the malay archipelago-1-第47章

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〃Controlleurs〃　most　of　the　houses　were　rebuilt　on　a　neat　and　uniform　plan。　It　was　this　interesting　district　which　I　was　now　about　to　visit。

Having　decided　on　my　route；　I　started　at　8　A。M。　on　the　22d　of　June。　Mr。　Tower　drove　me　the　first　three　miles　in　his　chaise；　and　Mr。　Neys　accompanied　me　on　horseback　three　miles　further　to　the　village　of　Lotta。　Here　we　met　the　Controlleur　of　the　district　of　Tondano；　who　was　returning　home　from　one　of　his　monthly　tours；　and　who　had　agreed　to　act　as　my　guide　and　companion　on　the　journey。　From　Lotta　we　had　an　almost　continual　ascent　for　six　miles；　which　brought　us　on　to　the　plateau　of　Tondano　at　an　elevation　of　about　2；400　feet。　We　passed　through　three　villages　whose　neatness　and　beauty　quite　astonished　me。　The　main　road；　along　which　all　the　coffee　is　brought　down　from　the　interior　in　carts　drawn　by　buffaloes；　is　always　turned　aside　at　the　entrance　of　a　village；　so　as　to　pass　behind　it；　and　thus　allow　the　village　street　itself　to　be　kept　neat　and　clean。　This　is　bordered　by　neat　hedges　often　formed　entirely　of　rose…trees；　which　are　perpetually　in　blossom。　There　is　a　broad　central　path　and　a　border　of　fine　turf；　which　is　kept　well　swept　and　neatly　cut。　The　houses　are　all　of　wood；　raised　about　six　feet　on　substantial　posts　neatly　painted　blue；　while　the　walls　are　whitewashed。　They　all　have　a　verandah　enclosed　with　a　neat　balustrade；　and　are　generally　surrounded　by　orange…trees　and　flowering　shrubs。　The　surrounding　scenery　is　verdant　and　picturesque。　Coffee　plantations　of　extreme　luxuriance；　noble　palms　and　tree　ferns；　wooded　hills　and　volcanic　peaks；　everywhere　meet　the　eye。　I　had　heard　much　of　the　beauty　of　this　country；　but　the　reality　far　surpassed　my　expectations。

About　one　o'clock　we　reached　Tomohón；　the　chief　place　of　a　district；　having　a　native　chief　now　called　the　〃Major；〃　at　whose　house　we　were　to　dine。　Here　was　a　fresh　surprise　for　me。　The　house　was　large；　airy　and　very　substantially　built　of　hard　native　timber；　squared　and　put　together　in　a　most　workmanlike　manner。　It　was　furnished　in　European　style；　with　handsome　chandelier　lamps；　and　the　chairs　and　tables　all　well　made　by　native　workmen。　As　soon　as　we　entered；　madeira　and　bitters　were　offered　us。　Then　two　handsome　boys　neatly　dressed　in　white；　and　with　smoothly　brushed　jet…black　hair；　handed　us　each　a　basin　of　water　and　a　clean　napkin　on　a　salver。　The　dinner　was　excellent。　Fowls　cooked　in　various　ways；　wild　pig　roasted；　stewed　and　fried；　a　fricassee　of　bats；　potatoes；　rice　and　other　vegetables；　all　served　on　good　china；　with　finger　glasses　and　fine　napkins；　and　abundance　of　good　claret　and　beer；　seemed　to　me　rather　curious　at　the　table　of　a　native　chief　on　the　mountains　of　Celebes。　Our　host　was　dressed　in　a　suit　of　black　with　patent…leather　shoes；　and　really　looked　comfortable　and　almost　gentlemanly　in　them。　He　sat　at　the　head　of　the　table　and　did　the　honours　well；　though　he　did　not　talk　much。　Our　conversation　was　entirely　in　Malay；　as　that　is　the　official　language　here；　and　in　fact　the　mother…tongue　and　only　language　of　the　Controlleur；　who　is　a　native…born　half…breed。　The　Major's　father　who　was　chief　before　him；　wore；　I　was　informed；　a　strip　of　bark　as　his　sole　costume；　and　lived　in　a　rude　but　raised　home　on　lofty　poles；　and　abundantly　decorated　with　human　heads。　Of　course　we　were　expected；　and　our　dinner　was　prepared　in　the　best　style；　but　I　was　assured　that　the　chiefs　all　take　a　pride　in　adopting　European　customs；　and　in　being　able　to　receive　their　visitors　in　a　handsome　manner。

