the malay archipelago-1-第57章

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the　house　（running　so　quick　that　the　creature　seemed　quite　confounded）；　and　tried　to　strike　its　head　against　a　tree。　He　missed　however；　and　let　go；　and　the　snake　got　under　a　dead　trunk　close　by。　It　was　again　poked　out；　and　again　the　Bourn　man　caught　hold　of　its　tail；　and　running　away　quickly　dashed　its　head　with　a　swing　against　a　tree；　and　it　was　then　easily　killed　with　a　hatchet。　It　was　about　twelve　feet　long　and　very　thick；　capable　of　doing　much　mischief　and　of　swallowing　a　dog　or　a　child。

I　did　not　get　a　great　many　birds　here。　The　most　remarkable　were　the　fine　crimson　lory；　Eos　rubraa　brush…tongued　parroquet　of　a　vivid　crimson　colour；　which　was　very　abundant。　Large　flocks　of　them　came　about　the　plantation；　and　formed　a　magnificent　object　when　they　settled　down　upon　some　flowering　tree；　on　the　nectar　of　which　lories　feed。　I　also　obtained　one　or　two　specimens　of　the　fine　racquet…tailed　kingfisher　of　Amboyna；　Tanysiptera　nais；　one　of　the　most　singular　and　beautiful　of　that　beautiful　family。　These　birds　differ　from　all　other　kingfishers　（which　have　usually　short　tails）　by　having　the　two　middle　tail…feathers　immensely　lengthened　and　very　narrowly　webbed；　but　terminated　by　a　spoon…　shaped　enlargement；　as　in　the　motmots　and　some　of　the　humming…　birds。　They　belong　to　that　division　of　the　family　termed　king…　hunters；　living　chiefly　on　insects　and　small　land…molluscs；　which　they　dart　down　upon　and　pick　up　from　the　ground；　just　as　a　kingfisher　picks　a　fish　out　of　the　water。　They　are　confined　to　a　very　limited　area；　comprising　the　Moluccas；　New　Guinea　and　Northern　Australia。　About　ten　species　of　these　birds　are　now　known；　all　much　resembling　each　other；　but　yet　sufficiently　distinguishable　in　every　locality。　The　Amboynese　species；　of　which　a　very　accurate　representation　is　here　given；　is　one　of　the　largest　and　handsomest。　It　is　full　seventeen　inches　long　to　the　tips　of　the　tail…feathers；　the　bill　is　coral　red；　the　under…　surface　pure　white；　the　back　and　wings　deep　purple；　while　the　shoulders；　head　and　nape；　and　some　spots　on　the　upper　part　of　the　back　and　wings；　are　pure　azure　blue；　the　tail　is　white；　with　the　feathers　narrowly　blue…edged；　but　the　narrow　part　of　the　long　feathers　is　rich　blue。　This　was　an　entirely　new　species；　and　has　been　well　named　after　an　ocean　goddess；　by　Mr。　R。　G。　Gray。

On　Christmas　eve　I　returned　to　Amboyna；　where　I　stayed　about　ten　days　with　my　kind　friend　Dr。　Mohnike。　Considering　that　I　had　been　away　only　twenty　days；　and　that　on　five　or　six　of　those　I　was　prevented　doing　any　thing　by　wet　weather　and　slight　attacks　of　fever；　I　had　made　a　very　nice　collection　of　insects；　comprising　a　much　larger　proportion　of　large　and　brilliant　species　than　I　had　ever　before　obtained　in　so　short　a　time。　Of　the　beautiful　metallic　Buprestidae　I　had　about　a　dozen　handsome　species；　yet　in　the　doctor's　collection　I　observed　four　or　five　more　very　fine　ones；　so　that　Amboyna　is　unusually　rich　in　this　elegant　group。

During　my　stay　here　I　had　a　good　opportunity　of　seeing　how　Europeans　live　in　the　Dutch　colonies；　and　where　they　have　adopted　customs　far　more　in　accordance　with　the　climate　than　we　have　done　in　our　tropical　possessions。　Almost　all　business　is　transacted　in　the　morning　between　the　hours　of　seven　and　twelve；　the　afternoon　being　given　up　to　repose；　and　the　evening　to　visiting。　When　in　the　house　during　the　heat　of　the　day；　and　even　at　dinner；　they　use　a　loose　cotton　dress；　only　putting　on　a　suit　of　thin　European…made　clothes　for　out　of　doors　and　evening　wear。　They　often　walk　about　after　sunset　bareheaded；　reserving　the　black　hat　for　visits　of　ceremony。　Life　is　thus　made　far　more　agreeable；　and　the　fatigue　and　discomfort　incident　to　the　climate　greatly　diminished。　Christmas　day　is　not　made　much　of；　but　on　New　Year's　day　official　and　complimentary　visits　are　paid；　and　about　sunset　we　went　to　the　Governor's；　where　a　large　party　of　ladies　and　gentlemen　were　assembled。　Tea　and　coffee　were　handed　around；　as　is　almost　universal　during　a　visit；　as　well　as　cigars；　for　on　no　occasion　is　smoking　prohibited　in　Dutch　colonies；　cigars　being　generally　lighted　before　the　cloth　is　withdrawn　at　dinner；　even　though　half　the　company　are　ladies。　I　here　saw　for　the　first　time　the　rare　black　lory　from　New　Guinea；　Chalcopsitta　atra。　The　plumage　is　rather　glossy；　and　slightly　tinged　with　yellowish　and　purple；　the　bill　and　feet　being　entirely　black。

