the malay archipelago-2-第48部分

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ne　weather；　and　at　length　started　early　one　morning；　and　arrived　late　at　night；　after　a　rough　and　disagreeable　passage。　The　village　of　Bessir　was　built　in　the　water　at　the　point　of　a　small　island。　The　chief　food　of　the　people　was　evidently　shell…fish；　since　great　heaps　of　the　shells　had　accumulated　in　the　shallow　water　between　the　houses　and　the　land；　forming　a　regular　〃kitchen…midden　〃for　the　exploration　of　some　future　archeologist。　We　spent　the　night　in　the　chief's　house；　and　the　next　morning　went　over　to　the　mainland　to　look　out　for　a　place　where　I　could　reside。　This　part　of　Waigiou　is　really　another　island　to　the　south　of　the　narrow　channel　we　had　passed　through　in　coming　to　Muka。　It　appears　to　consist　almost　entirely　of　raised　coral；　whereas　the　northern　island　contains　hard　crystalline　rocks。　The　shores　were　a　range　of　low　limestone　cliffs；　worn　out　by　the　water；　so　that　the　upper　part　generally　overhung。　At　distant　intervals　were　little　coves　and　openings；　where　small　streams　came　down　from　the　interior；　and　in　one　of　these　we　landed；　pulling　our　boat　up　on　a　patch　of　white　sandy　beach。　Immediately　above　was　a　large　newly…made　plantation　of　yams　and　plantains；　and　a　small　hot；　which　the　chief　said　we　might　have　the　use　of；　if　it　would　do　for　me。　It　was　quite　a　dwarf's　house；　just　eight　feet　square；　raised　on　posts　so　that　the　floor　was　four　and　a　half　feet　above　the　ground；　and　the　highest　part　of　the　ridge　only　five　feet　above　the　flour。　As　I　am　six　feet　and　an　inch　in　my　stockings；　I　looked　at　this　with　some　dismay；　but　finding　that　the　other　houses　were　much　further　from　water；　were　dreadfully　dirty；　and　were　crowded　with　people；　I　at　once　accepted　the　little　one；　and　determined　to　make　the　best　of　it。　At　first　I　thought　of　taking　out　the　floor；　which　would　leave　it　high　enough　to　walk　in　and　out　without　stooping；　but　then　there　would　not　be　room　enough；　so　I　left　it　just　as　it　was；　had　it　thoroughly　cleaned　out；　and　brought　up　my　baggage。　The　upper　story　I　used　for　sleeping　in；　and　for　a　store…room。　In　the　lower　part　（which　was　quite　open　all　round）　I　fixed　up　a　small　table；　arranged　my　boxes；　put　up　hanging…shelves；　laid　a　mat　on　the　ground　with　my　wicker…chair　upon　it；　hung　up　another　mat　on　the　windward　side；　and　then　found　that；　by　bending　double　and　carefully　creeping　in；　I　could　sit　on　my　chair　with　my　head　just　clear　of　the　ceiling。　Here　I　lived　pretty　comfortably　for　six　weeks；　taking　all　my　meals　and　doing　all　my　work　at　my　little　table；　to　and　from　which　I　had　to　creep　in　a　semi…horizontal　position　a　dozen　times　a　day；　and；　after　a　few　severe　knocks　on　the　head　by　suddenly　rising　from　my　chair；　learnt　to　accommodate　myself　to　circumstances。　We　put　up　a　little　sloping　cooking…but　outside；　and　a　bench　on　which　my　lads　could　skin　their　birds。　At　night　I　went　up　to　my　little　loft；　they　spread　their　mats　on　the；　floor　below；　and　we　none　of　us　grumbled　at　our　lodgings。

