the malay archipelago-1-第7章

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rast　of　the　vivid　blue　with　the　rich　colours　of　the　plumage　is　remarkably　striking　and　beautiful。　The　lovely　Eastern　trogons；　with　their　rich…brown　backs；　beautifully　pencilled　wings；　and　crimson　breasts；　were　also　soon　obtained；　as　well　as　the　large　green　barbets　（Megalaema　versicolor）fruit…　eating　birds；　something　like　small　toucans；　with　a　short；　straight　bristly　bill；　and　whose　head　and　neck　are　variegated　with　patches　of　the　most　vivid　blue　and　crimson。　A　day　or　two　after；　my　hunter　brought　me　a　specimen　of　the　green　gaper　（Calyptomena　viridis）；　which　is　like　a　small　cock…of…the…rock；　but　entirely　of　the　most　vivid　green；　delicately　marked　on　the　wings　with　black　bars。　Handsome　woodpeckers　and　gay　kingfishers；　green　and　brown　cuckoos　with　velvety　red　faces　and　green　beaks；　red…breasted　doves　and　metallic　honeysuckers；　were　brought　in　day　after　day；　and　kept　me　in　a　continual　state　of　pleasurable　excitement。　After　a　fortnight　one　of　my　servants　was　seized　with　fever；　and　on　returning　to　Malacca；　the　same　disease；　attacked　the　other　as　well　as　myself。　By　a　liberal　use　of　quinine；　I　soon　recovered；　and　obtaining　other　men；　went　to　stay　at　the　Government　bungalow　of　Ayer…panas；　accompanied　by　a　young　gentleman；　a　native　of　the　place；　who　had　a　taste　for　natural　history。

At　Ayer…panas　we　had　a　comfortable　house　to　stay　in；　and　plenty　of　room　to　dry　and　preserve　our　specimens；　but；　owing　to　there　being　no　industrious　Chinese　to　cut　down　timber；　insects　were　comparatively　scarce；　with　the　exception　of　butterflies；　of　which　I　formed　a　very　fine　collection。　The　manner　in　which　I　obtained　one　fine　insect　was　curious；　and　indicates　bow　fragmentary　and　imperfect　a　traveller's　collection　must　necessarily　be。　I　was　one　afternoon　walking　along　a　favourite　road　through　the　forest；　with　my　gun；　when　I　saw　a　butterfly　on　the　ground。　It　was　large；　handsome；　and　quite　new　to　me；　and　I　got　close　to　it　before　it　flew　away。　I　then　observed　that　it　had　been　settling　on　the　dung　of　some　carnivorous　animal。　Thinking　it　might　return　to　the　same　spot；　I　next　day　after　breakfast　took　my　net；　and　as　I　approached　the　place　was　delighted　to　see　the　same　butterfly　sitting　on　the　same　piece　of　dung；　and　succeeded　in　capturing　it。　It　was　an　entirely　new　species　of　great　beauty；　and　has　been　named　by　Mr。　HewitsonNymphalis　calydona。　I　never　saw　another　specimen　of　it；　and　it　was　only　after　twelve　years　had　elapsed　that　a　second　individual　reached　this　country　from　the　northwestern　part　of　Borneo。

Having　determined　to　visit　Mount　Ophir；　which　is　situated　in　the　middle　of　the　peninsula　about　fifty　miles　east　of　Malacca；　we　engaged　six　Malays　to　accompany　us　and　carry　our　baggage。　As　we　meant　to　stay　at　least　a　week　at　the　mountain；　we　took　with　us　a　good　supply　of　rice；　a　little　biscuit；　butter　and　coffee；　some　dried　fish　and　a　little　brandy；　with　blankets；　a　change　of　clothes；　insect　and　bird　boxes；　nets；　guns　and　ammunition。　The　distance　from　Ayer…panas　was　supposed　to　be　about　thirty　miles。

