the malay archipelago-1-第2章

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es　of　the　northern　to　those　of　the　southern　continent　of　America。　He　soon　comes　to　look　upon　this　region　as　one　apart　from　the　rest　of　the　world；　with　its　own　races　of　men　and　its　own　aspects　of　nature；　with　its　own　ideas；　feelings；　customs；　and　modes　of　speech；　and　with　a　climate；　vegetation；　and　animated　life　altogether　peculiar　to　itself。

From　many　points　of　view　these　islands　form　one　compact　geographical　whole；　and　as　such　they　have　always　been　treated　by　travellers　and　men　of　science；　but；　a　more　careful　and　detailed　study　of　them　under　various　aspects　reveals　the　unexpected　fact　that　they　are　divisible　into　two　portions　nearly　equal　in　extent　which　differ　widely　in　their　natural　products；　and　really　form　two　parts　of　the　primary　divisions　of　the　earth。　I　have　been　able　to　prove　this　in　considerable　detail　by　my　observations　on　the　natural　history　of　the　various　parts　of　the　Archipelago；　and；　as　in　the　description　of　my　travels　and　residence　in　the　several　islands　I　shall　have　to　refer　continually　to　this　view；　and　adduce　facts　in　support　of　it；　I　have　thought　it　advisable　to　commence　with　a　general　sketch　of　the　main　features　of　the　Malayan　region　as　will　render　the　facts　hereafter　brought　forward　more　interesting；　and　their　bearing　upon　the　general　question　more　easily　understood。　I　proceed；　therefore；　to　sketch　the　limits　and　extent　of　the　Archipelago；　and　to　point　out　the　more　striking　features　of　its　geology；　physical　geography；　vegetation；　and　animal　life。

Definition　and　Boundaries。For　reasons　which　depend　mainly　on　the　distribution　of　animal　life；　I　consider　the　Malay　Archipelago　to　include　the　Malay　Peninsula　as　far　as　Tenasserim　and　the　Nicobar　Islands　on　the　west；　the　Philippines　on　the　north；　and　the　Solomon　Islands；　beyond　New　Guinea；　on　the　east。　All　the　great　islands　included　within　these　limits　are　connected　together　by　innumerable　smaller　ones；　so　that　no　one　of　them　seems　to　be　distinctly　separated　from　the　rest。　With　but　few　exceptions　all　enjoy　an　uniform　and　very　similar　climate；　and　are　covered　with　a　luxuriant　forest　vegetation。　Whether　we　study　their　form　and　distribution　on　maps；　or　actually　travel　from　island　to　island；　our　first　impression　will　be　that　they　form　a　connected　whole；　all　the　parts　of　which　are　intimately　related　to　each　other。

Extent　of　the　Archipelago　and　Islands。The　Malay　Archipelago　extends　for　more　than　4；000　miles　in　length　from　east　to　west；　and　is　about　1；300　in　breadth　from　north　to　south。　It　would　stretch　over　an　expanse　equal　to　that　of　all　Europe　from　the　extreme　west　far　into　Central　Asia；　or　would　cover　the　widest　parts　of　South　America；　and　extend　far　beyond　the　land　into　the　Pacific　and　Atlantic　oceans。　It　includes　three　islands　larger　than　Great　Britain；　and　in　one　of　them；　Borneo；　the　whole　of　the　British　Isles　might　be　set　down；　and　would　be　surrounded　by　a　sea　of　forests。　New　Guinea；　though　less　compact　in　shape；　is　probably　larger　than　Borneo。　Sumatra　is　about　equal　in　extent　to　Great　Britain；　Java；　Luzon；　and　Celebes　are　each　about　the　size　of　Ireland。　Eighteen　more　islands　are；　on　the　average；　as　large　as　Jamaica；　more　than　a　hundred　are　as　large　as　the　Isle　of　Wight；　while　the　isles　and　islets　of　smaller　size　are　innumerable。

The　absolute　extent　of　land　in　the　Archipelago　is　not　greater　than　that　contained　by　Western　Europe　from　Hungary　to　Spain；　but；　owing　to　the　manner　in　which　the　land　is　broken　up　and　divided；　the　variety　of　its　productions　is　rather　in　proportion　to　the　immense　surface　over　which　the　islands　are　spread；　than　to　the　quantity　of　land　which　they　contain。