The　native　Amboynese　who　reside　in　the　city　are　a　strange　half…　civilized；　half…savage　lazy　people；　who　seem　to　be　a　mixture　of　at　least　three　racesPortuguese；　Malay；　and　Papuan　or　Ceramese；　with　an　occasional　cross　of　Chinese　or　Dutch。　The　Portuguese　element　decidedly　predominates　in　the　old　Christian　population；　as　indicated　by　features；　habits；　and　the　retention　of　many　Portuguese　words　in　the　Malay；　which　is　now　their　language。　They　have　a　peculiar　style　of　dress　which　they　wear　among　themselves；　a　close…fitting　white　shirt　with　black　trousers；　and　a　black　frock　or　upper　shirt。　The　women　seem　to　prefer　a　dress　entirely　black。　On　festivals　and　state　occasions　they　adopt　the　swallow…　tail　coat；　chimneypot　hat；　and　their　accompaniments；　displaying　all　the　absurdity　of　our　European　fashionable　dress。　Though　now　Protestants；　they　preserve　at　feasts　and　weddings　the　processions　and　music　of　the　Catholic　Church；　curiously　mixed　up　with　the　gongs　and　dances　of　the　aborigines　of　the　country。　Their　language　has　still　much　more　Portuguese　than　Dutch　in　it；　although　they　have　been　in　close　communication　with　the　latter　nation　for　more　than　two　hundred　and　fifty　years；　even　many　names　of　birds；　trees　and　other　natural　objects；　as　well　as　many　domestic　terms；　being　plainly　Portuguese。　＇The　following　are　a　few　of　the　Portuguese　words　in　common　use　by　the　Malay…speaking　natives　of　Amboyna　and　the　other　Molucca　islands：　Pombo　（pigeon）；　milo　（maize）；　testa　（forehead）；　horas　（hours）；　alfinete　（pin）；　cadeira　（chair）；　lenco　（handkerchief）；　fresco　（cool）；　trigo　（flour）；　sono　（sloop）；　familia　（family）；　histori　（talk）；　vosse　（you）；　mesmo　（even）；　cunhado　（brother…in…law）；　senhor　（sir）；　nyora　for　signora　（madam）。　None　of　them；　however；　have　the　least　notion　that　these　words　belong　to　a　European　language。＇　This　people　seems　to　have　had　a　marvellous　power　of　colonization；　and　a　capacity　for　impressing　their　national　characteristics　on　every　country　they　conquered；　or　in　which　they　effected　a　merely　temporary　settlement。　In　a　suburb　of　Amboyna　there　is　a　village　of　aboriginal　Malays　who　are　Mahometans；　and　who　speak　a　peculiar　language　allied　to　those　of　Ceram；　as　well　as　Malay。　They　are　chiefly　fishermen；　and　are　said　to　be　both　more　industrious　and　more　honest　than　the　native　Christians。

