the malay archipelago-2-第6部分

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ns　and　creepers。　Gigantic　tree…ferns　were　abundant；　and　the　whole　forest　had　an　air　of　luxuriance　and　rich　variety　which　it　never　attains　in　the　dry　volcanic　soil　to　which　I　had　been　lately　accustomed。　A　little　further　the　road　passed　to　the　other　side　of　the　valley　by　a　bridge　across　the　stream　at　a　place　where　a　great　mass　of　rock　in　the　middle　offered　an　excellent　support　for　it；　and　two　miles　more　of　most　picturesque　and　interesting　road　brought　me　to　the　mining　establishment。

This　is　situated　in　a　large　open　space；　at　a　spot　where　two　tributaries　fall　into　the　main　stream。　Several　forest…paths　and　new　clearings　offered　fine　collecting　grounds；　and　I　captured　some　new　and　interesting　insects；　but　as　it　was　getting　late　I　had　to　reserve　a　more　thorough　exploration　for　future　occasions。　Coal　had　been　discovered　here　some　years　before；　and　the　road　was　made　in　order　to　bring　down　a　sufficient　quantity　for　a　fair　trial　on　the　Dutch　steamers。　The　quality；　however；　was　not　thought　sufficiently　good；　and　the　mines　were　abandoned。　Quite　recently；　works　had　been　commenced　in　another　spot；　in　Hopes　of　finding　a　better　vein。　There　ware　about　eighty　men　employed；　chiefly　convicts；　but　this　was　far　too　small　a　number　for　mining　operations　in　such　a　country；　where　the　mere　keeping　a　few　miles　of　road　in　repair　requires　the　constant　work　of　several　men。　If　coal　of　sufficiently　good　quality　should　be　found；　a　tramroad　would　be　made；　and　would　be　very　easily　worked；　owing　to　the　regular　descent　of　the　valley。

Just　as　I　got　home　I　overtook　Ali　returning　from　shooting　with　some　birch　hanging　from　his　belt。　He　seemed　much　pleased；　and　said；　〃Look　here；　sir；　what　a　curious　bird；〃　holding　out　what　at　first　completely　puzzled　me。　I　saw　a　bird　with　a　mass　of　splendid　green　feathers　on　its　breast；　elongated　into　two　glittering　tufts；　but；　what　I　could　not　understand　was　a　pair　of　long　white　feathers；　which　stuck　straight　out　from　each　shoulder。　Ali　assured　me　that　the　bird　stuck　them　out　this　way　itself；　when　fluttering　its　wings；　and　that　they　had　remained　so　without　his　touching　them。　I　now　saw　that　I　had　got　a　great　prize；　no　less　than　a　completely　new　form　of　the　Bird　of　Paradise；　differing　most　remarkably　from　every　other　known　bird。　The　general　plumage　is　very　sober；　being　a　pure　ashy　olive；　with　a　purplish　tinge　on　the　back；　the　crown　of　the　head　is　beautifully　glossed　with　pale　metallic　violet；　and　the　feathers　of　the　front　extend　as　much　over　the　beak　as　inmost　of　the　family。　The　neck　and　breast　are　scaled　with　fine　metallic　green；　and　the　feathers　on　the　lower　part　are　elongated　on　each　side；　so　as　to　form　a　two…pointed　gorget；　which　can　be　folded　beneath　the　wings；　or　partially　erected　and　spread　out　in　the　same　way　as　the　side　plumes　of　most　of　the　birds　of　paradise。　The　four　long　white　plumes　which　give　the　bird　its　altogether　unique　character；　spring　from　little　tubercles　close　to　the　upper　edge　of　the　shoulder　or　bend　of　the　wing；　they　are　narrow；　gentle　curved；　and　equally　webbed　on　both　sides；　of　a　pure　creamy　white　colour。　They　arc　about　six　inches　long；　equalling　the　wing；　and　can　be　raised　at　right　angles　to　it；　or　laid　along　the　body　at　the　pleasure　of　the　bird。　The　bill　is　horn　colour；　the　legs　yellow；　and　the　iris　pale　olive。　This　striking　novelty　has　been　named　by　Mr。　G。　R。　Gray　of　the　British　Museum；　Semioptera　Wallacei；　or　〃Wallace's　Standard　wing。〃

