the malay archipelago-1-第6章

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really　given　up　home　and　friends　and　ease　and　safety；　for　the　good　of　others。　No　wonder　they　make　converts；　for　it　must　be　a　great　blessing　to　the　poor　people　among　whom　they　labour　to　have　a　man　among　them　to　whom　they　can　go　in　any　trouble　or　distress；　who　will　comfort　and　advise　them；　who　visits　them　in　sickness；　who　relieves　them　in　want；　and　who　they　see　living　from　day…to…day　in　danger　of　persecution　and　deathentirely　for　their　sakes。

My　friend　at　Bukit…tima　was　truly　a　father　to　his　flock。　He　preached　to　them　in　Chinese　every　Sunday；　and　had　evenings　for　discussion　and　conversation　on　religion　during　the　week。　He　had　a　school　to　teach　their　children。　His　house　was　open　to　them　day　and　night。　If　a　man　came　to　him　and　said；　〃I　have　no　rice　for　my　family　to　eat　today；〃　he　would　give　him　half　of　what　he　had　in　the　house；　however　little　that　might　be。　If　another　said；　〃I　have　no　money　to　pay　my　debt；〃　he　would　give　him　half　the　contents　of　his　purse；　were　it　his　last　dollar。　So；　when　he　was　himself　in　want；　he　would　send　to　some　of　the　wealthiest　among　his　flock；　and　say；　〃I　have　no　rice　in　the　house；〃　or　〃I　have　given　away　my　money；　and　am　in　want　of　such　and　such　articles。〃　The　result　was　that　his　flock　trusted　and　loved　him；　for　they　felt　sure　that　he　was　their　true　friend；　and　had　no　ulterior　designs　in　living　among　them。

The　island　of　Singapore　consists　of　a　multitude　of　small　hills；　three　or　four　hundred　feet　high；　the　summits　of　many　of　which　are　still　covered　with　virgin　forest。　The　mission…house　at　Bukit…tima　was　surrounded　by　several　of　these　wood…topped　hills；　which　were　much　frequented　by　woodcutters　and　sawyers；　and　offered　me　an　excellent　collecting　ground　for　insects。　Here　and　there；　too；　were　tiger　pits；　carefully　covered　over　with　sticks　and　leaves；　and　so　well　concealed；　that　in　several　cases　I　had　a　narrow　escape　from　falling　into　them。　They　are　shaped　like　an　iron　furnace；　wider　at　the　bottom　than　the　top；　and　are　perhaps　fifteen　or　twenty　feet　deep　so　that　it　would　be　almost　impossible　for　a　person　unassisted　to　get　out　of　one。　Formerly　a　sharp　stake　was　stuck　erect　in　the　bottom；　but　after　an　unfortunate　traveller　had　been　killed　by　falling　on　one；　its　use　was　forbidden。　There　are　always　a　few　tigers　roaming　about　Singapore；　and　they　kill　on　an　average　a　Chinaman　every　day；　principally　those　who　work　in　the　gambir　plantations；　which　are　always　made　in　newly…cleared　jungle。　We　heard　a　tiger　roar　once　or　twice　in　the　evening；　and　it　was　rather　nervous　work　hunting　for　insects　among　the　fallen　trunks　and　old　sawpits　when　one　of　these　savage　animals　might　be　lurking　close　by；　awaiting　an　opportunity　to　spring　upon　us。

Several　hours　in　the　middle　of　every　fine　day　were　spent　in　these　patches　of　forest；　which　were　delightfully　cool　and　shady　by　contrast　with　the　bare　open　country　we　had　to　walk　over　to　reach　them。　The　vegetation　was　most　luxuriant；　comprising　enormous　forest　trees；　as　well　as　a　variety　of　ferns；　caladiums；　and　other　undergrowth；　and　abundance　of　climbing　rattan　palms。　Insects　were　exceedingly　abundant　and　very　interesting；　and　every　day　furnished　scores　of　new　and　curious　forms。

