the malay archipelago-2-第51部分

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im；　and　it　cheered　up　my　spirits。　A　light　southerly　wind　now　sprung　up；　and　we　thought　we　were　going　to　have　fine　weather。　It　soon　changed；　however；　to　its　old　quarter；　the　west；　dense　clouds　gathered　over　the　sky；　and　in　less　than　half　an　hour　we　had　the　severest　squall　we　had　experienced　during　our　whole　voyage。　Luckily　we　got　our　great　mainsail　down　in　time；　or　the　consequences　might　have　been　serious。　It　was　a　regular　little　hurricane；　and　my　old　Bugis　steersman　began　shouting　out　to　〃Allah！　il　Allah！〃　to　preserve　us。　We　could　only　keep　up　our　jib；　which　was　almost　blown　to　rags；　but　by　careful　handling　it　kept　us　before　the　wind；　and　the　prau　behaved　very　well。　Our　small　boat　（purchased　at　Gani）　was　towing　astern；　and　soon　got　full　of　water；　so　that　it　broke　away　and　we　saw　no　more　of　it。　In　about　an　hour　the　fury　of　the　wind　abated　a　little；　and　in　two　more　we　were　able　to　hoist　our　mainsail；　reefed　and　half…mast　high。　Towards　evening　it　cleared　up　and　fell　calm；　and　the　sea；　which　had　been　rather　high；　soon　went　down。　Not　being　much　of　a　seaman　myself　I　had　been　considerably　alarmed；　and　even　the　old　steersman　assured　me　he　had　never　been　in　a　worse　squall　all　his　life。　He　was　now　more　than　ever　confirmed　in　his　opinion　of　the　unluckiness　of　the　boat；　and　in　the　efficiency　of　the　holy　oil　which　all　Bugis　praus　had　poured　through　their　bottoms。　As　it　was；　he　imputed　our　safety　and　the　quick　termination　of　the　squall　entirely　to　his　own　prayers；　saying　with　a　laugh；　〃Yes；　that's　the　way　we　always　do　on　board　our　praus；　when　things　are　at　the　worst　we　stand　up　and　shout　out　our　prayers　as　loud　as　we　can；　and　then　Tuwan　Allah　helps　us。〃

After　this　it　took　us　two　days　more　to　reach　Ternate；　having　our　usual　calms；　squalls；　and　head…winds　to　the　very　last；　and　once　having　to　return　back　to　our　anchorage　owing　to　violent　gusts　of　wind　just　as　we　were　close　to　the　town。　Looking　at　my　whole　voyage　in　this　vessel　from　the　time　when　I　left　Goram　in　May；　it　will　appear　that　rely　experiences　of　travel　in　a　native　prau　have　not　been　encouraging。　My　first　crew　ran　away；　two　men　were　lost　for　a　month　on　a　desert　island；　we　were　ten　times　aground　on　coral　reefs；　we　lost　four　anchors；　the　sails　were　devoured　by　rats；　the　small　boat　was　lost　astern；　we　were　thirty…eight　days　on　the　voyage　home；　which　should　not　have　taken　twelve；　we　were　many　times　short　of　food　and　water；　we　had　no　compass…lamp；　owing　to　there　not　being　a　drop　of　oil　in　Waigiou　when　we　left；　and　to　crown　all；　during　the　whole　of　our　voyages　from　Goram　by　Ceram　to　Waigiou；　and　from　Waigiou　to　Ternate；　occupying　in　all　seventy…　eight　days；　or　only　twelve　days　short　of　three　months　（all　in　what　was　supposed　to　be　the　favourable　season）；　we　had　not　one　single　day　of　fair　wind。　We　were　always　close　braced　up；　always　struggling　against　wind；　tide；　and　leeway；　and　in　a　vessel　that　would　scarcely　sail　nearer　than　eight　points　from　the　wind。　Every　seaman　will　admit　that　my　first　voyage　in　my　own　boat　was　a　most　unlucky　one。

