the malay archipelago-2-第4部分

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　of　the　edge；　and　soon　after；　what　seemed　a　fire　of　remarkable　whiteness　on　the　very　summit　of　the　hill。　I　called　the　attention　of　my　men　to　it；　and　they　too　thought　it　merely　a　fire；　but　a　few　minutes　afterwards；　as　we　got　farther　off　shore；　the　light　rose　clear　up　above　the　ridge　of　the　hill；　and　some　faint　clouds　clearing　away　from　it；　discovered　the　magnificent　comet　which　was　at　the　same　time；　astonishing　all　Europe。　The　nucleus　presented　to　the　naked　eye　a　distinct　disc　of　brilliant　white　light；　from　which　the　tail　rose　at　an　angle　of　about　30°　or　35°　with　the　horizon；　curving　slightly　downwards；　and　terminating　in　a　broad　brush　of　faint　light；　the　curvature　of　which　diminished　till　it　was　nearly　straight　at　the　end。　The　portion　of　the　tail　next　the　comet　appeared　three　or　four　tunes　as　bright　as　the　most　luminous　portion　of　the　milky　way；　and　what　struck　me　as　a　singular　feature　was　that　its　upper　margin；　from　the　nucleus　to　very　near　the　extremity；　was　clearly　and　almost　sharply　defined；　while　the　lower　side　gradually　shaded　off　into　obscurity。　Directly　it　rose　above　the　ridge　of　the　hill；　I　said　to　my　men；　〃See；　it's　not　a　fire；　it's　a　bintang　ber…ekor〃　（〃tailed…star；〃　the　Malay　idiom　for　a　comet）。　〃So　it　is；〃　said　they；　and　all　declared　that　they　had　often　heard　tell　of　such；　but　had　never　seen　one　till　now。　I　had　no　telescope　with　me；　nor　any　instrument　at　hand；　but　I　estimated　the　length　of　the　tail　at　about　20°；　and　the　width；　towards　the　extremity；　about　4°　or　5°。

The　whole　of　the　next　day　we　were　obliged　to　stop　near　the　village　of　Tidore；　owing　to　a　strong　wind　right　in　our　teeth。　The　country　was　all　cultivated；　and　I　in　vain　searched　for　any　insects　worth　capturing。　One　of　my　men　went　out　to　shoot；　but　returned　home　without　a　single　bird。　At　sunset；　the　wind　having　dropped；　we　quitted　Tidore；　and　reached　the　next　island；　March；　where　we　stayed　till　morning。　The　comet　was　again　visible；　but　not　nearly　so　brilliant；　being　partly　obscured　by　clouds；　and　dimmed　by　the　light　of　the　new　moon。　We　then　rowed　across　to　the　island　of　Motir；　which　is　so　surrounded　with　coral…reefs　that　it　is　dangerous　to　approach。　These　are　perfectly　flat；　and　are　only　covered　at　high　water；　ending　in　craggy　vertical　walls　of　coral　in　very　deep　water。　When　there　is　a　little　wind；　it　is　dangerous　to　come　near　these　rocks；　but　luckily　it　was　quite　smooth；　so　we　moored　to　their　edge；　while　the　men　crawled　over　the　reef　to　the　land；　to　make；　a　fire　and　cook　our　dinner…the　boat　having　no　accommodation　for　more　than　heating　water　for　my　morning　and　evening　coffee。　We　then　rowed　along　the　edge　of　the　reef　to　the　end　of　the　island；　and　were　glad　to　get　a　nice　westerly　breeze；　which　carried　us　over　the　strait　to　the　island　of　Makian；　where　we　arrived　about　8　P。M；　The　sky　was　quite　clear；　and　though　the　moon　shone　brightly；　the　comet　appeared　with　quite　as　much　splendour　as　when　we　first　saw　it。