In　about　two　months　I　obtained　no　less　than　700　species　of　beetles；　a　large　proportion　of　which　were　quite　new；　and　among　them　were　130　distinct　kinds　of　the　elegant　Longicorns　（Cerambycidae）；　so　much　esteemed　by　collectors。　Almost　all　these　were　collected　in　one　patch　of　jungle；　not　more　than　a　square　mile　in　extent；　and　in　all　my　subsequent　travels　in　the　East　I　rarely　if　ever　met　with　so　productive　a　spot。　This　exceeding　productiveness　was　due　in　part　no　doubt　to　some　favourable　conditions　in　the　soil；　climate；　and　vegetation；　and　to　the　season　being　very　bright　and　sunny；　with　sufficient　showers　to　keep　everything　fresh。　But　it　was　also　in　a　great　measure　dependent；　I　feel　sure；　on　the　labours　of　the　Chinese　wood…　cutters。　They　had　been　at　work　here　for　several　years；　and　during　all　that　time　had　furnished　a　continual　supply　of　dry　and　dead　and　decaying　leaves　and　bark；　together　with　abundance　of　wood　and　sawdust；　for　the　nourishment　of　insects　and　their　larvae。　This　had　led　to　the　assemblage　of　a　great　variety　of　species　in　a　limited　space；　and　I　was　the　first　naturalist　who　had　come　to　reap　the　harvest　they　had　prepared。　In　the　same　place；　and　during　my　walks　in　other　directions；　I　obtained　a　fair　collection　of　butterflies　and　of　other　orders　of　insects；　so　that　on　the　whole　I　was　quite　satisfied　with　thesemy　first　attempts　to　gain　a　knowledge　of　the　Natural　History　of　the　Malay　Archipelago。

CHAPTER　III。

MALACCA　AND　MOUNT　OPHIR。

（JULY　TO　SEPTEMBER；　1854。）

BIRDS　and　most　other　kinds　of　animals　being　scarce　at　Singapore；　I　left　it　in　July　for　Malacca；　where　I　spent　more　than　two　months　in　the　interior；　and　made　an　excursion　to　Mount　Ophir。　The　old　and　picturesque　town　of　Malacca　is　crowded　along　the　banks　of　the　small　river；　and　consists　of　narrow　streets　of　shops　and　dwelling　houses；　occupied　by　the　descendants　of　the　Portuguese；　and　by　Chinamen。　In　the　suburbs　are　the　houses　of　the　English　officials　and　of　a　few　Portuguese　merchants；　embedded　in　groves　of　palms　and　fruit…trees；　whose　varied　and　beautiful　foliage　furnishes　a　pleasing　relief　to　the　eye；　as　well　as　most　grateful　shade。

The　old　fort；　the　large　Government　House；　and　the　ruins　of　a　cathedral　attest　the　former　wealth　and　importance　of　this　place；　which　was　once　as　much　the　centre　of　Eastern　trade　as　Singapore　is　now。　The　following　description　of　it　by　Linschott；　who　wrote　two　hundred　and　seventy　years　ago；　strikingly　exhibits　the　change　it　has　undergone：

〃Malacca　is　inhabited　by　the　Portuguese　and　by　natives　of　the　country；　called　Malays。　The　Portuguese　have　here　a　fortress；　as　at　Mozambique；　and　there　is　no　fortress　in　all　the　Indies；　after　those　of　Mozambique　and　Ormuz；　where　the　captains　perform　their　duty　better　than　in　this　one。　This　place　is　the　market　of　all　India；　of　China；　of　the　Moluccas；　and　of　other　islands　around　aboutfrom　all　which　places；　as　well　as　from　Banda；　Java；　Sumatra；　Siam；　Pegu；　Bengal；　Coromandel；　and　Indiaarrive　ships　which　come　and　go　incessantly；　charged　with　an　infinity　of　merchandises。　There　would　be　in　this　place　a　much　greater　number　of　Portuguese　if　it　were　not　for　the　inconvenience；　and　unhealthiness　of　the　air；　which　is　hurtful　not　only　to　strangers；　but　also　to　natives　of　the　country。　Thence　it　is　that　all　who　live　in　the　country　pay　tribute　of　their　health；　suffering　from　a　certain　disease；　which　makes　them　lose　either　their　skin　or　their　hair。　And　those　who　escape　consider　it　a　miracle；　which　occasions　many　to　leave　the　country；　while　the　ardent　desire　of　gain　induces　others　to　risk　their　health；　and　endeavour　to　endure　such　an　atmosphere。　The　origin　of　this　town；　as　the　natives　say；　was　very　small；　only　having　at　the　beginning；　by　reason　of　the　unhealthiness　of　the　air；　but　six　or　seven　fishermen　who　inhabited　it。　But　the　number　was　increased　by　the　meeting　of　fishermen　from　Siam；　Pegu；　and　Bengal；　who　came　and　built　a　city；　and　established　a　peculiar　language；　drawn　from　the　most　elegant　nodes　of　speaking　of　other　nations；　so　that　in　fact　the；　language　of　the　Malays　is　at　present　the　most　refined；　exact；　and　celebrated　of　all　the　East。　The　name　of　Malacca　was　given　to　this　town；　which；　by　the　convenience　of　its　situation；　in　a　short　time　grew　to　such　wealth；　that　it　does　not　yield　to　the　most　powerful　towns　and　regions　around　about。　The　natives；　both　men　and　women；　are　very　courteous　and　are　reckoned　the　most　skillful　in　the　world　in　compliments；　and　study　much　to　compose　and　repeat　verses　and　love…songs。　Their　language　is　in　vogue　through　the　Indies；　as　the　French　is　here。