Our　first　day's　march　lay　through　patches　of　forest；　clearings；　and　Malay　villages；　and　was　pleasant　enough。　At　night　we　slept　at　the　house　of　a　Malay　chief；　who　lent　us　a　verandah；　and　gave　us　a　fowl　and　some　eggs。　The　next　day　the　country　got　wilder　and　more　dilly。　We　passed　through　extensive　forests；　along　paths　often　up　to　our　knees　in　mud；　and　were　much　annoyed　by　the　leeches　for　which　this　district　is　famous。　These　little　creatures　infest　the　leaves　and　herbage　by　the　side　of　the　paths；　and　when　a　passenger　comes　along　they　stretch　themselves　out　at　full　length；　and　if　they　touch　any　part　of　his　dress　or　body；　quit　their　leaf　and　adhere　to　it。　They　then　creep　on　to　his　feet；　legs；　or　other　part　of　his　body　and　suck　their　fill；　the　first　puncture　being　rarely　felt　during　the　excitement　of　walking。　On　bathing　in　the　evening　we　generally　found　half　a　dozen　or　a　dozen　on　each　of　us；　most　frequently　on　our　legs；　but　sometimes　on　our　bodies；　and　I　had　one　who　sucked　his　fill　from　the　side　of　my　neck；　but　who　luckily　missed　the　jugular　vein。　There　are　many　species　of　these　forest　leeches。　All　are　small；　but　some　are　beautifully　marked　with　stripes　of　bright　yellow。　They　probably　attach　themselves　to　deer　or　other　animals　which　frequent　the　forest　paths；　and　have　thus　acquired　the　singular　habit　of　stretching　themselves　out　at　the　sound　of　a　footstep　or　of　rustling　foliage。　Early　in　the　afternoon　we　reached　the　foot　of　the　mountain；　and　encamped　by　the　side　of　a　fine　stream；　whose　rocky　banks　were　overgrown　with　ferns。　Our　oldest　Malay　had　been　accustomed　to　shoot　birds　in　this　neighbourhood　for　the　Malacca　dealers；　and　had　been　to　the　top　of　the　mountain；　and　while　we　amused　ourselves　shooting　and　insect　hunting；　he　went　with　two　others　to　clear　the　path　for　our　ascent　the　next　day。

Early　next　morning　we　started　after　breakfast；　carrying　blankets　and　provisions；　as　we　intended　to　sleep　upon　the　mountain。　After　passing　a　little　tangled　jungle　and　swampy　thickets　through　which　our　men　had　cleared　a　path；　we　emerged　into　a　fine　lofty　forest　pretty　clear　of　undergrowth；　and　in　which　we　could　walk　freely。　We　ascended　steadily　up　a　moderate　slope　for　several　miles；　having　a　deep　ravine　on　our　left。　We　then　had　a　level　plateau　or　shoulder　to　cross；　after　which　the　ascent　was　steeper　and　the　forest　denser　until　we　came　out　upon　the　〃Padang…batu；〃　or　stone　field；　a　place　of　which　we　had　heard　much；　but　could　never　get　anyone　to　describe　intelligibly。　We　found　it　to　be　a　steep　slope　of　even　rock；　extending　along　the　mountain　side　farther　than　we　could　see。　Parts　of　it　were　quite　bare；　but　where　it　was　cracked　and　fissured　there　grew　a　most　luxuriant　vegetation；　among　which　the　pitcher　plants　were　the　most　remarkable。　These　wonderful　plants　never　seem　to　succeed　well　in　our　hot…houses；　and　are　there　seen　to　little　advantage。　Here　they　grew　up　into　half　climbing　shrubs；　their　curious　pitchers　of　various　sizes　and　forms　hanging　abundantly　from　their　leaves；　and　continually　exciting　our　admiration　by　their　size　and　beauty。　A　few　coniferae　of　the　genus　Dacrydium　here　first　appeared；　and　in　the　thickets　just　above　the　rocky　surface　we　walked　through　groves　of　those　splendid　ferns　Dipteris　Horsfieldii　and　Matonia　pectinata；　which　bear　large　spreading　palmate　fronds　on　slender　stems　six　or　eight　feet　high。　The　Matonia　is　the　tallest　and　most　elegant；　and　is　known　only　from　this　mountain；　and　neither　of　them　is　yet　introduced　into　our　hot…houses。

It　was　very　striking　to　come　out　from　the　dark；　cool；　and　shady　forest　in　which　we　had　been　ascending　since　we　started；　on　to　this　hot；　open　rocky　slope　where　we　seemed　to　have　entered　at　one　step　from　a　lowland　to　an　alpine　vegetation。　The　height；　as　measured　by　a　sympiesometer；　was　about　2；800　feet。　We　had　been　told　we　should　find　water　at　Padang…batuas　we　were　exceedingly　thirsty；　but　we　looked　about　for　it　in　vain。　At　last　we　turned　to　the　pitcher…plants；　but　the　water　contained　in　the　pitchers　（about　half　a　pint　in　each）　was　full　of　insects；　and　otherwise　uninviting。　On　tasting　it；　however；　we　found　it　very　palatable　though　rather　warm；　and　we　all　quenched　our　thirst　from　these　natural　jugs。　Farther　on　we　came　to　forest　again；　but　of　a　more　dwarf　and　stunted　character　than　below；　and　alternately　passing　along　ridges　and　descending　into　valleys；　we　reached　a　peak　separated　from　the　true　summit　of　the　mountain　by　a　considerable　chasm。　Here　our　porters　gave　in；　and　declared　they　could　carry　their　loads　no　further；　and　certainly　the　ascent　to　the　highest　peak　was　very　precipitous。　But　on　the　spot　where　we　were　there　was　no　water；　whereas　it　was　well　known　that　there　was　a　spring　close　to　the　summit；　so　we　determined　to　go　on　without　them；　and　carry　with　us　only　what　was　absolutely　necessary。　We　accordingly　took　a　blanket　each；　and　divided　our　food　and　other　articles　among　us；　and　went　on　with　only　the　old　Malay　and　his　son。