Charles　Allen　had　obtained　a　tolerable　collection　of　birds　and　insects　at　Mysol；　but　far　less　than　be　would　have　done　if　I　had　not　been　so　unfortunate　as　to　miss　visiting　him。　After　waiting　another　week　or　two　till　he　was　nearly　starved；　he　returned　to　Wahai　in　Ceram；　and　heard；　much　to　his　surprise；　that　I　had　left　a　fortnight　before。　He　was　delayed　there　more　than　a　month　before　he　could　get　back　to　the　north　side　of　Mysol；　which　he　found　a　much　better　locality；　but　it　was　not　yet　the　season　for　the　Paradise　Birds；　and　before　he　had　obtained　more　than　a　few　of　the　common　sort；　the　last　prau　was　ready　to　leave　for　Ternate；　and　he　was　obliged　to　take　the　opportunity；　as　he　expected　I　would　be　waiting　there　for　him。

This　concludes　the　record　of　my　wanderings。　I　next　went　to　Timor；　and　afterwards　to　Bourn；　Java；　and　Sumatra；　which　places　have　already　been　described。　Charles　Allen　made　a　voyage　to　New　Guinea；　a　short　account　of　which　will　be　given　in　my　next　chapter　on　the　Birds　of　Paradise。　On　his　return　he　went　to　the　Sula　Islands；　and　made　a　very　interesting　collection　which　served　to　determine　the　limits　of　the　zoological　group　of　Celebes；　as　already　explained　in　my　chapter　on　the　natural　history　of　that　island。　His　next　journey　was　to　Flores　and　Solor；　where　he　obtained　some　valuable　materials；　which　I　have　used　in　my　chapter　on　the　natural　history　of　the　Timor　group。　He　afterwards　went　to　Coti　on　the　east　coast　of　Borneo；　from　which　place　I　was　very　anxious　to　obtain　collections；　as　it　is　a　quite　new　locality　as　far　as　possible　from　Sarawak；　and　I　had　heard　very　good　accounts　of　it。　On　his　return　thence　to　Sourabaya　in　Java；　he　was　to　have　gone　to　the　entirely　unknown　Sumba　or　Sandal…wood　Island。　Most　unfortunately；　however；　he　was　seized　with　a　terrible　fever　on　his　arrival　at　Coti；　and；　after　lying　there　some　weeks；　was　taken　to　Singapore　in　a　very　bad　condition；　where　he　arrived　after　I　had　left　for　England。　When　he　recovered　he　obtained　employment　in　Singapore；　and　I　lost　his　services　as　a　collector。

The　three　concluding　chapters　of　my　work　will　treat　of　the　birds　of　Paradise；　the　Natural　History　of　the　Papuan　（stands；　and　the　Races　of　Man　in　the　Malay　Archipelago。


CHAPTER　XXXVIII。

THE　BIRDS　OF　PARADISE。

AS　many　of　my　journeys　were　made　with　the　express　object　of　obtaining　specimens　of　the　Birds　of　Paradise；　and　learning　something　of　their　habits　and　distribution；　and　being　（as　far　as　I　am　aware）　the　only　Englishman　who　has　seen　these　wonderful　birds　in　their　native　forests；　and　obtained　specimens　of　many　of　them；　I　propose　to　give　here；　in　a　connected　form；　the　result　of　my　observations　and　inquiries。

When　the　earliest　European　voyagers　reached　the　Moluccas　in　search　of　cloves　and　nutmegs；　which　were　then　rare　and　precious　spices；　they　were　presented　with　the　dried　shins　of　birds　so　strange　and　beautiful　as　to　excite　the　admiration　even　of　those　wealth…seeking　rovers。　The　Malay　traders　gave　them　the　name　of　〃Manuk　dewata；〃　or　God's　birds；　and　the　Portuguese；　finding　that　they　had　no　feet　or　wings；　and　not　being　able　to　learn　anything　authentic　about　then；　called　them　〃Passaros　de　Col；〃　or　Birds　of　the　Sun；　while　the　learned　Dutchmen；　who　wrote　in　Latin；　called　them　〃Avis　paradiseus；〃　or　Paradise　Bird。　John　van　Linschoten　gives　these　names　in　1598；　and　tells　us　that　no　one　has　seen　these　birds　alive；　for　they　live　in　the　air；　always　turning　towards　the　sun；　and　never　lighting　on　the　earth　till　they　die；　for　they　have　neither　feet　nor　wings；　as；　he　adds；　may　be　seen　by　the　birds　carried　to　India；　and　sometimes　to　Holland；　but　being　very　costly　they　were　then　rarely　seen　in　Europe。　More　than　a　hundred　years　later　Mr。　William　Funnel；　who　accompanied　Dampier；　and　wrote　an　account　of　the　voyage；　saw　specimens　at　Amboyna；　and　was　told　that　they　came　to　Banda　to　eat　nutmegs；　which　intoxicated　them　and　made　them　fall　down　senseless；　when　they　were　killed　by　ants。　Down　to　1760；　when　Linnaeus　named　the　largest　species；　Paradisea　apoda　（the　footless　Paradise　Bird）；　no　perfect　specimen　had　been　seen　in　Europe；　and　absolutely　nothing　was　known　about　them。　And　even　now；　a　hundred　years　later；　most　books　state　that　they　migrate　annually　to　Ternate；　Banda；　and　Amboyna；　whereas　the　fact　is；　that　they　are　as　completely　unknown　in　those　islands　in　a　wild　state　as　they　are　in　England。　Linnaeus　was　also　acquainted　with　a　small　species；　which　he　named　Paradisea　regia　（the　King　Bird　of　Paradise）；　and　since　then　nine　or　ten　others　have　been　named；　all　of　which　were　first　described　from　skins　preserved　by　the　savages　of　New　Guinea；　and　generally　more　or　less　imperfect。　These　are　now　all　known　in　the　Malay　Archipelago　as　〃Burong　coati；〃　or　dead　birds；　indicating　that　the　Malay　traders　never　saw　them　alive。

