the malay archipelago-2-第38部分

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however；　three　or　four　villages　on　the　coast　where　schoolmasters　from　Amboyna　reside；　and　the　people　are　nominally　Christians；　and　are　to　some　extent　educated　and　civilized。　I　could　not　get　much　real　knowledge　of　the　customs　of　the　Aru　people　during　the　short　time　I　was　among　them；　but　they　have　evidently　been　considerably　influenced　by　their　long　association　with　Mahometan　traders。　They　often　bury　their　dead；　although　the　national　custom　is　to　expose　the　body　an　a　raised　stage　till　it　decomposes。　Though　there　is　no　limit　to　the　number　of　wives　a　man　may　have；　they　seldom　exceed　one　or　two。　A　wife　is　regularly　purchased　from　the　parents；　the　price　being　a　large　assortment　of　articles；　always　including　gongs；　crockery；　and　cloth。　They　told　me　that　some　of　the　tribes　kill　the　old　men　and　women　when　they　can　no　longer　work；　but　I　saw　many　very　old　and　decrepid　people；　who　seemed　pretty　well　attended　to。　No　doubt　all　who　have　much　intercourse　with　the　Bugis　and　Ceramese　traders　gradually　lose　many　of　their　native　customs；　especially　as　these　people　often　settle　in　their　villages　and　marry　native　women。

The　trade　carried　on　at　Dobbo　is　very　considerable。　This　year　there　were　fifteen　large　praus　from　Macassar；　and　perhaps　a　hundred　small　boats　from　Ceram；　Goram；　and　Ke。　The　Macassar　cargoes　are　worth　about　￡1；000。　each；　and　the　other　boats　take　away　perhaps　about　￡3；000；　worth；　so　that　the　whole　exports　may　be　estimated　at　￡18；000。　per　annum。　The　largest　and　most　bulky　items　are　pearl…shell　and　tripang；　or　〃beche…de…mer；〃　with　smaller　quantities　of　tortoise…shell；　edible　birds'　nests；　pearls；　ornamental　woods；　timber；　and　Birds　of　Paradise。　These　are　purchased　with　a　variety　of　goods。　Of　arrack；　about　equal　in　strength　to　ordinary　West　India　rum；　3；000　boxes；　each　containing　fifteen　half…gallon　bottles；　are　consumed　annually。　Native　cloth　from　Celebes　is　much　esteemed　for　its　durability；　and　large　quantities　are　sold；　as　well　as　white　English　calico　and　American　unbleached　cottons；　common　crockery；　coarse　cutlery；　muskets；　gunpowder；　gongs；　small　brass　cannon；　and　elephants'　tusks。　These　three　last　articles　constitute　the　wealth　of　the　Aru　people；　with　which　they　pay　for　their　wives；　or　which　they　hoard　up　as　〃real　property。〃　Tobacco　is　in　immense　demand　for　chewing；　and　it　must　be　very　strong；　or　an　Aru　man　will　not　look　at　it。　Knowing　how　little　these　people　generally　work；　the　mass　of　produce　obtained　annually　shows　that　the　islands　must　be　pretty　thickly　inhabited；　especially　along　the　coasts；　as　nine…tenths　of　the　whole　are　marine　productions。

