the malay archipelago-1-第31章

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　dogs；　cats　and　fowls　entered　it　at　pleasure。　Besides　this　it　was　the　parlour　and　reception…room　of　my　host；　and　I　was　obliged　to　consult　his　convenience　and　that　of　the　numerous　guests　who　visited　us。　My　principal　piece　of　furniture　was　a　box；　which　served　me　as　a　dining　table；　a　seat　while　skinning　birds；　and　as　the　receptacle　of　the　birds　when　skinned　and　dried。　To　keep　them　free　from　ants　we　borrowed；　with　somedifficulty；　an　old　bench；　the　four　legs　of　which　being　placed　in　cocoa…nut　shells　filled　with　water　kept　us　tolerably　free　from　these　pests。　The　box　and　the　bench　were；　however；　literally　the　only　places　where　anything　could　be　put　away；　and　they　were　generally　well　occupied　by　two　insect　boxes　and　about　a　hundred　birds'　skins　in　process　of　drying。　It　may　therefore　be　easily　conceived　that　when　anything　bulky　or　out　of　the　common　way　was　collected；　the　question　〃Where　is　it　to　be　put？〃　was　rather　a　difficult　one　to　answer。　All　animal　substances　moreover　require　some　time　to　dry　thoroughly；　emit　a　very　disagreeable　odour　while　doing　so；　and　are　particularly　attractive　to　ants；　flies；　dogs；　rats；　cats；　and　other　vermin；　calling　for　special　cautions　and　constant　supervision；　which　under　the　circumstances　above　described　were　impossible。

My　readers　may　now　partially　understand　why　a　travelling　naturalist　of　limited　means；　like　myself；　does　so　much　less　than　is　expected　or　than　he　would　himself　wish　to　do。　It　would　be　interesting　to　preserve　skeletons　of　many　birds　and　animals；　reptiles　and　fishes　in　spirits；　skins　of　the　larger　animals；　remarkable　fruits　and　woods　and　the　most　curious　articles　of　manufacture　and　commerce；　but　it　will　be　seen　that　under　the　circumstances　I　have　just　described；　it　would　have　been　impossible　to　add　these　to　the　collections　which　were　my　own　more　especial　favourites。　When　travelling　by　boat　the　difficulties　are　as　great　or　greater；　and　they　are　not　diminished　when　the　journey　is　by　land。　It　was　absolutely　necessary　therefore　to　limit　my　collections　to　certain　groups　to　which　I　could　devote　constant　personal　attention；　and　thus　secure　from　destruction　or　decay　what　had　been　often　obtained　by　much　labour　and　pains。

While　Manuel　sat　skinning　his　birds　of　an　afternoon；　generally　surrounded　by　a　little　crowd　of　Malays　and　Sassaks　（as　the　indigenes　of　Lombock　are　termed）；　he　often　held　forth　to　them　with　the　air　of　a　teacher；　and　was　listened　to　with　profound　attention。　He　was　very　fond　of　discoursing　on　the　〃special　providences〃　of　which　he　believed　he　was　daily　the　subject。　〃Allah　has　been　merciful　today；〃　he　would　sayfor　although　a　Christian　he　adopted　the　Mahometan　mode　of　speech…　〃and　has　given　us　some　very　fine　birds；　we　can　do　nothing　without　him。〃　Then　one　of　the　Malays　would　reply；　〃To　be　sure；　birds　are　like　mankind；　they　have　their　appointed　time　to　die；　when　that　time　comes　nothing　can　save　them；　and　if　it　has　not　come　you　cannot　kill　them。〃　A　murmur　of　assent　follow；　until　sentiments　and　cries　of　〃Butul！　Butul！〃　（Right；　right。）　Then　Manuel　would　tell　a　long　story　of　one　of　his　unsuccessful　huntshow　he　saw　some　fine　bird　and　followed　it　a　long　way；　and　then　missed　it；　and　again　found　it；　and　shot　two　or　three　times　at　it；　but　could　never　hit　it；　〃Ah！〃　says　an　old　Malay；　〃its　time　was　not　come；　and　so　it　was　impossible　for　you　to　kill　it。〃　A　doctrine　is　this　which　is　very　consoling　to　the　bad　marksman；　and　which　quite　accounts　for　the　facts；　but　which　is　yet　somehow　not　altogether　satisfactory。