After　descending　into　the　saddle　between　the　two　peaks　we　found　the　ascent　very　laborious；　the　slope　being　so　steep；　as　often　to　necessitate　hand…climbing。　Besides　a　bushy　vegetation　the　ground　was　covered　knee…deep　with　mosses　on　a　foundation　of　decaying　leaves　and　rugged　rock；　and　it　was　a　hard　hour's　climb　to　the　small　ledge　just　below　the　summit；　where　an　overhanging　rock　forms　a　convenient　shelter；　and　a　little　basin　collects　the　trickling　water。　Here　we　put　down　our　loads；　and　in　a　few　minutes　more　stood　on　the　summit　of　Mount　Ophir；　4；000　feet　above　the　sea。　The　top　is　a　small　rocky　platform　covered　with　rhododendrons　and　other　shrubs。　The　afternoon　was　clear；　and　the　view　fine　in　its　wayranges　of　hill　and　valley　everywhere　covered　with　interminable　forest；　with　glistening　rivers　winding　among　them。

In　a　distant　view　a　forest　country　is　very　monotonous；　and　no　mountain　I　have　ever　ascended　in　the　tropics　presents　a　panorama　equal　to　that　from　Snowdon；　while　the　views　in　Switzerland　are　immeasurably　superior。　When　boiling　our　coffee　I　took　observations　with　a　good　boiling…point　thermometer；　as　well　as　with　the　sympiesometer；　and　we　then　enjoyed　our　evening　meal　and　the　noble　prospect　that　lay　before　us。　The　night　was　calm　and　very　mild；　and　having　made　a　bed　of　twigs　and　branches　over　which　we　laid　our　blankets；　we　passed　a　very　comfortable　night。　Our　porters　had　followed　us　after　a　rest；　bringing　only　their　rice　to　cook；　and　luckily　we　did　not　require　the　baggage　they　left　behind　them。　In　the　morning　I　caught　a　few　butterflies　and　beetles；　and　my　friend　got　a　few　land…shells；　and　we　then　descended；　bringing　with　us　some　specimens　of　the　ferns　and　pitcher…plants　of　Padang…　batu。

The　place　where　we　had　first　encamped　at　the　foot　of　the　mountain　being　very　gloomy；　we　chose　another　in　a　kind　of　swamp　near　a　stream　overgrown　with　Zingiberaceous　plants；　in　which　a　clearing　was　easily　made。　Here　our　men　built　two　little　huts　without　sides　that　would　just　shelter　us　from　the　rain；　we　lived　in　them　for　a　week；　shooting　and　insect…hunting；　and　roaming　about　the　forests　at　the　foot　of　the　mountain。　This　was　the　country　of　the　great　Argus　pheasant；　and　we　continually　heard　its　cry。　On　asking　the　old　Malay　to　try　and　shoot　one　for　me；　he　told　me　that　although　he　had　been　for　twenty　years　shooting　birds　in　these　forests　he　had　never　yet　shot　one；　and　had　never　even　seen　one　except　after　it　had　been　caught。　The　bird　is　so　exceedingly　shy　and　wary；　and　runs　along　the　ground　in　the　densest　parts　of　the　forest　so　quickly；　that　it　is　impossible　to　get　near　it；　and　its　sober　colours　and　rich　eye…like　spots；　which　are　so　ornamental　when　seen　in　a　museum；　must　harmonize　well　with　the　dead　leaves　among　which　it　dwells；　and　render　it　very　inconspicuous。　All　the　specimens　sold　in　Malacca　are　caught　in　snares；　and　my　informant；　though　he　had　shot　none；　had　snared　plenty。

The　tiger　and　rhinoceros　are　still　found　here；　and　a　few　years　ago　elephants　abounded；　but　they　have　lately　all　disappeared。　We　found　some　heaps　of　dung；　which　seemed　to　be　that　of　elephants；　and　some　tracks　of　the　rhinoceros；　but　saw　none　of　the　animals。　However；　we　kept　a　fire　up　all　night　in　case　any　of　these　creatures　should　visit　us；　and　two　of　our　men　declared　that　they　did　one　day　see　a　rhinoceros。　When　our　rice　was　finished；　and　our　boxes　full　of　specimens；　we　retu