After　dinner　and　coffee；　the　Controlleur　went　on　to　Tondano；　and　I　strolled　about　the　village　waiting　for　my　baggage；　which　was　coming　in　a　bullock…cart；　and　did　not　arrive　until　after　midnight。　Supper　was　very　similar　to　dinner；　and　on　retiring　I　found　an　elegant　little　room　with　a　comfortable　bed；　gauze　curtains　with　blue　and　red　hangings；　and　every　convenience。　Next　morning　at　sunrise　the　thermometer　in　the　verandah　stood　at　69°；　which　I　was　told　is　about　the　usual　lowest　temperature　at　this　place；　2；500　feet　above　the　sea。　I　had　a　good　breakfast　of　coffee；　eggs；　and　fresh　bread　and　butter；　which　I　took　in　the　spacious　verandah　amid　the　odour　of　roses；　jessamine；　and　other　sweet…scented　flowers；　which　filled　the　garden　in　front；　and　about　eight　o'clock　left　Tomohón　with　a　dozen　men　carrying　my　baggage。

Our　road　lay　over　a　mountain　ridge　about　4；000　feet　above　the　sea；　and　then　descended　about　500　feet　to　the　little　village　of　Rurúkan；　the　highest　in　the　district　of　Minahasa；　and　probably　in　all　Celebes。　Here　I　had　determined　to　stay　for　some　time　to　see　whether　this　elevation　would　produce　any　change　in　the　zoology。　The　village　had　only　been　formed　about　ten　years；　and　was　quite　as　neat　as　those　I　had　passed　through；　and　much　more　picturesque。　It　is　placed　on　a　small　level　spot；　from　which　there　is　an　abrupt　wooded　descent　down　to　the　beautiful　lake　of　Tondano；　with　volcanic　mountains　beyond。　On　one　side　is　a　ravine；　and　beyond　it　a　fine　mountainous　and　wooded　country。

Near　the　village　are　the　coffee　plantations。　The　trees　are　planted　in　rows；　and　are　kept　topped　to　about　seven　feet　high。　This　causes　the　lateral　branches　to　grow　very　strong；　so　that　some　of　the　trees　become　perfect　hemispheres；　loaded　with　fruit　from　top　to　bottom；　and　producing　from　ten　to　twenty　pounds　each　of　cleaned　coffee　annually。　These　plantations　were　all　formed　by　the　Government；　and　are　cultivated　by　the　villagers　under　the　direction　of　their　chief。　Certain　days　are　appointed　for　weeding　or　gathering；　and　the　whole　working　population　are　summoned　by　the　sound　of　a　gong。　An　account　is　kept　of　the　number　of　hours'　work　done　by　each　family；　and　at　the　year's　end；　the　produce　of　the　sale　is　divided　among　them　proportionately。　The　coffee　is　taken　to　Government　stores　established　at　central　places　over　the　whole　country；　and　is　paid　for　at　a　low　fixed　price。　Out　of　this　a　certain　percentage　goes　to　the　chiefs　and　majors；　and　the　remainder　is　divided　among　the　inhabitants。　This　system　works　very　well；　and　I　believe　is　at　present　far　better　for　the　people　than　free…trade　would　be。　There　are　also　large　rice…fields；　and　in　this　little　village　of　seventy　houses；　I　was　informed　that　a　hundred　pounds'　worth　of　rice　was　sold　annually。

I　had　a　small　house　at　the　very　end　of　the　village；　almost　hanging　over　the　precipitous　slope　down　to　the　stream；　and　with　a　splendid　view　from　the　verandah。　The　thermometer　in　the　morning　often　stood　at　62°　and　never　rose　so　high　as　80°；　so　that　with　the　thin　clothing　used　in　the　tropical　plains　we　were　always　cool　and　sometimes　positively　cold；　while　the　spout　of　water　where　I　went　daily　for　my　bath　had　quite　an　icy　feel。　Although　I　enjoyed　myself　very　much　among　these　fine　mountains　and　forests；　I　was　somewhat　disappointed　as　to　my　collections。　There　was　hardly　any　perceptible　difference　between　the　animal　life　in　this　temperate　region　and　in　the　torrid　plains　below；　and　what　difference　did　exist　was　in　most　respects　disadvantageous　to　me。　There　seemed　to　be　nothing　absolutely　peculiar　to　this　elevation。　Birds　and　quadrupeds　were　less　plentiful；　but　of　the　same　species。　In　insects　there　seemed　to　be　more　difference。　The　curious　beetles　of　the　family　Cleridae；　which　are　found　chiefly　on　bark　and　rotten　wood；　were　finer　than　I　have　seen　them　elsewhere。　The　beautiful　Longicorns　were　scarcer　than　usual；　and　the　few　butterflies　were　all　of　tropical　species。　One　of　these；　Papilio　blumei；　of　which　I　obtained　a　few　specimens　only；　is　among　the　most　magnificent　I　have　ever　seen。　It　is　a　green　and　gold　swallow…tail；　with　azure…blue　and　spoon…shaped　tails；　and　was　often　seen　flying　about　the　village　when　the　sun　shone；　but　in　a　very　shattered　condition。　The　great　amount　of　wet　and　cloudy　weather　was　a　great　drawback　all　the　time　I　was　at　Rurukan。