My　first　business　was　to　send　for　the　men　who　were　accustomed　to　catch　the　Birds　of　Paradise。　Several　came；　and　I　showed　them　my　hatchets；　beads；　knives；　and　handkerchiefs；　and　explained　to　them；　as　well　as　I　could　by　signs；　the　price　I　would　give　for　fresh…killed　specimens。　It　is　the　universal　custom　to　pay　for　everything　in　advance；　but　only　one　man　ventured　on　this　occasion　to　take　goods　to　the　value　of　two　birds。　The　rest　were　suspicious；　and　wanted　to　see　the　result　of　the　first　bargain　with　the　strange　white　man；　the　only　one　who　had　ever　come　to　their　island。　After　three　days；　my　man　brought　me　the　first　bird…　…a　very　fine　specimen；　and　alive；　but　tied　up　in　a　small　bag；　and　consequently　its　tail　and　wing　feathers　very　much　crushed　and　injured。　I　tried　to　explain　to　him；　and　to　the　others　that　came　with　him；　that　I　wanted　them　as　perfect　as　possible；　and　that　they　should　either　kill　them；　or　keep　them　on　a　perch　with　a　string　to　their　leg。　As　they　were　now　apparently　satisfied　that　all　was　fair；　and　that　I　had　no　ulterior　designs　upon　them；　six　others　took　away　goods；　some　for　one　bird；　some　for　more；　and　one　for　as　many　as　six。　They　said　they　had　to　go　a　long　way　for　them；　and　that　they　would　come　back　as　soon　as　they　caught　any。　At　intervals　of　a　few　days　or　a　week；　some　of　them　would　return；　bringing　me　one　or　more　birds；　but　though　they　did　not　bring　any　more　in　bags；　there　was　not　much　improvement　in　their　condition。　As　they　caught　them　a　long　way　off　in　the　forest；　they　would　scarcely　ever　come　with　one；　but　would　tie　it　by　the　leg　to　a　stick；　and　put　it　in　their　house　till　they　caught　another。　The　poor　creature　would　make　violent　efforts　to　escape；　would　get　among　the　ashes；　or　hang　suspended　by　the　leg　till　the　limb　was　swollen　and　half…putrefied；　and　sometimes　die　of　starvation　and　worry。　One　had　its　beautiful　head　all　defiled　by　pitch　from　a　dammar　torch；　another　had　been　so　long　dead　that　its　stomach　was　turning　green。　Luckily；　however；　the　skin　and　plumage　of　these　birds　is　so　firm　and　strong；　that　they　bear　washing　and　cleaning　better　than　almost　any　other　sort；　and　I　was　generally　able　to　clean　them　so　well　that　they　did　not　perceptibly　differ　from　those　I　had　shot　myself。

Some　few　were　brought　me　the　same　day　they　were　caught；　and　I　had　an　opportunity　of　examining　them　in　all　their　beauty　and　vivacity。　As　soon　as　I　found　they　were　generally　brought　alive；　I　set　one　of　my　men　to　make　a　large　bamboo　cage　with　troughs　for　food　and　water；　hoping　to　be　able　to　keep　some　of　them。　I　got　the　natives　to　bring　me　branches　of　a　fruit　they　were　very　fond　of；　and　I　was　pleased　to　find　they　ate　it　greedily；　and　would　also　take　any　number　of　live　grasshoppers　I　gave　them；　stripping　off　the　legs　and　wings；　and　then　swallowing　them。　They　drank　plenty　of　water；　and　were　in　constant　motion；　jumping　about　the　cage　from　perch　to　perch；　clinging　on　the　top　and　sides；　and　rarely　resting　a　moment　the　first　day　till　nightfall。　The　second　day　they　were　always　less　active；　although　they　would　eat　as　freely　as　before；　and　on　the　morning　of　the　third　day　they　were　almost　always　found　dead　at　the　bottom　of　the　cage；　without　any　apparent　cause。　Some　of　them　ate　boiled　rice　as　well　as　fruit　and　insects；　but　after　trying　many　in　succession；　not　one　out　of　ten　lived　more　than　three　days。　The　second　or　third　day　they　would　be　dull；　and　in　several　cases　they　were　seized　with　convulsions；　and　fell　off　the　perch；　dying　a　few　hours　afterwards。　I　tried　immature　as　well　as　full…plumaged　birds；　but　with　no　better　success；　and　at　length　gave　it　up　as　a　hopeless　task；　and　confined　my　attention　to　preserving　specimens　in　as　good　a　condition　as　possible。

