the malay archipelago-1-第12章

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　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；　while　the　standing　height；　from　the　sole　of　the　foot　to　the　crown　of　the　head；　rarely　if　ever　exceeds　4　feet　2　inches。

As　this　was　the　last　Mias　I　shot；　and　the　last　time　I　saw　an　adult　living　animal；　I　will　give　a　sketch　of　its　general　habits；　and　any　other　facts　connected　with　it。　The　Orangutan　is　known　to　inhabit　Sumatra　and　Borneo；　and　there　is　every　reason　to　believe　that　it　is　confined　to　these　two　great　islands；　in　the　former　of　which；　however；　it　seems　to　be　much　more　rare。　In　Borneo　it　has　a　wide　range；　inhabiting　many　districts　on　the　southwest；　southeast；　northeast；　and　northwest　coasts；　but　appears　to　be　chiefly　confined　to　the　low　and　swampy　forests。　It　seems；　at　first　sight；　very　inexplicable　that　the　Mias　should　be　quite　unknown　in　the　Sarawak　valley；　while　it　is　abundant　in　Sambas；　on　the　west；　and　Sadong；　on　the　east。　But　when　we　know　the　habits　and　mode　of　life　of　the　animal；　we　see　a　sufficient　reason　for　this　apparent　anomaly　in　the　physical　features　of　the　Sarawak　district。　In　the　Sadong；　where　I　observed　it；　the　Mias　is　only　found　when　the　country　is　low　level　and　swampy；　and　at　the　same　time　covered　with　a　lofty　virgin　forest。　From　these　swamps　rise　many　isolated　mountains；　on　some　of　which　the　Dyaks　have　settled　and　covered　with　plantations　of　fruit　trees。　These　are　a　great　attraction　to　the　Mias；　which　comes　to　feed　on　the　unripe　fruits；　but　always　retires　to　the　swamp　at　night。　Where　the　country　becomes　slightly　elevated；　and　the　soil　dry；　the　Mias　is　no　longer　to　be　found。　For　example；　in　all　the　lower　part　of　the　Sadong　valley　it　abounds；　but　as　soon　as　we　ascend　above　the　limits　of　the　tides；　where　the　country；　though　still　flat；　is　high　enough　to　be　dry；　it　disappears。　Now　the　Sarawak　valley　has　this　peculiaritythe　lower　portion　though　swampy；　is　not　covered　with　a　continuous　lofty　forest；　but　is　principally　occupied　by　the　Nipa　palm；　and　near　the　town　of　Sarawak　where　the　country　becomes　dry；　it　is　greatly　undulated　in　many　parts；　and　covered　with　small　patches　of　virgin　forest；　and　much　second…　growth　jungle　on　the　ground；　which　has　once　been　cultivated　by　the　Malays　or　Dyaks。

Now　it　seems　probable　to　me　that　a　wide　extent　of　unbroken　and　equally　lofty　virgin　forest　is　necessary　to　the　comfortable　existence　of　these　animals。　Such　forests　form　their　open　country；　where　they　can　roam　in　every　direction　with　as　much　facility　as　the　Indian　on　the　prairie；　or　the　Arab　on　the　desert；　passing　from　tree…top　to　tree…top　without　ever　being　obliged　to　descend　upon　the　earth。　The　elevated　and　the　drier　districts　are　more　frequented　by　man；　more　cut　up　by　clearings　and　low　second…growth　junglenot　adapted　to　its　peculiar　mode　of　progression；　and　where　it　would　therefore　be　more　exposed　to　danger；　and　more　frequently　obliged　to　descend　upon　the　earth。　There　is　probably　also　a　greater　variety　of　fruit　in　the　Mias　district；　the　small　mountains　which　rise　like　islands　out　of　it　serving　as　gardens　or　plantations　of　a　sort；　where　the　trees　of　the　uplands　are　to　be　found　in　the　very　midst　of　the　swampy　plains。

It　is　a　singular　and　very　interesting　sight　to　watch　a　Mias　making　his　way　leisurely　through　the　forest。　He　walks　deliberately　along　some　of　the　larger　branches　in　the　semi…erect　attitude　which　the　great　length　of　his　arms　and　the　shortness　of　his　legs　cause　him　naturally　to　assume；　and　the　disproportion　between　these　limbs　is　increased　by　his　walking　on　his　knuckles；　not　on　the　palm　of　the　hand；　as　we　should　do。　He　seems　always　to　choose　those　branches　which　intermingle　with　an　adjoining　tree；　on　approaching　which　he　stretches　out　his　long　arms；　and　seizing　the　opposing　boughs；　grasps　them　together　with　both　hands；　seems　to　try　their　strength；　and　then　deliberately　swings　himself　across　to　the　next　branch；　on　which　he　walks　along　as　before。　He　never　jumps　or　springs；　or　even　appears　to　hurry　himself；　and　yet　manages　to　get　along　almost　as　quickly　as　a　person　can　run　through　the　forest　beneath。　The　long　and　powerful　arms　are　of　the　greatest　use　to　the　animal；　enabling　it　to　climb　easily　up　the　loftiest　trees；　to　seize　fruits　and　young　leaves　from　slender　boughs　which　will　not　bear　its　weight；　and　to　gather　leaves　and　branches　with　which　to　form　its　nest。　I　have　already　described　how　it　forms　a　nest　when　wounded；　but　it　uses　a　similar　one　to　sleep　on　almost　every　night。　This　is　placed　low　down；　however；　on　a　small　tree　not　more　than　from　twenty　to　fifty　feet　from　the　ground；　probably　because　it　is　warmer　and　less　exposed　to　wind　than　higher　up。　Each　Mias　is　said　to　make　a　fresh　one　for　himself　every　night；　but　I　should　think　that　is　hardly　probable；　or　their　remains　would　be　much　more　abundant；　for　though　I　saw　several　about　the　coal…mines；　there　must　have　been　many　Orangs　about　every　day；　and　in　a　year　their　deserted　nests　would　become　very　numerous。　The　Dyaks　say　that；　when　it　is　very　wet；　the　Mias　covers　himself　over　with　leaves　of　pandanus；　or　large　ferns；　which　has　perhaps　led　to　the　story　of　his　making　a　hut　in　the　trees。

The　Orang　does　not　leave　his　bed　until　the　sun　has　well　risen　and　has　dried　up　the　dew　upon　the　leaves。　He　feeds　all　through　the　middle　of　the　day；　but　seldom　returns　to　the　same　tree　two　days　running。　They　do　not　seem　much　alarmed　at　man；　as　they　often　stared　down　upon　me　for　several　minutes；　and　then　only　moved　away　slowly　to　an　adjacent　tree。　After　seeing　one；　I　have　often　had　to　go　half　a　mile　or　more　to　fetch　my　gun；　and　in　nearly　every　case　have　found　it　on　the　same　tree；　or　within　a　hundred　yards；　when　I　returned。　I　never　saw　two　full…grown　animals　together；　but　both　males　and　females　are　sometimes　accompanied　by　half…grown　young　ones；　while；　at　other　times；　three　or　four　young　ones　were　seen　in　company。　Their　food　consists　almost　exclusively　of　fruit；　with　occasionally　leaves；　buds；　and　young　shoots。　They　seem　to　prefer　unripe　fruits；　some　of　which　were　very　sour；　others　intensely　bitter；　particularly　the　large　red；　fleshy　arillus　of　one　which　seemed　an　especial　favourite。　In　other　cases　they　eat　only　the　small　seed　of　a　large　fruit；　and　they　almost　always　waste　and　destro