It　was　on　the　2d　of　July　that　we　left　Aru；　followed　by　all　the　Macassar　praus；　fifteen　in　number；　who　had　agreed　to　sail　in　company。　We　passed　south　of　Banda；　　and　then　steered　due　west；　not　seeing　land　for　three　days；　till　we　sighted　some　low　islands　west　of　Bouton。　We　had　a　strong　and　steady　south…east　wind　day　and　night；　which　carried　us　on　at　about　five　knots　an　hour；　where　a　clipper　ship　would　have　made　twelve。　The　sky　was　continually　cloudy；　dark；　and　threatening；　with　occasional　drizzling　showers；　till　we　were　west　of　Bouru；　when　it　cleared　up　and　we　enjoyed　the　bright　sunny　skies　of　the　dry　season　for　the　rest　of　our　voyage。　It　is　about　here；　therefore　that　the　seasons　of　the　eastern　and　western　regions　of　the　Archipelago　are　divided。　West　of　this　line　from　June　to　December　is　generally　fine；　and　often　very　dry；　the　rest　of　the　year　being　the　wet　season。　East　of　it　the　weather　is　exceedingly　uncertain；　each　island；　and　each　side　of　an　island；　having　its　own　peculiarities。　The　difference　seems　to　consist　not　so　much　in　the　distribution　of　the　rainfall　as　in　that　of　the　clouds　and　the　moistness　of　the　atmosphere。　In　Aru；　for　example；　when　we　left；　the　little　streams　were　all　dried　up；　although　the　weather　was　gloomy；　while　in　January；　February；　and　March；　when　we　had　the　hottest　sunshine　and　the　finest　days；　they　were　always　flowing。　The　driest　time　of　all　the　year　in　Aru　occurs　in　September　and　October；　just　as　it　does　in　Java　and　Celebes。　The　rainy　seasons　agree；　therefore；　with　those　of　the　western　islands；　although　the　weather　is　very　different。　The　Molucca　sea　is　of　a　very　deep　blue　colour；　quite　distinct　from　the　clear　light　blue　of　the　Atlantic。　In　cloudy　and　dull　weather　it　looks　absolutely　black；　and　when　crested　with　foam　has　a　stern　and　angry　aspect。　The　wind　continued　fair　and　strong　during　our　whole　voyage；　and　we　reached　Macassar　in　perfect　safety　on　the　evening　of　the　11th　of　July；　having　made　the　passage　from　Aru　（more　than　a　thousand　miles）　in　nine　and　a　half　days。

My　expedition　to　the　Aru　Islands　had　been　eminently　successful。　Although　I　had　been　for　months　confined　to　the　house　by　illness；　and　had　lost　much　time　by　the　want　of　the　means　of　locomotion；　and　by　missing　the　right　season　at　the　right　place；　I　brought　away　with　me　more　than　nine　thousand　specimens　of　natural　objects；　of　about　sixteen　hundred　distinct　species。　I　had　made　the　acquaintance　of　a　strange　and　little…known　race　of　men；　I　had　become　familiar　with　the　traders　of　the　far　East；　I　had　revelled　in　the　delights　of　exploring　a　new　fauna　and　flora；　one　of　the　most　remarkable　and　most　beautiful　and　least…known　in　the　world；　and　I　had　succeeded　in　the　main　object　for　which　I　had　undertaken　the　journey…namely；　to　obtain　fine　specimens　of　the　magnificent　Birds　of　Paradise；　and　to　be　enabled　to　observe　them　in　their　native　forests。　By　this　success　I　was　stimulated　to　continue　my　researches　in　the　Moluccas　and　New　Guinea　for　nearly　five　years　longer；　and　it　is　still　the　portion　of　my　travels　to　which　I　look　back　with　the　most　complete　satisfaction。

CHAPTER　XXXIII。

THE　ARU　ISLANDSPHYSICAL　GEOGRAPHY　AND　ASPECTS　OF　NATURE。

IN　this　chapter　I　propose　to　give　a　general　sketch　of　the　physical　geography　of　the　Aru　Islands；　and　of　their　relation　to　the　surrounding　countries；　and　shall　thus　be　able　to　incorporate　the　information　obtained　from　traders；　and　from　the　works　of　other　naturalists　with　my　own　observations　in　these　exceedingly　interesting　and　little…known　regions。