Geological　Contrasts。One　of　the　chief　volcanic　belts　upon　the　globe　passes　through　the　Archipelago；　and　produces　a　striking　contrast　in　the　scenery　of　the　volcanic　and　non…volcanic　islands。　A　curving　line；　marked　out　by　scores　of　active；　and　hundreds　of　extinct；　volcanoes　may　be　traced　through　the　whole　length　of　Sumatra　and　Java；　and　thence　by　the　islands　of　Bali；　Lombock；　Sumbawa；　Flores；　the　Serwatty　Islands；　Banda；　Amboyna；　Batchian；　Makian；　Tidore；　Ternate；　and　Gilolo；　to　Morty　Island。　Here　there　is　a　slight　but　well…marked　break；　or　shift；　of　about　200　miles　to　the　westward；　where　the　volcanic　belt　begins　again　in　North　Celebes；　and　passes　by　Sian　and　Sanguir　to　the　Philippine　Islands　along　the　eastern　side　of　which　it　continues；　in　a　curving　line；　to　their　northern　extremity。　From　the　extreme　eastern　bend　of　this　belt　at　Banda；　we　pass　onwards　for　1；000　miles　over　a　non…　volcanic　district　to　the　volcanoes　observed　by　Dampier；　in　1699；　on　the　north…eastern　coast　of　New　Guinea；　and　can　there　trace　another　volcanic　belt　through　New　Britain；　New　Ireland；　and　the　Solomon　Islands；　to　the　eastern　limits　of　the　Archipelago。

In　the　whole　region　occupied　by　this　vast　line　of　volcanoes；　and　for　a　considerable　breadth　on　each　side　of　it；　earthquakes　are　of　continual　recurrence；　slight　shocks　being　felt　at　intervals　of　every　few　weeks　or　months；　while　more　severe　ones；　shaking　down　whole　villages；　and　doing　more　or　less　injury　to　life　and　property；　are　sure　to　happen；　in　one　part　or　another　of　this　district；　almost　every　year。　On　many　of　the　islands　the　years　of　the　great　earthquakes　form　the　chronological　epochs　of　the　native　inhabitants；　by　the　aid　of　which　the　ages　of　their　children　are　remembered；　and　the　dates　of　many　important　events　are　determined。

I　can　only　briefly　allude　to　the　many　fearful　eruptions　that　have　taken　place　in　this　region。　In　the　amount　of　injury　to　life　and　property；　and　in　the　magnitude　of　their　effects；　they　have　not　been　surpassed　by　any　upon　record。　Forty　villages　were　destroyed　by　the　eruption　of　Papandayang　in　Java；　in　1772；　when　the　whole　mountain　was　blown　up　by　repeated　explosions；　and　a　large　lake　left　in　its　place。　By　the　great　eruption　of　Tomboro　in　Sumbawa；　in　1815；　12；000　people　were　destroyed；　and　the　ashes　darkened　the　air　and　fell　thickly　upon　the　earth　and　sea　for　300　miles　around。　Even　quite　recently；　since　I　left　the　country；　a　mountain　which　had　been　quiescent　for　more　than　200　years　suddenly　burst　into　activity。　The　island　of　Makian；　one　of　the　Moluccas；　was　rent　open　in　1646　by　a　violent　eruption　which　left　a　huge　chasm　on　one　side；　extending　into　the　heart　of　the　mountain。　It　was；　when　I　last　visited　it　in　1860；　clothed　with　vegetation　to　the　summit；　and　contained　twelve　populous　Malay　villages。　On　the　29th　of　December；　1862；　after　215　years　of　perfect　inaction；　it　again　suddenly　burst　forth；　blowing　up　and　completely　altering　the　appearance　of　the　mountain；　destroying　the　greater　part　of　the　inhabitants；　and　sending　forth　such　volumes　of　ashes　as　to　darken　the　air　at　Ternate；　forty　miles　off；　and　to　almost　entirely　destroy　the　growing　crops　on　that　and　the　surrounding　islands。

The　island　of　Java　contains　more　volcanoes；　active　and　extinct；　than　any　other　known　district　of　equal　extent。　They　are　about　forty…five　in　number；　and　many　of　them　exhibit　most　beautiful　examples　of　the　volcanic　cone　on　a　large　scale；　single　or　double；　with　entire　or　truncated　summits；　and　averaging　10；000　feet　high。