At　present；　a　vessel　over　a　hundred　tons　hardly　ever　enters　its　port；　and　the　trade　is　entirely　confined　to　a　few　petty　products　of　the　forests；　and　to　the　fruit；　which　the　trees；　planted　by　the　old　Portuguese；　now　produce　for　the　enjoyment　of　the　inhabitants　of　Singapore。　Although　rather　subject　to　fevers；　it　is　not　at　present　considered　very　unhealthy。

The　population　of　Malacca　consists　of　several　races。　The　ubiquitous　Chinese　are　perhaps　the　most　numerous；　keeping　up　their　manners；　customs；　and　language；　the　indigenous　Malays　are　next　in　point　of　numbers；　and　their　language　is　the　Lingua…franca　of　the　place。　Next　come　the　descendants　of　the　Portuguesea　mixed；　degraded；　and　degenerate　race；　but　who　still　keep　up　the　use　of　their　mother　tongue；　though　ruefully　mutilated　in　grammar；　and　then　there　are　the　English　rulers；　and　the　descendants　of　the　Dutch；　who　all　speak　English。　The　Portuguese　spoken　at　Malacca　is　a　useful　philological　phenomenon。　The　verbs　have　mostly　lost　their　inflections；　and　one　form　does　for　all　moods；　tenses；　numbers；　and　persons。　Eu　vai；　serves　for　〃I　go；〃　〃I　went；〃　or；　〃I　will　go。〃　Adjectives；　too；　have　been　deprived　of　their　feminine　and　plural　terminations；　so　that　the　language　is　reduced　to　a　marvellous　simplicity；　and；　with　the　admixture　of　a　few　Malay　words；　becomes　rather　puzzling　to　one　who　has　heard　only　the　pure　Lusitanian。

In　costume　these　several　peoples　are　as　varied　as　in　their　speech。　The　English　preserve　the　tight…fitting　coat；　waistcoat；　and　trousers；　and　the　abominable　hat　and　cravat；　the　Portuguese　patronise　a　light　jacket；　or；　more　frequently；　shirt　and　trousers　only；　the　Malays　wear　their　national　jacket　and　sarong　（a　kind　of　kilt）；　with　loose　drawers；　while　the　Chinese　never　depart　in　the　least　from　their　national　dress；　which；　indeed；　it　is　impossible　to　improve　for　a　tropical　climate；　whether　as　regards　comfort　or　appearance。　The　loosely…hanging　trousers；　and　neat　white　half…　shirt　half　jacket；　are　exactly　what　a　dress　should　be　in　this　low　latitude。

I　engaged　two　Portuguese　to　accompany　me　into　the　interior；　one　as　a　cook；　the　other　to　shoot　and　skin　birds；　which　is　quite　a　trade　in　Malacca。　I　first　stayed　a　fortnight　at　a　village　called　Gading；　where　I　was　accommodated　in　the　house　of　some　Chinese　converts；　to　whom　I　was　recommended　by　the　Jesuit　missionaries。　The　house　was　a　mere　shed；　but　it　was　kept　clean；　and　I　made　myself　sufficiently　comfortable。　My　hosts　were　forming　a　pepper　and　gambir　plantation；　and　in　the　immediate　neighbourhood　were　extensive　tin…washings；　employing　over　a　thousand　Chinese。　The　tin　is　obtained　in　the　form　of　black　grains　from　beds　of　quartzose　sand；　and　is　melted　into　ingots　in　rude　clay　furnaces。　The　soil　seemed　poor；　and　the　forest　was　very　dense　with　undergrowth；　and　not　at　all　productive　of　insects；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　birds　were　abundant；　and　I　was　at　once　introduced　to　the　rich　ornithological　treasures　of　the　Malayan　region。

The　very　first　time　I　fired　my　gun　I　brought　down　one　of　the　most　curious　and　beautiful　of　the　Malacca　birds；　the　blue…billed　gaper　（Cymbirhynchus　macrorhynchus）；　called　by　the　Malays　the　〃Rainbird。〃　It　is　about　the　size　of　a　starling；　black　and　rich　claret　colour　with　white　shoulder　stripes；　and　a　very　large　and　broad　bill　of　the　most　pure　cobalt　blue　above　and　orange　below；　while　the　iris　is　emerald　green。　As　the　skins　dry　the　bill　turns　dull　black；　but　even　then　the　bird　is　handsome。　When　fresh　killed；　the　contrast　of　the　vivid　blue　with　the　rich　colours　of　the　plumage　is　remarkably　striking　and　beautiful。　Th