The　Aru　group　may　be　said　to　consist　of　one　very　large　central　island　with　a　number　of　small　ones　scattered　round　it。　The　great　island　is　called　by　the　natives　and　traders　〃Tang…busar〃　（great　or　mainland）；　to　distinguish　it　as　a　whole　from　Dobbo；　or　any　of　the　detached　islands。　It　is　of　an　irregular　oblong　form；　about　eighty　miles　from　north　to　south；　and　forty　or　fifty　from　east　to　west；　in　which　direction　it　is　traversed　by　three　narrow　channels；　dividing　it　into　four　portions。　These　channels　are　always　called　rivers　by　the　traders；　which　puzzled　me　much　till　I　passed　through　one　of　them；　and　saw　how　exceedingly　applicable　the　name　was。　The　northern　channel；　called　the　river　of　Watelai；　is　about　a　quarter　of　a　mile　wide　at　its　entrance；　but　soon　narrows　to　abort　the　eighth　of　a　mile；　which　width　it　retains；　with　little　variation；　during　its　whole；　length　of　nearly　fifty　miles；　till　it　again　widens　at　its　eastern　mouth。　Its　course　is　moderately　winding；　and　the　hanks　are　generally　dry　and　somewhat　elevated。　In　many　places　there　are　low　cliffs　of　hard　coralline　limestone；　more　or　less　worn　by　the　action　of　water；　while　sometimes　level　spaces　extend　from　the　banks　to　low　ranges　of　hills　a　little　inland。　A　few　small　streams　enter　it　from　right　and　left；　at　the　mouths　of　which　are　some　little　rocky　islands。　The　depth　is　very　regular；　being　from　ten　to　fifteen　fathoms；　and　it　has　thus　every　feature　of　a　true　river；　but　for　the　salt　water　and　the　absence　of　a　current。　The　other　two　rivers；　whose　names　are　Vorkai　and　Maykor；　are　said　to　be　very　similar　in　general　character；　but　they　are　rather　near　together；　and　have　a　number　of　cross　channels　intersecting　the　flat　tract　between　them。　On　the　south　side　of　Maykor　the　banks　are　very　rocky；　and　from　thence　to　the　southern　extremity　of　Aru　is　an　uninterrupted　extent　of　rather　elevated　and　very　rocky　country；　penetrated　by　numerous　small　streams；　in　the　high　limestone　cliffs　bordering　which　the　edible　birds'　nests　of　Aru　are　chiefly　obtained。　All　my　informants　stated　that　the　two　southern　rivers　are　larger　than　Watelai。

The　whole　of　Aru　is　low；　but　by　no　means　so　flat　as　it　has　been　represented；　or　as　it　appears　from　the　sea。　Most　of　it　is　dry　rocky　ground；　with　a　somewhat　undulating　surface；　rising　here　and　there　into　abrupt　hillocks；　or　cut　into　steep　and　narrow　ravines。　Except　the　patches　of　swamp　which　are　found　at　the　mouths　of　most　of　the　small　rivers；　there　is　no　absolutely　level　ground；　although　the　greatest　elevation　is　probably　not　more　than　two　hundred　feet。　The　rock　which　everywhere　appears　in　the　ravines　and　brooks　is　a　coralline　limestone；　in　some　places　soft　and　pliable；　in　others　so　hard　and　crystalline　as　to　resemble　our　mountain　limestone。

The　small　islands　which　surround　the　central　mass　are　very　numerous；　but　most　of　them　are　on　the　east　side；　where　they　form　a　fringe；　often　extending　ten　or　fifteen　miles　from　the　main　islands。　On　the　west　there　are　very　few；　Wamma　and　Palo　Pabi　being　the　chief；　with　Ougia；　and　Wassia　at　the　north…west　extremity。　On　the　east　side　the　sea　is　everywhere　shallow；　and　full　of　coral；　and　it　is　here　that　the　pearl…shells　are　found　which　form　one　of　the　chief　staples　of　Aru　trade。　All　the　islands　are　covered　with　a　dense　and　very　lofty　forest。

The　physical　features　here　described　are　of　peculiar　interest；　and；　as　far　as　I　am　aware；　are　to　some　extent　unique；　for　I　have　been　unable　to　find　any　other　record　of　an　island　of　the　size　of　Aru　crossed　by　channels　which　exactly　resemble　true　rivers。　How　these　channels　originated　were　a　complete　puzzle　to　me；　till；　after　a　long　consideration　of　the　whole　of　the　natural　phenomena　presented　by　these　islands；　I　arrived　at　a　conclusion　which　I　will　now　endeavour　to　explain。　There　are　three　ways　in　which　we　may　conceive　islands　which　are　not　volcanic　to　have　been　formed；　or　to　have　been　reduced　to　their　present　condition；　by　elevation；　by　subsidence；　or　by　separation　from　a　continent　or　larger　island。　The　existence　of　coral　rock；　or　of　raised　beaches　far　inland；　indicates　recent　elevation；　lagoon　coral…islands；　and　such　as　have　barrier　or　encircling　reefs；　have　suffered　subsidence；　while　our　own　islands；　whose