It　is　universally　believed　in　Lombock　that　some　men　have　the　power　to　turn　themselves　into　crocodiles；　which　they　do　for　the　sake　of　devouring　their　enemies；　and　many　strange　tales　are　told　of　such　transformations。　I　was　therefore　rather　surprised　one　evening　to　hear　the　following　curious　fact　stated；　and　as　it　was　not　contradicted　by　any　of　the　persons　present；　I　am　inclined　to　accept　it　provisionally　as　a　contribution　to　the　Natural　History　of　the　island。　A　Bornean　Malay　who　had　been　for　many　years　resident　here　said　to　Manuel；　〃One　thing　is　strange　in　this　countrythe　scarcity　of　ghosts。〃　〃How　so？　〃asked　Manuel。　〃Why；　you　know；〃　said　the　Malay；　〃that　in　our　countries　to　the　westward；　if　a　man　dies　or　is　killed；　we　dare　not　pass　near　the　place　at　night；　for　all　sorts　of　noises　are　heard　which　show　that　ghosts　are　about。　But　here　there　are　numbers　of　men　killed；　and　their　bodies　lie　unburied　in　the　fields　and　by　the　roadside；　and　yet　you　can　walk　by　them　at　night　and　never　hear　or　see　anything　at　all；　which　is　not　the　case　in　our　country；　as　you　know　very　well。〃　〃Certainly　I　do；〃　said　Manuel；　and　so　it　was　settled　that　ghosts　were　very　scarce；　if　not　altogether　unknown　in　Lombock。　I　would　observe；　however；　that　as　the　evidence　is　purely　negative　we　should　be　wanting　in　scientific　caution　if　we　accepted　this　fact　as　sufficiently　well　established。

One　evening　I　heard　Manuel；　Ali；　and　a　Malay　man　whispering　earnestly　together　outside　the　door；　and　could　distinguish　various　allusions　to　〃krisses；〃　throat…cutting；　heads；　etc。　etc。　At　length　Manuel　came　in；　looking　very　solemn　and　frightened；　and　said　to　me　in　English；　〃Sirmust　take　care；no　safe　here；want　cut　throat。〃　On　further　inquiry；　I　found　that　the　Malay　had　been　telling　them　that　the　Rajah　had　just　sent　down　an　order　to　the　village；　that　they　were　to　get　a　certain　number　of　heads　for　an　offering　in　the　temples　to　secure　a　good　crop　of　rice。　Two　or　three　other　Malays　and　Bugis；　as　well　as　the　Amboyna　man　in　whose　house　we　lived；　confirmed　this　account；　and　declared　that　it　was　a　regular　thing　every　year；　and　that　it　was　necessary　to　keep　a　good　watch　and　never　go　out　alone。　I　laughed　at　the　whole　thing；　and　tried　to　persuade　them　that　it　was　a　mere　tale；　but　to　no　effect。　They　were　all　firmly　persuaded　that　their　lives　were　in　danger。　Manuel　would　not　go　out　shooting　alone；　and　I　was　obliged　to　accompany　him　every　morning；　but　I　soon　gave　him　the　slip　in　the　jungle。　Ali　was　afraid　to　go　and　look　for　firewood　without　a　companion；　and　would　not　even　fetch　water　from　the　well　a　few　yards　behind　the　house　unless　armed　with　an　enormous　spear。　I　was　quite　sure　all　the　time　that　no　such　order　had　been　sent　or　received；　and　that　we　were　in　perfect　safety。　This　was　well　shown　shortly　afterwards；　when　an　American　sailor　ran　away　from　his　ship　on　the　east　side　of　the　island；　and　made　his　way　on　foot　and　unarmed　across　to　Ampanam；　having　met　with　the　greatest　hospitality　on　the　whole　route。　Nowhere　would　the　smallest　payment　be　taken　for　the　food　and　lodging　which　were　willingly　furbished　him。　On　pointing　out　this　fact　to　Manuel；　he　replied；　〃He　one　bad　man；run　away　from　his　shipno　one　can　believe　word　he　say；〃　and　so　I　was　obliged　to　leave　him　in　the　uncomfortable　persuasion　that　he　might　any　day　have　his　throat　cut。

A　circumstance　occurred　here　which　appeared　to　throw　some　light　on　the　cause　of　the　tremendous　surf　at　Ampanam。　One　evening　I　heard　a　strange　rumbling　noise；　and　at　the　same　time　the　house　shook　slightly。　Thinking　it　might　be　thunder；　I　asked；　〃What　is　that？〃　〃It　is　an　earthquake；〃　answered　Inchi　Daud；　my　host；　and　he　then　told　me　that　slight　shocks　were　occasionally　felt　there；　but　he　had　never　known　them　to　be　severe。　This　happened　on　the　day　of　the　last　quarter　of　the　moon；　and　consequently　when　tides　were　low　and　the　surf　usually　at　its　weakest。　On　inquiry　afterwards　at　Ampanam；　I　found　that　no　earthquake　had　been　noticed；　but　that　on　one　night　there　had　been　a　very　heavy　surf；　which　shook　the　house；　and　the　next　day　there　was　a　very　high　tide；　the　water　having　flooded　Mr。　Carter's　premises；　higher　than　he　had　ever　known　it　before。　These　unusual　tides　occur　every　now　and　then；　and　are　not　thought　much　of；　but　by　careful　inquiry　I　ascertained　that　the　surf　had　occurred　on　the　very　night　I　had　felt　the　earthquake　at　Labuan　Tring；　nearly　twenty　miles　off。　This　would　seem　to　indicate；　that　although　the　ordinary　heavy　surf　may　be　due　to　the　swell　of　the　great　Southern　Ocean　confined　in　a　narrow　channel；　combined　with　a　peculiar　form　of　bottom　near　the　shore；　yet　the　sudden　heavy　surfs　and　high　tides　that　occur　occasionally　in　perfectly　calm　weather；　may　be　due　to　slight　upheavals　of　the　ocean…bed　in　this　eminently　volcanic　region。

