down　the　boat　and　back　again。　All
craft　must　ascend　the　Linggi　by　this　laborious　process；　for　its　current
is　so　strong　that　the　Japanese　would　call　it　one　long　〃rapid。〃
Descending　loaded　with　tin；　the　stream　brings　boats　down　with　great
rapidity；　the　poles　being　used　only　to　keep　them　off　the　banks　and
shallows。　Our　boat　was　essentially　〃native。〃

The　〃Golden　Chersonese〃　is　very　hot；　and　much　infested　by　things　which
bite　and　sting。　Though　the　mercury　has　not　been　lower　than　80　degrees
at　night　since　I　reached　Singapore；　I　have　never　felt　the　heat
overpowering　in　a　house；　but　the　night　on　the　river　was　awful；　and
after　the　intolerable　blaze　of　the　day　the　fighting　with　the　heat　and
mosquitoes　was　most　exhausting；　crowded　as　we　were　into　very　close　and
uneasy　quarters；　a　bamboo　gridiron　being　by　no　means　a　bed　of　down。　Bad
as　it　was；　I　was　often　amused　by　the　thought　of　the　unusual　feast　which
the　jungle　mosquitoes　were　having　on　the　blood　of　four　white　people。
If　it　had　not　been　for　the　fire　in　the　bow；　which　helped　to　keep　them
down　by　smoking　them　（and　us）；　I　at　least　should　now　be　laid　up　with
〃mosquito　fever。〃

The　Misses　Shaw　and　I　were　on　a　blanket　on　the　gridiron　under　the　roof；
which　just　allowed　of　sitting　up；　Mr。　　Hayward；　who　had　never　been　up
the　river　before；　and　was　anxious　about　the　navigation；　sat；　vigilant
and　lynx…eyed；　at　the　edge　of　it；　Babu；　who　had　wrapped　himself　in
Oriental　impassiveness　and　a　bernouse；　and　Mr。　Hayward's　police
attendant　sat　in　front；　all　keeping　their　positions　throughout　the
night　as　dutifully　as　the　figures　in　a　tableau　vivant；　and　so　we
silently　left　Permatang　Pasir　for　our　jungle　voyage　of　eighteen　hours；
in　which　time；　by　unintermitting　hard　work；　we　were　propelled　about　as
many　miles；　though　some　say　twenty…nine。

No　description　could　exaggerate　the　tortuosity　of　the　Linggi　or　the
abruptness　of　its　windings。　The　boatmen　measure　the　distance　by　turns。
When　they　were　asked　when　we　should　reach　the　end　they　never　said　in　so
many　hours；　but　in　so　many　turns。

Silently　we　glided　away　from　the　torchlight　into　the　apparently
impenetrable　darkness；　but　the　heavens；　of　which　we　saw　a　patch　now　and
then；　were　ablaze　with　stars；　and　ere　long　the　forms　of　trees　above　and
around　us　became　tolerably　distinct。　Ten　hours　of　darkness　followed　as
we　poled　our　slow　and　tedious　way　through　the　forest　gloom；　with　trees
to　right　of　us；　trees　to　left　of　us；　trees　before　us；　trees　behind　us；
trees　above　us；　and；　I　may　write；　trees　under　us；　so　innumerable　were
the　snags　and　tree　trunks　in　the　river。　The　night　was　very　still；not
a　leaf　moved；　and　at　times　the　silence　was　very　solemn。　I　expected；
indeed；　an　unbroken　silence；　but　there　were　noises　that　I　shall　never
forget。　Several　times　there　was　a　long　shrill　cry；　much　like　the
Australian　〃Coo…ee；〃　answered　from　a　distance　in　a　tone　almost　human。
This　was　the　note　of　the　grand　night　bird；　the　Argus　pheasant；　and　is
said　to　resemble　the　cry　of　the　〃orang…outang；〃　the　Jakkuns；　or　the
wild　men　of　the　interior。　A　sound　like　the　constant　blowing　of　a
steam…whistle　in　the　distance　was　said　to　be　produced　by　a　large
monkey。　Yells；　hoarse　or　shrill；　and　roars　more　or　less　guttural；　were
significant　of　any　of　the　wild　beasts　with　which　the　forest　abounds；
and　recalled　the　verse　in　Psalm　civ。；　〃Thou　makest　darkness　that　it　may
be　night；　wherein　all　the　beasts　of　the　forest　do　move。〃　Then　there
were　cries　as　of　fierce　gambols；　or　of　pursuit　and　capture；　of　hunter
and　victim；　and　at　times；　in　the　midst　of　profound　stillness；　came　huge
plungings；　with　accompanying　splashings；　which　I　thought　were　made　by
alligators；　but　which　Captain　Murray　thinks　were　more　likely　the　riot
of　elephants　disturbed　while　drinking。　　There　were　hundreds　of
mysterious　and　unfamiliar　sounds　great　and　small；　significant　of　the
unknown　beast；　reptile；　and　insect　world　which　the　jungle　hides；　and
then　silences。