The　Red　Birds　of　Paradise　are　not　shot　with　blunt　arrows；　as　in　the　Aru　Islands　and　some　parts　of　New　Guinea；　but　are　snared　in　a　very　ingenious　manner。　A　large　climbing　Arum　bears　a　red　reticulated　fruit；　of　which　the　birds　are　very　fond。　The　hunters　fasten　this　fruit　on　a　stout　forked　stick；　and　provide　themselves　with　a　fine　but　strong　cord。　They　then　seep　out　some　tree　in　the　forest　on　which　these　birds　are　accustomed　to　perch；　and　climbing　up　it　fasten　the　stick　to　a　branch　and　arrange　the　cord　in　a　noose　so　ingeniously；　that　when　the　bird　comes　to　eat　the　fruit　its　legs　are　caught；　and　by　pulling　the　end　of　the　cord；　which　hangs　down　to　the　ground；　it　comes　free　from　the　branch　and　brings　down　the　bird。　Sometimes；　when　food　is　abundant　elsewhere；　the　hunter　sits　from　morning　till　night　under　his　tree　with　the　cord　in　his　hand；　and　even　for　two　or　three　whole　days　in　succession；　without　even　getting　a　bite；　while；　on　the　other　hand；　if　very　lucky；　he　may　get　two　or　three　birds　in　a　day。　There　are　only　eight　or　ten　men　at　Bessir　who　practise　this　art；　which　is　unknown　anywhere　else　in　the　island。　I　determined；　therefore；　to　stay　as　long　as　possible；　as　my　only　chance　of　getting　a　good　series　of　specimens；　and　although　I　was　nearly　starved；　everything　eatable　by　civilized　man　being　scarce　or　altogether　absent；　I　finally　succeeded。

The　vegetables　and　fruit　in　the　plantations　around　us　did　not　suffice　for　the　wants　of　the　inhabitants；　and　were　almost　always　dug　up　or　gathered　before　they　were　ripe。　It　was　very　rarely　we　could　purchase　a　little　fish；　fowls　there　were　none；　and　we　were　reduced　to　live　upon　tough　pigeons　and　cockatoos；　with　our　rice　and　sago；　and　sometimes　we　could　not　get　these。　Having　been　already　eight　months　on　this　voyage；　my　stock　of　all　condiments；　spices　and　butter；　was　exhausted；　and　I　found　it　impossible　to　eat　sufficient　of　my　tasteless　and　unpalatable　food　to　support　health。　I　got　very　thin　and　weak；　and　had　a　curious　disease　known　（I　have　since　heard）　as　brow…ague。　Directly　after　breakfast　every　morning　an　intense　pain　set　in　on　a　small　spot　on　the　right　temple。　It　was　a　severe　burning　ache；　as　bad　as　the　worst　toothache；　and　lasted　about　two　hours；　generally　going　off　at　noon。　When　this　finally　ceased；　I　had　an　attack　of　fever；　which　left　me　so　weak　and　so　unable　to　eat　our　regular　food；　that　I　feel　sure　my　life　was　saved　by　a　couple　of　tins　of　soup　which　I　had　long　reserved　for　some　such　extremity。　I　used　often　to　go　out　searching　after　vegetables；　and　found　a　great　treasure　in　a　lot　of　tomato　plants　run　wild；　and　bearing　little　fruits　about　the　size　of　gooseberries。　I　also　boiled　up　the　tops　of　pumpkin　plants　and　of　ferns；　by　way　of　greens；　and　occasionally　got　a　few　green　papaws。　The　natives；　when　hard　up　for　food；　live　upon　a　fleshy　seaweed；　which　they　boil　till　it　is　tender。　I　tried　this　also；　but　found　it　too　salt　and　bitter　to　be　endured。

Towards　the　end　of　September　it　became　absolutely　necessary　for　me　to　return；　in　order　to　make　our　homeward　voyage　before　the　end　of　the　east　monsoon。　Most　of　the　men　who　had　taken　payment　from　me　had　brought　the　birds　they　had　agreed　for。　One　poor　fellow　had　been　so　unfortunate　as　not　to　get　one；　and　he　very　honestly　brought　back　the　axe　he　had　received　in　advance；　another；　who　had　agreed　for　six；　brought　me　the　fifth　two　days　before　I　was　to　start；　and　went　off　immediately　to　the　forest　again　to　get　the　other。　He　did　not　return；　however；　and　we　loaded　our　boat；　and　were　just　on　the　point　of　starting；　when　he　came　running　down　after　us　holding　up　a　bird；　which　he　handed　to　me；　saying　with　great　satisfaction；　〃Now　I　owe　you　nothing。〃　These　were　remarka