the malay archipelago-2-第16部分

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which　is　thus　distributed　to　the　islands　farther　east；　while　rice　from　Bali　and　Macassar　can　also　be　purchased　at　a　moderate　price。　The　Goram　men　come　here　for　their　supplies　of　opium；　both　for　their　own　consumption　and　for　barter　in　Mysol　and　Waigiou；　where　they　have　introduced　it；　and　where　the　chiefs　and　wealthy　men　are　passionately　fond　of　it。　Schooners　from　Bali　come　to　buy　Papuan　slaves；　while　the　sea…wandering　Bugis　arrive　from　distant　Singapore　in　their　lumbering　praus；　bringing　thence　the　produce　of　the　Chinamen's　workshops　and　Kling's　bazaar；　as　well　as　of　the　looms　of　Lancashire　and　Massachusetts。

One　of　the　Bugis　traders　who　had　arrived　a　few　days　before　from　Mysol；　brought　me　news　of　my　assistant　Charles　Allen；　with　whom　he　was　well　acquainted；　and　who；　he　assured　me；　was　making　large　collections　of　birds　and　insects；　although　he　had　not　obtained　any　birds　of　Paradise；　Silinta；　where　he　was　staying；　not　being　a　good　place　for　them。　This　was　on　the　whole　satisfactory；　and　I　was　anxious　to　reach　him　as　soon　as　possible。

Leaving　Kilwaru　early　in　the　morning　of　June　1st；　with　a　strong　east　wind　we　doubled　the　point　of　Ceram　about　noon；　the　heavy　sea　causing　my　prau　to　roll　abort　a　good　deal；　to　the　damage　of　our　crockery。　As　bad　weather　seemed　coming　on；　we　got　inside　the　reefs　and　anchored　opposite　the　village　of　Warns…warns　to　wait　for　a　change。

The　night　was　very　squally；　and　though　in　a　good　harbour　we　rolled　and　jerked　uneasily；　but　in　the　morning　I　had　greater　cause　for　uneasiness　in　the　discovery　that　our　entire　Goram　crew　had　decamped；　taking　with　them　all　they　possessed　and　a　little　more；　and　leaving　us　without　any　small　boat　in　which　to　land。　I　immediately　told　my　Amboyna　men　to　load　and　fire　the　muskets　as　a　signal　of　distress；　which　was　soon　answered　by　the　village　chief　sending　off　a　boat；　which　took　me　on　shore。　I　requested　that　messengers　should　be　immediately　sent　to　the　neighbouring　villages　in　quest　of　the　fugitives；　which　was　promptly　done。　My　prau　was　brought　into　a　small　creek；　where　it　could　securely　rest　in　the　mud　at　low　water；　and　part　of　a　house　was　given　me　in　which　T　could　stay　for　a　while。　I　now　found　my　progress　again　suddenly　checked；　just　when　I　thought　I　had　overcome　my　chief　difficulties。　As　I　had　treated　my　men　with　the　greatest　kindness；　and　had　given　them　almost　everything　they　had　asked　for；　I　can　impute　their　running　away　only　to　their　being　totally　unaccustomed　to　the　restraint　of　a　European　master；　and　to　some　undefined　dread　of　my　ultimate　intentions　regarding　them。　The　oldest　man　was　an　opium　smoker；　and　a　reputed　thief；　but　I　had　been　obliged　to　take　him　at　the　last　moment　as　a　substitute　for　another。　I　feel　sure　it　was　he　who　induced　the　others　to　run　away；　and　as　they　knew　the　country　well；　and　had　several　hours'　start　of　us；　there　was　little　chance　of　catching　them。