Sheet　lightning；　very　blue；　revealed　at　intervals　the　strong　stream
swirling　past　under　a　canopy　of　trees　falling　and　erect；　with　straight
stems　one　hundred　and　fifty　feet　high　probably；　surmounted　by　crowns　of
drooping　branches；　palms　with　their　graceful　plumage；　lianas　hanging；
looping；　twistingtheir　orange　fruitage　hanging　over　our　heads；　great
black　snags；　the　lithe；　wiry　forms　of　our　boat…men　always　straining　to
their　utmost；　and　the　motionless　white　turban　of　the　Hadji；all　for　a
second　relieved　against　the　broad　blue　flame；　to　be　again　lost　in
darkness。

The　Linggi　above　Permatang　Pasir；　with　its　sharp　turns　and　muddy　hurry；
is；　I　should　say；　from　thirty　to　sixty　feet　wide；　a　mere　pathway
through　the　jungle。　Do　not　think　of　a　jungle；　as　I　used　to　think　of　it；
as　an　entanglement　or　thicket　of　profuse　and　matted　scrub；　for　it　is　in
these　regions　at　least　a　noble　forest　of　majestic　trees；　many　of　them
supported　at　their　roots　by　three　buttresses；　behind　which　thirty　men
could　find　shelter。　On　many　of　the　top　branches　of　these；　other　trees
have　taken　root　from　seeds　deposited　by　birds；　and　have　attained
considerable　size；　and　all　send　down；　as　it　_appears_；　extraordinary
cylindrical　strands　from　two　to　six　inches　in　diameter；　and　often　one
hundred　and　fifty　feet　in　length；　smooth　and　straight　until　they　root
themselves；　looking　like　the　guys　of　a　mast。　Under　these　giants　stand
the　lesser　trees　grouped　in　glorious　confusion；cocoa；　sago；　areca；
and　gomuti　palms；　nipah　and　nibong　palms；　tree　ferns　fifteen　and　twenty
feet　high；　the　bread…fruit；　the　ebony；　the　damar；　the　india　rubber；　the
gutta…percha；　the　cajeput；　the　banyan；　the　upas；　the　bombax　or　cotton
tree；　and　hosts　of　others；　many　of　which　bear　brilliant　flowers；　but
have　not　yet　been　botanized；　and　I　can　only　give　such　barbarous　names
as　chumpaka；　Kamooning；　marbow；　seum；　dadap；　and；　loveliest　of　all；　the
waringhan；　a　species　of　ficus；　graceful　as　a　birch；　and　underneath
these　again　great　ferns；　ground　orchids；　and　flowering　shrubs　of　heavy；
delicious　odor；　are　interlocked　and　interwoven。　Oh　that　you　could　see
it　all！　It　is　wonderful；　no　words　could　describe　it；　far　less　mine。　Mr。
Darwin　says　so　truly　that　a　visit　to　the　tropics　（and　such　tropics）　is
like　a　visit　to　a　new　planet。　This　new　wonder…world；　so　enchanting；
tantalizing；　intoxicating；　makes　me　despair；　for　I　cannot　make　you　see
what　I　am　seeing！　Amidst　all　this　wealth　of　nature　and　in　this
perennial　summer　heat　I　quite　fail　to　realize　that　it　is　January；　and
that　with　you　the　withered　plants　are　shriveling　in　the　frost…bound
earth；　and　that　leafless　twigs　and　the　needles　of　half…starved　pines
are　shivering　under　the　stars　in　the　aurora…lighted　winter　nights。