The　Paradiseidae　are　a　group　of　moderate…sized　birds；　allied　in　their　structure　and　habits　to　crows；　starlings；　and　to　the　Australian　honeysuckers；　but　they　are　characterised　by　extraordinary　developments　of　plumage；　which　are　unequalled　in　any　other　family　of　birds。　In　several　species　large　tufts　of　delicate　bright…coloured　feathers　spring　from　each　side　of　the　body　beneath　the　wings；　forming　trains；　or　fans；　or　shields；　and　the　middle　feathers　of　the　tail　are　often　elongated　into　wires；　twisted　into　fantastic　shapes；　or　adorned　with　the　most　brilliant　metallic　tints。　In　another　set　of　species　these　accessory　plumes　spring　from　the　head；　the　back；　or　the　shoulders；　while　the　intensity　of　colour　and　of　metallic　lustre　displayed　by　their　plumage；　is　not　to　be　equalled　by　any　other　birds；　except；　perhaps；　the　humming…birds；　and　is　not　surpassed　even　by　these。　They　have　been　usually　classified　under　two　distinct　families；　Paradiseidae　and　Epimachidae；　the　latter　characterised　by　long　and　slender　beaks；　and　supposed　to　be　allied　to　the　Hoopoes；　but　the　two　groups　are　so　closely　allied　in　every　essential　point　of　structure　and　habits；　that　I　shall　consider　them　as　forming　subdivisions　of　one　family。　I　will　now　give　a　short　description　of　each　of　the　known　species；　and　then　add　some　general　remarks　on　their　natural　history。

The　Great　Bird　of　Paradise　（Paradisea　apoda　of　Linnaeus）　is　the　largest　species　known；　being　generally　seventeen　or　eighteen　inches　from　the　beak　to　the　tip　of　the　tail。　The　body；　wings；　and　tail　are　of　a　rich　coffee…brown；　which　deepens　on　the　breast　to　a　blackish…violet　or　purple…brown。　The　whole　top　of　the　head　and　neck　is　of　an　exceedingly　delicate　straw…yellow；　the　feathers　being　short　and　close　set；　so　as　to　resemble　plush　or　velvet；　the　lower　part　of　the　throat　up　to　the　eye　clothed　with　scaly　feathers　of　an　emerald；　green　colour；　and　with　a　rich　metallic　gloss；　and　velvety　plumes　of　a　still　deeper　green　extend　in　a　band　across　the　forehead　and　chin　as　far　as　the　eye；　which　is　bright　yellow。　The　beak　is　pale　lead　blue；　and　the　feet；　which　are　rather　large　and　very　strong　and　well　formed；　are　of　a　pale　ashy…pink。　The　two　middle　feathers　of　the　tail　have　no　webs；　except　a　very　small　one　at　the　base　and　at　the　extreme　tip；　forming　wire…like　cirrhi；　which　spread　out　in　an　elegant　double　curve；　and　vary　from　twenty…four　to　thirty…four　inches　long。　From　each　side　of　the　body；　beneath　the　wings；　springs　a　dense　tuft　of　long　and　delicate　plumes；　so