Even　in　the　vegetation　there　is　very　little　to　indicate　elevation。　The　trees　are　more　covered　with　lichens　and　mosses；　and　the　ferns　and　tree…ferns　are　finer　and　more　luxuriant　than　I　had　been　accustomed　to　seeing　on　the　low　grounds；　both　probably　attributable　to　the　almost　perpetual　moisture　that　here　prevails。　Abundance　of　a　tasteless　raspberry；　with　blue　and　yellow　composite；　have　somewhat　of　a　temperate　aspect；　and　minute　ferns　and　Orchideae；　with　dwarf　Begonias　on　the　rocks；　make　some　approach　to　a　sub…alpine　vegetation。　The　forest；　however；　is　most　luxuriant。　Noble　palms；　Pandani；　and　tree…ferns　are　abundant　in　it；　while　the　forest　trees　are　completely　festooned　with　Orchideae；　Bromeliae；　Araceae；　Lycopodiums；　and　mosses。　The　ordinary　stemless　ferns　abound；　some　with　gigantic　fronds　ten　or　twelve　feet　long；　others　barely　an　inch　high；　some　with　entire　and　massive　leaves；　others　elegantly　waving　their　finely…cut　foliage；　and　adding　endless　variety　and　interest　to　the　forest　paths。　The　cocoa…nut　palm　still　produces　fruit　abundantly；　but　is　said　to　be　deficient　in　oil。　Oranges　thrive　better　than　below；　producing　abundance　of　delicious　fruit；　but　the　shaddock　or　pumplemous　（Citrus　decumana）　requires　the　full　force　of　a　tropical　sun；　for　it　will　not　thrive　even　at　Tondano　a　thousand　feet　lower。　On　the　hilly　slopes　rice　is　cultivated　largely；　and　ripens　well；　although　the　temperature　rarely　or　never　rises　to　80°；　so　that　one　would　think　it　might　be　grown　even　in　England　in　fine　summers；　especially　if　the　young　plants　were　raised　under　glass。

The　mountains　have　an　unusual　quantity　of　earth　and　vegetable　mould　spread　over　them。　Even　on　the　steepest　slopes　there　is　everywhere　a　covering　of　clays　and　sands；　and　generally　a　good　thickness　of　vegetable　soil。　It　is　this　which　perhaps　contributes　to　the　uniform　luxuriance　of　the　forest；　and　delays　the　appearance　of　that　sub…alpine　vegetation　which　depends　almost　as　much　on　the　abundance　of　rocky　and　exposed　surfaces　as　on　difference　of　climate。　At　a　much　lower　elevation　on　Mount　Ophir　in　Malacca；　Dacrydiums　and　Rhododendrons　with　abundance　of　Nepenthes；　ferns；　and　terrestrial　orchids　suddenly　took　the　place　of　the　lofty　forest；　but　this　was　plainly　due　to　the　occurrence　of　an　extensive　slope　of　bare；　granitic　rock　at　an　elevation　of　less　than　3；000　feet。　The　quantity　of　vegetable　soil；　and　also　of　loose　sands　and　clays；　resting　on　steep　slopes；　hill…tops　and　the　sides　of　ravines；　is　a　curious　and　important　phenomenon。　It　may　be　due　in　part　to　constant；　slight　earthquake　shocks　facilitating　the　disintegration　of　rock；　but；　would　also　seem　to　indicate　that　the　country　has　been　long　exposed　to　gentle　atmospheric　action；　and　that　its　elevation　has　been　exceedingly　slow　and　continuous。

During　my　stay　at　Rurukan；　my　curiosity　was　satisfied　by　experiencing　a　pretty　sharp　earthquake…shock。　On　the　evening　of　June　29th；　at　a　quarter　after　eight；　as　I　was　sitting　reading；　the　house　began　shaking　with　a　very　gentle；　but　rapidly　increasing　motion。　I　sat　still　enjoying　the　novel　sensation　for　some　seconds；　but　in　less　than　half　a　minute　it　became　strong　enough　to　shake　me　in　my　chair；　and　to　make　the　house　visibly　rock　about；　and　creak　and　crack　as　if　it　would　fall　to　pieces。　Then　began　a　cry　throughout　the　village　of　〃Tana　goyang！　tana　goyang！　〃（Earthquake！　earthquake！）　Everybody　rushed　out　of　their　houseswomen　screamed　and　children　criedand　I　thought　it　prudent　to　go　out　too。　On　g