The　coasts　of　these　small　islands　are　very　different　according　to　their　geological　formation。　The　volcanoes；　active　or　extinct；　have　steep　black　beaches　of　volcanic　sand；　or　are　fringed　with　rugged　masses　of　lava　and　basalt。　Coral　is　generally　absent；　occurring　only　in　small　patches　in　quiet　bays；　and　rarely　or　never　forming　reefs。　Ternate；　Tidore；　and　Makian　belong　to　this　class。　Islands　of　volcanic　origin；　not　themselves　volcanoes；　but　which　have　been　probably　recently　upraised；　are　generally　more　or　less　completely　surrounded　by　fringing　reefs　of　coral；　and　have　beaches　of　shining　white　coral　sand。　Their　coasts　present　volcanic　conglomerates；　basalt；　and　in　some　places　a　foundation　of　stratified　rocks；　with　patches　of　upraised　coral。　Mareh　and　Motir　are　of　this　character；　the　outline　of　the　latter　giving　it　the　appearance　of　having　been　a　true　volcano；　and　it　is　said　by　Forrest　to　have　thrown　out　stones　in　l778。　The　next　day　（Oct。　12th）；　we　coasted　along　the　island　of　Makian；　which　consists　of　a　single　grand　volcano。　It　was　now　quiescent；　but　about　two　centuries　ago　（in　1646）　there　was　a　terrible　eruption；　which　blew　up　the　whole　top　of　the　mountain；　leaving　the　truncated　jagged　summit　and　vast　gloomy　crater　valley　which　at　this　time　distinguished　it。　It　was　said　to　have　been　as　lofty　as　Tidore　before　this　catastrophe。　＇Soon　after　I'　left　the　Archipelago；　on　the　29th　of　December；　1862；　another　eruption　of　this　mountain　suddenly　took　place；　which　caused　great　devastation　in　the　island。　All　the　villages　and　crops　were　destroyed；　and　numbers　of　the　inhabitants　killed。　The　sand　and　ashes　fell　so　thick　that　the　crops　were　partially　destroyed　fifty　miles　off；　at　Ternate；　where　it　was　so　dark　the　following　day　that　lamps　had　to　be　lighted　at　noon。　For　the　position　of　this　and　the　adjacent　islands；　see　the　map　in　Chapter　XXXVII。＇

I　stayed　some　time　at　a　place　where　I　saw　a　new　clearing　on　a　very　steep　part　of　the　mountain；　and　obtained　a　few　interesting　insects。　In　the　evening　we　went　on　to　the　extreme　southern　point；　to　be　ready　to　pass　across　the　fifteen…mile　strait　to　the　island　of　Kaióa。　At　five　the　next　morning　we　started；　but　the　wind；　which　had　hitherto　been　westerly；　now　got　to　the　south　and　southwest；　and　we　had　to　row　almost　all　the　way　with　a　burning　sun　overhead。　As　we　approached　land　a　fine　breeze　sprang　up；　and　we　went　along　at　a　great　pace；　yet　after　an　hour　we　were　no　nearer；　and　found　we　were　in　a　violent　current　carrying　us　out　to　sea。　At　length　we　overcame　it；　and　got　on　shore　just　as　the　sun　set；　having　been　exactly　thirteen　hours　coming　fifteen　miles。　We　landed　on　a　beach　of　hard　coralline　rock；　with　rugged　cliffs　of　the　same；　resembling　those　of　the　Ke　Islands　（Chap。　XXIX。）　It　was　accompanied　by　a　brilliancy　and　luxuriance　of　the　vegetation；　very　like　what　I　had　observed　at　those　islands；　which　so　much　pleased　me　that　I　resolved　to　stay　a　few　days　at　the　chief　village；　and　see　if　their　animal　productions　were　correspondingly　interesting。　While　searching　for　a　secure　anchorage　for　the　night　we　again　saw　the　comet；　still　apparently　as　brilliant　as　at　first；　but　the　tail　had　now　risen　to　a　higher　angle。

October　14th。All　this　day　we　coasted　along　the　Kaióa　Islands；　which　have　much　the　appearance　and　outline　of　Ke　on　a　small　scale；　with　the　addition　of　flat　swampy　tracts　along　shore；　and　outlying　coral　reefs。　Contrary　winds　and　currents　had　prevented　our　taking　the　proper　course　to　the　west　of　them；　and　we　had　to　go　by　a　circuitous　route　round　the　southern　extremity　of　one　island；　often　having　to　go　far　out　to　sea　on　account　of　coral　reefs。　On　trying　to　pass　a　channel　through　one　of　these　reefs　we　were　grounded；　and　all　had　to　get　out　into　the　water；　which　in　this　shallow　strait　had　been　so　heated　by　the　sun　as　to　be　disagreeably　warm；　and　drag　our　vessel　a　considerable　distance　among　weeds　and　sponges；　corals　and　prickly　corallines。　It　was　late　at　night　when　we　reached　the　little　village　harbour；　and　we　were　all　pretty　well　knocked　up　by　hard　work；　and　having　had　nothing　but　very　brackish　water　to　drink　all　day…the　best　we　could　find　at　our　last　stopping…place。　There　was　a　house　close　to　the　shore；　built　for　the　use　of　the　Resident　of　Ternate　when　he　made　his　official　visits；　but　now　occupied　by　several　native　travelling　merchants；　among　whom　I　found　a　place　to　sleep。