But　to　the　jungle　again；　The　great　bamboo　towers　up　along　the　river
sides　in　its　feathery　grace；　and　behind　it　the　much　prized　Malacca
cane；　the　rattan；　creeping　along　the　ground　or　climbing　trees　and
knotting　them　together；　with　its　tough　strands；　from　a　hundred　to
twelve　hundred　feet　in　length；　matted　and　matting　together　while　ferns；
selaginellas；　and　lycopodiums　struggle　for　space　in　which　to　show　their
fragile　beauty；　along　with　hardier　foliaceous　plants；　brown　and
crimson；　green　and　crimson；　and　crimson　flecked　with　gold；　and　the
great　and　lesser　trees　alike　are　loaded　with　trailers；　ferns；　and
orchids；　among　which　huge　masses　of　the　elk…horn　fern　and　the　shining
five…foot　fronds　of　the　Asplenium　Nidus　are　everywhere　conspicuous。

Not　only　do　orchids　crowd　the　branches；　and　the　hoya　carnosa；　the　yam；
the　blue…blossomed　Thunbergia；　the　vanilla　（？）；　and　other　beautiful
creepers；　conceal　the　stems；　while　nearly　every　parasitic　growth
carries　another　parasite；　but　one　sees　here　a　filament　carelessly
dangling　from　a　branch　sustaining　some　bright…hued　epiphyte　of　quaint
mocking　form；　then　a　branch　as　thick　as　a　clipper's　main…mast　reaches
across　the　river；　supporting　a　festooned　trailer；　from　whose　stalks
hang；　almost　invisibly　suspended；　oval　fruits；　almost　vermilion
colored；　then　again　the　beautiful　vanilla　and　the　hoya　carnosa　vie　with
each　other　in　wreathing　the　same　tree；　or　an　audacious　liana；　with
great　clusters　of　orange　or　scarlet　blossoms；　takes　possession　of
several　trees　at　once；　lighting　up　the　dark　greenery　with　its　flaming
splotches；　or　an　aspiring　trailer；　dexterously　linking　its　feebleness
to　the　strength　of　other　plants；　leaps　across　the　river　from　tree　to
tree　at　a　height　of　a　hundred　feet；　and；　as　though　in　mockery；　sends
down　a　profusion　of　crimson　festoons　far　out　of　reach。　But　it　is　as
useless　to　attempt　to　catalogue　as　to　describe。　To　realize　an
equatorial　jungle　one　must　see　it　in　all　its　wonderment　of　activity　and
stillnessthe　heated；　steamy　stillness　through　which　one　fancies　that
no　breeze　ever　whispers；　with　its　colossal　flowering　trees；　its　green
twilight；　its　inextricable　involvement；　its　butterflies　and　moths；　its
brilliant　but　harsh　voiced　birds；　its　lizards　and　flying　foxes；　its
infinite　variety　of　monkeys；　sitting；　hanging　by　hands　or　tails；
leaping；　grimacing；　jabbering；　pelting　each　other　with　fruits；　and　its
loathsome　saurians；　lying　in　wait　on　slimy　banks　under　the　mangroves。
All　this　and　far　more　the　dawn　revealed　upon　the　Linggi　river；　but
strange　to　say；　through　all　the　tropic　splendor　of　the　morning；　I　saw　a
vision　of　the　Trientalis　Europea；　as　we　saw　it　first　on　a　mossy
hillside　in　Glen　Cannich！

But　I　am　forgetting　that　the　night　with　its　blackness　and　mystery　came
before　the　sunrise；　that　the　stars　seldom　looked　through　the　dense
leafage；　and　that　the　pale　green　lamps　of　a　luminous　fungus　here　and
there；　and　the　cold　blue　sheet…lightning　only　served　to　intensify　the
solemnity　of　the　gloom。　While　the　blackest　part　of　the　night　lasted　the
〃view〃　was　usually　made　up　of　the　black　river　under　the　foliage；　with
scarcely　ten　yards　of　its　course　free　from　obstructiongreat　snags　all
along　it　sticking　up　menacingly；　trees　lying　half　or　quite　across　it；
with　barely　room　to　pass　under　them；　or　sometimes　under　water；　when　the
boat　〃drave　heavily〃　over　them；　while　great　branches　brushed　and　ripped
the　thatch　continually；　and　as　one　obstacle　was　safely　passed；　the
rapidity　of　the　current　invariably　canted　u