We　were　here　in　the　great　sago　district　of　East　Ceram　which　supplies　most　of　the　surrounding　islands　with　their　daily　bread；　and　during　our　week's　delay　I　had　an　opportunity　of　seeing　the　whole　process　of　making　it；　and　obtaining　some　interesting　statistics。　The　sago　tree　is　a　palm；　thicker　and　larger　than　the　cocoa…nut　tree；　although　rarely　so　tall；　and　having　immense　pinnate　spiny　leaves；　which　completely　cover　the　trunk　till　it　is　many　years　old。　It　has　a　creeping　root…stem　like　the　Nipa　palm；　and　when　about　ten　or　fifteen　years　of　age　sends　up　an　immense　terminal　spike　of　flowers；　after　which　the　tree　dies。　It　grows　in　swamps；　or　in　swampy　hollows　on　the　rocky　slopes　of　hills；　where　it　seems　to　thrive　equally　well　as　when　exposed　to　the　influx　of　salt　or　brackish　water。　The　midribs　of　the　immense　leaves　form　one　of　the　most　useful　articles　in　these　lands；　supplying　the　place　of　bamboo；　to　which　for　many　purposes　they　are　superior。　They　are　twelve　or　fifteen　feet　long；　and；　when　very　fine；　as　thick　in　the　lower　part　as　a　man's　leg。　They　are　very　light；　consisting　entirely　of　a　firm　pith　covered　with　a　hard　thin　rind　or　bark。　Entire　houses　are　built　of　these；　they　form　admirable　roofing…poles　for　thatch；　split　and　well…supported；　they　do　for　flooring；　and　when　chosen　of　equal　size；　and　pegged　together　side　by　side　to　fill　up　the　panels　of　framed　wooden　horses；　they　have　a　very　neat　appearance；　and　make　better　walls　and　partitions　than　boards；　as　they　do　not　shrink；　require　no　paint　or　varnish；　and　are　not　a　quarter　the　expense。　When　carefully　split　and　shaved　smooth　they　are　formed　into　light　boards　with　pegs　of　the　bark　itself；　and　are　the　foundation　of　the　leaf…covered　boxes　of　Goram。　All　the　insect…boxes　I　used　in　the　Moluccas　were　thus　made　at　Amboyna；　and　when　covered　with　stout　paper　inside　and　out；　are　strong；　light；　and　secure　the　insect…pins　remarkably　well。　The　leaflet　of　the　sago　folded　and　tied　side　by　side　on　the　smaller　midribs　form　the　〃atap　〃or　thatch　in　universal　use；　while　the　product　of　the　trunk　is　the　staple　food　of　some=　hundred　thousands　of　men。

When　sago　is　to　be　made；　a　full…grown　tree　is　selected　just　before　it　is　going　to　flower。　It　is　cut　down　close　to　the　ground；　the　leaves　and　leafstalks　cleared　away；　and　a　broad　strip　of　the　bark　taken　off　the　upper　side　of　the　trunk。　This　exposes　the　pithy　matter；　which　is　of　a　rusty　colour　near　the　bottom　of　the　tree；　but　higher　up　pure　white；　about　as　hard　as　a　dry　apple；　but　with　woody　fibre　running　through　it　about　a　quarter　of　an　inch　apart。　This　pith　is　cut　or　broken　down　into　a　coarse　powder　by　means　of　a　tool　constructed　for　the　purposea　club　of　hard　and　heavy　wood；　having　a　piece　of　sharp　quartz　rock　firmly　　imbedded　into　its　blunt　end；　and　projecting　about　half　an　inch。　By　successive　blows　of　this；　narrow　strips　of　the　pith　are　cut　away；　and　fall　down　into　the　cylinder　formed　by　the　bark。　Proceeding　steadily　on；　the　whole　trunk　is　cleared　out；　leaving　a　skin　not　more　than　half　an　inch　in　thickness。　This　material　is　carried　away　（in　baskets　made　of　the　sheathing　bases　of　the　leaves）　to　the　nearest　water；　where　a　washing…machine　is　put　up；　which　is　composed　almost　entirely　of　the　saga　tree　itself。　The　large　sheathing　bases　of　the　leaves　form　the　troughs；　and　the　fibrous　covering　from　the　leaf…stalks　of　the　young　cocoa…nut　the　strainer。　Water　is　poured　on　the　mass　of　pith；　which　is　kneaded　and　pressed　against　the　strainer　till　the　starch　is　all　dissolved　and　has　passed　through；　when　the　fibrous　refuse　is　thrown　away；　and　a　fresh　basketful　put　in　its　place。　The　water　charged　with　sago　starch　passes　on　to　a　trough；　with　a　depression　in　the　centre；　where　the　sediment　is　deposited；　the　surplus　water　trickling　off　by　a　shallow　outlet。　When　the　trough　is　nearly　full；　the　mass　of　starch；　which　has　a　slight　reddish　tinge；　is　made　into　cylinders　of　about　thirty　pounds'　weight；　and　neatly　covered　with　sago　leaves；　and　in　this　state　is　sold　as　raw　sago。