The　next　morning　early　I　went　to　the　village　to　find　the　〃Kapala；〃　or　head　man。　I　informed　him　that　I　wanted　to　stay　a　few　days　in　the　house　at　the　landing；　and　begged　him　to　have　it　made　ready　for　me。　He　was　very　civil；　and　came　down　at　once　to　get　it　cleared；　when　we　found　that　the　traders　had　already　left；　on　hearing　that　I　required　it。　There　were　no　doors　to　it；　so　I　obtained　the　loan　of　a　couple　of　hurdles　to　keep　out　dogs　and　other　animals。　The　land　here　was　evidently　sinking　rapidly；　as　shown　by　the　number　of　trees　standing　in　salt　water　dead　and　dying。　After　breakfast　I　started　for　a　walk　to　the　forest…covered　hill　above　the　village；　with　a　couple　of　boys　as　guides。　It　was　exceedingly　hot　and　dry；　no　rain　having　fallen　for　two　months。　When　we　reached　an　elevation　of　about　two　hundred　feet；　the　coralline　rock　which　fringes　the　shore　was　succeeded　by　a　hard　crystalline　rock；　a　kind　of　metamorphic　sandstone。　This　would　indicate　flat　there　had　been　a　recent　elevation　of　more　than　two　hundred　feet；　which　had　still　more　recently　clanged　into　a　movement　of　subsidence。　The　hill　was　very　rugged；　but　among　dry　sticks　and　fallen　trees　I　found　some　good　insects；　mostly　of　forms　and　species　I　was　already　acquainted　with　from　Ternate　and　Gilolo。　Finding　no　good　paths　I　returned；　and　explored　the　lower　ground　eastward　of　the　village；　passing　through　a　long　range　of　plantain　and　tobacco　grounds；　encumbered　with　felled　and　burnt　logs；　on　which　I　found　quantities　of　beetles　of　the　family　Buprestidae　of　six　different　species；　one　of　which　was　new　to　me。　I　then　reached　a　path　in　the　swampy　forest　where　I　hoped　to　find　some　butterflies；　but　was　disappointed。　Being　now　pretty　well　exhausted　by　the　intense　heat；　I　thought　it　wise　to　return　and　reserve　further　exploration　for　the　next　day。

When　I　sat　down　in　the　afternoon　to　arrange　my　insects；　the　louse　was　surrounded　by　men；　women；　and　children；　lost　in　amazement　at　my　unaccountable　proceedings；　and　when；　after　pinning　out　the　specimens；　I　proceeded　to　write　the　name　of　the　place　on　small　circular　tickets；　and　attach　one　to　each；　even　the　old　Kapala；　the　Mahometan　priest；　and　some　Malay　traders　could　not　repress　signs　of　astonishment。　If　they　had　known　a　little　more　about　the　ways　and　opinions　of　white　men；　they　would　probably　have　looked　upon　me　as　a　fool　or　a　madman；　but　in　their　ignorance　they　accepted　my　operations　as　worthy　of　all　respect；　although　utterly　beyond　their　comprehension。

The　next　day　（October　16th）　I　went　beyond　the　swamp；　and　found　a　place　where　a　new　clearing　was　being　made　in　the　virgin　forest。　It　was　a　long　and　hot　walk；　and　the　search　among　the　fallen　trunks　and　branches　was　very　fatiguing；　but　I　was　rewarded　by　obtaining　about　seventy　distinct　species　of　beetles；　of　which　at　least　a　dozen　were　new　to　me；　and　many　others　rare　and　interesting。　I　have　never　in　my　life　seen　beetles　so　abundant　as　they　were　on　this　spot。　Some　dozen　species　of　good…sized　golden　Buprestidae；　green　rose…chafers　（Lomaptera）；　and　long