CHAPTER　XI。

LOMBOCK：　MANNERS　AND　CUSTOMS　OF　THE　PEOPLE。

HAVING　made　a　very　fine　and　interesting　collection　of　the　birds　of　Labuan　Tring；　I　took　leave　of　my　kind　host；　Inchi　Daud；　and　returned　to　Ampanam　to　await　an　opportunity　to　reach　Macassar。　As　no　vessel　had　arrived　bound　for　that　port；　I　determined　to　make　an　excursion　into　the　interior　of　the　island；　accompanied　by　Mr。　Ross；　an　Englishman　born　in　the　Keeling　Islands；　and　now　employed　by　the　Dutch　Government　to　settle　the　affairs　of　a　missionary　who　had　unfortunately　become　bankrupt　here。　Mr。　Carter　kindly　lent　me　a　horse；　and　Mr。　Ross　took　his　native　groom。

Our　route　for　some　distance　lay　along　a　perfectly　level　country　bearing　ample　crops　of　rice。　The　road　was　straight　and　generally　bordered　with　lofty　trees　forming　a　due　avenue。　It　was　at　first　sandy；　afterwards　grassy；　with　occasional　streams　and　mudholes。　At　a　distance　about　four　miles　we　reached　Mataram；　the　capital　of　the　island　and　the　residence　of　the　Rajah。　It　is　a　large　village　with　wide　streets　bordered　by　a　magnificent　avenue　of　trees；　and　low　houses　concealed　behind　mud　walls。　Within　this　royal　city　no　native　of　the　lower　orders　is　allowed　to　ride；　and　our　attendant；　a　Javanese；　was　obliged　to　dismount　and　lead　his　horse　while　we　rode　slowly　through。　The　abodes　of　the　Rajah　and　of　the　High　Priest　are　distinguished　by　pillars　of　red　brick　constructed　with　much　taste；　but　the　palace　itself　seemed　to　differ　but　little　from　the　ordinary　houses　of　the　country。　Beyond　Mataram　and　close　to　it　is　Karangassam；　the　ancient　residence　of　the　native　or　Sassak　Rajahs　before　the　conquest　of　the　island　by　the　Balinese。

Soon　after　passing　Mataram　the　country　began　gradually　to　rise　in　gentle　undulations；　swelling　occasionally　into　low　hills　towards　the　two　mountainous　tracts　in　the　northern　and　southern　parts　of　the　island。　It　was　now　that　I　first　obtained　an　adequate　idea　of　one　of　the　most　wonderful　systems　of　cultivation　in　the　world；　equalling　all　that　is　related　of　Chinese　industry；　and　as　far　as　I　know　surpassing　in　the　labour　that　has　been　bestowed　upon　it　any　tract　of　equal　extent　in　the　most　civilized　countries　of　Europe。　I　rode　through　this　strange　garden　utterly　amazed　and　hardly　able　to　realize　the　fact　that　in　this　remote　and　little　known　island；　from　which　all　Europeans　except　a　few　traders　at　the　port　are　jealously　excluded；　many　hundreds　of　square　miles　of　irregularly　undulating　country　have　been　so　skillfully　terraced　and　levelled；　and　so　permeated　by　artificial　channels；　that　every　portion　of　it　can　be　irrigated　and　dried　at　pleasure。　According　as　the　slope　of　the　ground　is　more　or　less　rapid；　each　terraced　plot　consists　in　some　places　of　many　acres；　in　others　of　a　few　square　yards。　We　saw　them　in　every　state　of　cultivation；　some　in　stubble；　some　being　ploughed；　some　with　rice…crops　in　various　stages　of　growth。　Here　were　luxuriant　patches　of　tobacco；　there；　cucumbers；　sweet　potatoes；　yams；　beans　or　Indian…corn　varied　the　scene。　In　some　places　the　ditches　were　dry；　in　others　little　streams