It　is　now　well　ascertained　that　almost　all　volcanoes　have　been　slowly　built　up　by　the　accumulation　of　mattermud；　ashes；　and　lavaejected　by　themselves。　The　openings　or　craters；　however；　frequently　shift　their　position；　so　that　a　country　may　be　covered　with　a　more　or　less　irregular　series　of　hills　in　chains　and　masses；　only　here　and　there　rising　into　lofty　cones；　and　yet　the　whole　may　be　produced　by　true　volcanic　action。　In　this　manner　the　greater　part　of　Java　has　been　formed。　There　has　been　some　elevation；　especially　on　the　south　coast；　where　extensive　cliffs　of　coral　limestone　are　found；　and　there　may　be　a　substratum　of　older　stratified　rocks；　but　still　essentially　Java　is　volcanic；　and　that　noble　and　fertile　islandthe　very　garden　of　the　East；　and　perhaps　upon　the　whole　the　richest；　the　best　cultivated；　and　the　best　governed　tropical　island　in　the　worldowes　its　very　existence　to　the　same　intense　volcanic　activity　which　still　occasionally　devastates　its　surface。

The　great　island　of　Sumatra　exhibits；　in　proportion　to　its　extent；　a　much　smaller　number　of　volcanoes；　and　a　considerable　portion　of　it　has　probably　a　non…volcanic　origin。

To　the　eastward；　the　long　string　of　islands　from　Java；　passing　by　the　north　of　Timor　and　away　to　Panda；　are　probably　all　due　to　volcanic　action。　Timor　itself　consists　of　ancient　stratified　rocks；　but　is　said　to　have　one　volcano　near　its　centre。

Going　northward；　Amboyna；　a　part　of　Bouru；　and　the　west　end　of　Ceram；　the　north　part　of　Gilolo；　and　all　the　small　islands　around　it；　the　northern　extremity　of　Celebes；　and　the　islands　of　Sian　and　Sang…air；　are　wholly　volcanic。　The　Philippine　Archipelago　contains　many　active　and　extinct　volcanoes；　and　has　probably　been　reduced　to　its　present　fragmentary　condition　by　subsidences　attending　on　volcanic　action。

All　along　this　great　line　of　volcanoes　are　to　be　found　more　or　less　palpable　signs　of　upheaval　and　depression　of　land。　The　range　of　islands　south　of　Sumatra；　a　part　of　the　south　coast　of　Java　and　of　the　islands　east　of　it；　the　west　and　east　end　of　Timor；　portions　of　all　the　Moluccas；　the　Ke　and　Aru　Islands；　Waigiou；　and　the　whole　south　and　east　of　Gilolo；　consist　in　a　great　measure　of　upraised　coral…rock；　exactly　corresponding　to　that　now　forming　in　the　adjacent　seas。　In　many　places　I　have　observed　the　unaltered　surfaces　of　the　elevated　reefs；　with　great　masses　of　coral　standing　up　in　their　natural　position；　and　hundreds　of　shells　so　fresh…looking　that　it　was　hard　to　believe　that　they　had　been　more　than　a　few　years　out　of　the　water；　and；　in　fact；　it　is　very　probable　that　such　changes　have　occurred　within　a　few　centuries。

The　united　lengths　of　these　volcanic　belts　is　about　ninety　degrees；　or　one…fourth　of　the　entire　circumference　of　the　globe。　Their　width　is　about　fifty　miles；　but；　for　a　space　of　two　hundred　miles　on　each　side　of　them；　evidences　of　subterranean　action　are　to　be　found　in　recently　elevated　coral…rock；　or　in　barrier　coral…　reefs；　indicating　recent　submergence。　In　the　very　centre　or　focus　of　the　great　curve　of　volcanoes　is　placed　the　large　island　of　Borneo；　in　which　no　sign　of　recent　volcanic　action　has　yet　been　observed；　and　where　earthquakes；　so　characteristic　of　the　surrounding　regions；　are　entirely　unknown。　The　equally　large　island　of　New　Guinea　occupies　another　quiescent　area；　on　which　no　sign　of　volcanic　action　has　yet　been　discovered。　With　the　exception　of　the　eastern　end　of　its　northern　peninsula；　the　large　and　curiously…shaped　island　of　Celebes　is　also　entirely　free　from　volcanoes；　and　there　is　some　reason　to　believe　that　the　volcanic　portion　has　once　formed　a　separate　island。　The　Malay　Peninsula　is　also　non…volcanic。

The　first　and　most　obvious　division　of　the　Archipelago　would　therefore　be　into　quiescent　and　volcanic　regions；　and　it　might；　perhaps；　be　expected　that　such　a　division　would　correspond　to　some　differences　in　the　character　of　the　vegetation　and　the　forms　of　life。　This　is　the　case；　however；　to　a　very　limited　extent；　and　we　shall　presently　see　that；　although　this　development　of　subterranean　fires　is　on　so　vast　a　scalehas　piled　up　chains　of　mountains　ten　or　twelve　thousand　feet　highhas　broken　up　continents　and　raised　up　islands　from　the　o