Boiled　with　water　this　forms　a　thick　glutinous　mass；　with　a　rather　astringent　taste；　and　is　eaten　with　salt；　limes；　and　chilies。　Sago…bread　is　made　in　large　quantities；　by　baking　it　into　cakes　in　a　small　clay　oven　containing　six　or　eight　slits　side　by　side；　each　about　three…quarters　of　an　inch　wide；　and　six　or　eight　inches　square。　The　raw　sago　is　broken　up；　dried　in　the　sun；　powdered；　and　finely　sifted。　The　oven　is　heated　over　a　clear　fire　of　embers；　and　is　lightly　filled　with　the　sago…powder。　The　openings　are　then　covered　with　a　flat　piece　of　sago　bark；　and　in　about　five　minutes　the　cakes　are　turned　out　sufficiently　baked。　The　hot　cakes　are　very　nice　with　butter；　and　when　made　with　the　addition　of　a　little　sugar　and　grated　cocoa…nut　are　quite　a　delicacy。　They　are　soft；　and　something　like　corn…flour　cakes；　but　leave　a　slight　characteristic　flavour　which　is　lost　in　the　refined　sago　we　use　in　this　country。　When　not　wanted　for　immediate　use；　they　are　dried　for　several　days　in　the　sun；　and　tied　up　in　bundles　of　twenty。　They　will　then　keep　for　years；　they　are　very　hard；　and　very　rough　and　dry；　but　the　people　are　used　to　them　from　infancy；　and　little　children　may　be　seen　gnawing　at　them　as　contentedly　as　ours　with　their　bread…and…butter。　If　dipped　in　water　and　then　toasted；　they　become　almost　as　good　as　when　fresh　baked；　and　thus　treated　they　were　my　daily　substitute　for　bread　with　my　coffee。　Soaked　and　boiled　they　make　a　very　good　pudding　or　vegetable；　and　served　well　to　economize　our　rice；　which　is　sometimes　difficult　to　get　so　far　east。

It　is　truly　an　extraordinary　sight　to　witness　a　whole　tree…trunk；　perhaps　twenty　feet　long　and　four　or　five　in　circumference；　converted　into　food　with　so　little　labour　and　preparation。　A　good…sized　tree　will　produce　thirty　tomans　or　bundles　of　thirty　pounds　each；　and　each　toman　will　make　sixty　cakes　of　three　to　the　pound。　Two　of　these　cakes　are　as　much　as　a　man　can　eat　at　one　meal；　and　five　are　considered　a　full　day's　allowance；　so　that；　reckoning　a　tree　to　produce　1；800　cakes；　weighing　600　pounds；　it　will　supply　a　man　with　food　for　a　whole　year。　The　labour　to　produce　this　is　very　moderate。　Two　men　will　finish　a　tree　in　five　days；　and　two　women　will　bake　the　whole　into　cakes　in　five　days　more；　but　the　raw　sago　will　keep　very　well；　and　can　be　baked　as　wanted；　so　that　we　may　estimate　that　in　ten　days　a　man　may　produce　food　for　the　whole　year。　This　is　on　the　supposition　that　he　possesses　sago　trees　of　his　own；　for　they　are　now　all　private　property。　If　he　does　not；　he　has　to　pay　about　seven　and　sixpence　for　one；　and　as　labour　here　is　five　pence　a　day；　the　total　cost　of　a　year's　food　for　one　man　is　about　twelve　shillings。　The　effect　of　this　cheapness　of　food　is　decidedly　prejudicial；　for　the　inhabitants　of　the　sago　countries　are　never　so　well　off　as　those　where　rice　is　cultivated。　Many　of　the　people　here　have　neither　vegetables　nor　fruit；　but　live　almost　entirely　on　sago　and　a　little　fish。　Having　few　occupations　at　home；　they　wander　about　on　petty　trading　or　fishing　expeditions　to　the　neighbouring　islands；　and　as　far　as　the　comforts　of　life　are　concerned；　are　much　inferior　to　the　wild　hill…Dyaks　of　Borneo；　or　to　many　of　the　more　barbarous　tribes　of　the　Archipelago。

The　country　round　Warus…warus　is　low　and　swampy；　and　owing　to　the　absence　of　cultivation　there　were　scarcely　any　paths　leading　into　the　forest。　I　was　therefore　unable　to　collect　much　during　my　enforced　st