I　went　on　Sunday；　by　invitation；　to　see　a　collection　of　shells　and　fish　made　by　a　gentleman　of　Amboyna。　The　fishes　are　perhaps　unrivalled　for　variety　and　beauty　by　those　of　any　one　spot　on　the　earth。　The　celebrated　Dutch　ichthyologist；　Dr。　Blecker；　has　given　a　catalogue　of　seven　hundred　and　eighty　species　found　at　Amboyna；　a　number　almost　equal　to　those　of　all　the　seas　and　rivers　of　Europe。　A　large　proportion　of　them　are　of　the　most　brilliant　colours；　being　marked　with　bands　and　spots　of　the　purest　yellows；　reds；　and　blues；　while　their　forms　present　all　that　strange　and　endless　variety　so　characteristic　of　the　inhabitants　of　the　ocean。　The　shells　are　also　very　numerous；　and　comprise　a　number　of　the　finest　species　in　the　world。　The　Mactras　and　Ostreas　in　particular　struck　me　by　the　variety　and　beauty　of　their　colours。　Shells　have　long　been　an　object　of　traffic　in　Amboyna；　many　of　the　natives　get　their　living　by　collecting　and　cleaning　them；　and　almost　every　visitor　takes　away　a　small　collection。　The　result　is　that　many　of　the　commoner…sorts　have　lost　all　value　in　the　eyes　of　the　amateur；　numbers　of　the　handsome　but　very　common　cones；　cowries；　and　olives　sold　in　the　streets　of　London　for　a　penny　each；　being　natives　of　the　distant　isle　of　Amboyna；　where　they　cannot　be　bought　so　cheaply。　The　fishes　in　the　collection　were　all　well　preserved　in　clear　spirit　in　hundreds　of　glass　jars；　and　the　shells　were　arranged　in　large　shallow　pith　boxes　lined　with　paper；　every　specimen　being　fastened　down　with　thread。　I　roughly　estimated　that　there　were　nearly　a　thousand　different　kinds　of　shells；　and　perhaps　ten　thousand　specimens；　while　the　collection　of　Amboyna　fishes　was　nearly　perfect。

On　the　4th　of　January　I　left　Amboyna　for　Ternate；　but　two　years　later；　in　October　1859；　I　again　visited　it　after　my　residence　in　Menado；　and　stayed　a　month　in　the　town　in　a　small　house　which　I　hired　for　the　sake　of　assorting　and　packing　up　a　large　and　varied　collection　which　I　had　brought　with　me　from　North　Celebes；　Ternate；　and　Gilolo。　I　was　obliged　to　do　this　because　the　mail　steamer　would　have　come　the　following　month　by　way　of　Amboyna　to　Ternate；　and　I　should　have　been　delayed　two　months　before　I　could　have　reached　the　former　place。　I　then　paid　my　first　visit　to　Ceram；　and　on　returning　to　prepare　for　my　second　more　complete　exploration　of　that　island；　I　stayed　（much　against　my　will）　two　months　at　Paso；　on　the　isthmus　which　connects　the　two　portions　of　the　island　of　Amboyna。　This　village　is　situated　on　the　eastern　side　of　the　isthmus；　on　sandy　ground；　with　a　very　pleasant　view　over　the　sea　to　the　island　of　Haruka。　On　the　Amboyna　side　of　the　isthmus　there　is　a　small　river　which　has　been　continued　by　a　shallow　canal　to　within　thirty　yards　of　high…water　mark　on　the　other　side。　Across　this　small　space；　which　is　sandy　and　but　slightly　elevated；　all　small　boats　and　praus　can　be　easily　dragged；　and　all　the　smaller　traffic　from　Ceram　and　the　islands　of　Saparúa　and　Harúka；　passes　through　Paso。　The　canal　is　not　continued　quite　through；　merely　because　every　spring…tide　would　throw　up　just　such　a　sand…bank　as　now　exists。

I　had　been　informed　that　the　fine　butterfly　Ornithoptera　priamus　was　plentiful　here；　as　well　as　the　racquet…tailed　kingfisher　and　the　ring…necked　lory。　I　found；　however；　that　I　had　missed　the　time　for　the　former：　and　birds　of　all　kinds　were　very　scarce；　although　I　obtained　a　few　good　ones；　including　one　or　two　of　the　above…mentioned　rarities。　I　was　much　pleased　to　get　here　the　fine　long…armed　chafer；　Euchirus　longimanus。　This　extraordinary　insect　is　rarely　or　never　captured　except　when　it　comes　to　drink　the　sap　of　the　sugar　palms；　where　it　is　found　by　the　natives　when　they　go　early　in　the　morning　to　take　away　the　bamboos　which　have　been　filled　during　the　night。　For　some　time　one　or　two　were　brought　me　every　day；　generally　alive。　They　are　sluggish　insects；　and　pull　themselves　lazily　along　by　means　of　their　immense　forelegs。　A　figure　of　this　and　other　Moluccan　beetles　is　given　in　the　27th　chapter　of　this　work。

I　was　kept　at　Paso　by　an　inflammatory　eruption；　brought　on　by　the　constant　attacks　of　small　acari…like　harvest…bugs；　for　which　the　forests　of　Ceram　are　famous；　and　also　by　the　want　of　nourishing　food　while　in　that　island。　At　one　time　I　was　covered　with　severe　boils。　I　had　them　on　my　eye；　cheek；　armpits；　elbows；　back；　thighs；　knees；　and　ankles；　so　that　I　was　unable　to　sit　or　walk；　and　had　great　difficulty　in　finding　a　side　to　lie　upon　without　pain。　These　continued　for　some　weeks；　fresh　ones　coming　out　as　fast　as　others　got　well；　but　good　living　and　sea　baths　ulti