A　few　days　later　I　obtained　an　exceedingly　beautiful　new　butterfly；　allied　to　the　fine　blue　Papilio　Ulysses；　but　differing　from　it　in　the　colour　being　of　a　more　intense　tint；　and　in　having　a　row　of　blue　stripes　around　the　margin　of　the　lower　wings。　This　good　beginning　was；　however；　rather　deceptive；　and　I　soon　found　that　insects；　and　especially　butterflies；　were　somewhat　scarce；　and　birds　in　tar　less　variety　than　I　had　anticipated。　Several　of　the　fine　Moluccan　species　were　however　obtained。　The　handsome　red　lory　with　green　wings　and　a　yellow　spot　in　the　back　（Lorius　garrulus）；　was　not　uncommon。　When　the　Jambu；　or　rose　apple　（Eugenic　sp。）；　was　in　flower　in　the　village；　flocks　of　the　little　lorikeet　（Charmosyna　placentis）；　already　met　with　in　Gilolo；　came　to　feed　upon　the　nectar；　and　I　obtained　as　many　specimens　as　I　desired。　Another　beautiful　bird　of　the　parrot　tribe　was　the　Geoffroyus　cyanicollis；　a　green　parrot　with　a　red　bill　and　head；　which　colour　shaded　on　the　crown　into　azure　blue；　and　thence　into　verditer　blue　and　the　green　of　the　back。　Two　large　and　handsome　fruit　pigeons；　with　metallic　green；　ashy；　and　rufous　plumage；　were　not　uncommon；　and　I　was　rewarded　by　finding　a　splendid　deep　blue　roller　（Eurystomus　azureus）；　a　lovely　golden…capped　sunbird　（Nectarinea　auriceps）；　and　a　fine　racquet…tailed　kingfisher　（Tanysiptera　isis）；　all　of　which　were　entirely　new　to　ornithologists。　Of　insects　I　obtained　a　considerable　number　of　interesting　beetles；　including　many　fine　longicorns；　among　which　was　the　largest　and　handsomest　species　of　the　genus　Glenea　yet　discovered。　Among　butterflies　the　beautiful　little　Danis　sebae　was　abundant；　making　the　forests　gay　with　its　delicate　wings　of　white　and　the　richest　metallic　blue；　while　showy　Papilios；　and　pretty　Pieridae；　and　dark；　rich　Euphaeas；　many　of　them　new；　furnished　a　constant　source　of　interest　and　pleasing　occupation。

The　island　of　Batchian　possesses　no　really　indigenous　inhabitants；　the　interior　being　altogether　uninhabited；　and　there　are　only　a　few　small　villages　on　various　parts　of　the　coast；　yet　I　found　here　four　distinct　races；　which　would　wofully　mislead　an　ethnological　traveller　unable　to　obtain　information　as　to　their　origin；　first　there　are　the　Batchian　Malays；　probably　the　earliest　colonists；　differing　very　little　from　those　of　Ternate。　Their　language；　however；　seems　to　have　more　of　the　Papuan　element；　with　a　mixture　of　pure　Malay；　showing　that　the　settlement　is　one　of　stragglers　of　various　races；　although　now　sufficiently　homogeneous。　Then　there　are　the　〃Orang　Sirani；〃　as　at　Ternate　and　Amboyna。　Many　of　these　have　the　Portuguese　physiognomy　strikingly　preserved；　but　combined　with　a　skin　generally　darker　than　the　Malays。　Some　national　customs　are　retained；　and　the　Malay；　which　is　their　only　language；　contains　a　large　number　of　Portuguese　words　and　idioms。　The　third　race　consists　of　the　Galela　men　from　the　north　of　Gilolo；　a　singular　people；　whom　I　have　already　described；　and　the　fourth　is　a　colony　from　Tomóre；　in　the　eastern　peninsula　of　Celebes。　These　people　were　brought　here　at　their　own　request　a　few　years　ago；　to　avoid　extermination　by　another　tribe。　They　have　a　very　light　complexion；　open　Tartar　physiognomy；　low　stature；　and　a　language　of　the　Bugis　type。　They　are　an　industrious　agricultural　people；　and　supply　the　town　with　vegetables。　They　make　a　good　deal　of　bark　cloth；　similar　to　the　tapa　of　the　Polynesians；　by　cutting　down　the　proper　trees　and　taping　off　large　cylinders　of　bark；　which　is　beaten　with　mallets　till　it　separates　from　the　wood。　It　is　then　soaked；　and　so　continuously　and　regularly　beaten　out　that　it　becomes　as　thin　and　as　tough　as　parchment。　In　this　foam　it　is　much　used　for　wrappers　for　clothes；　and　they　also　make　jackets　of　it；　sewn　neatly　together　and　stained　with　the　juice　of　another　kind　of　bark；　which　gives　it　a　dark　red　colour　and　renders　it　nearly　waterproof。

Here　are　four　very　distinct　kinds　of　people　who　may　all　be　seen　any　day　in　and　about　the　town　of　Batchian。　Now　if　we　suppose　a　traveller　ignorant　of　Malay；　picking　up　a　word　or　two　here　and　there　of　the　〃Batchian　language；〃　and　noting　down　the　〃physical　and　moral　peculiarities；　manners；　and　customs　of　the　Batchian　people〃（for　there　are　travellers　who　do　all　this　in　four…and…　twenty　hours）what　an　accurate　and　instructive　chapter　we　should　have'　what　transitions　would　be　pointed　out；　what　theories　of　the　origin　of　races　would　be　developed　while　the　next　traveller　might　flatly　contradict　every　statement　and　arrive　at　exactly　opposite　conclusions。

Soon　after　I　arrived　here　the　Dutch　Government　introduced　a　new　copper　coinage　of　cents　instead　of　doits　（the　100th　instead　of　the　120th　part　of　a　guilder）；　and　all　the　old　coins　were　ordered　to　be　sent　to　Ternate　to　be　changed。　I　sent　a　bag　containing　6；000　doits；　and　duly　received　the　new　money　by　return　of　the　boat。　Then　Ali　went　to　bring　it；　however；　the　captain　required　a　written　order；　so　I　waited　to　send　again　the　next　day；　and　it　was　lucky　I　did　so；　for　that　night　my　house　was　entered；　all　my　boxes　carried　out　and　ransacked；　and　the　various　articles　left　on　the　road　about　twenty　yards　off；　where　we　found　them　at　five　in　the　morning；　when；　on　getting　up　and　finding　the　house　empty；　we　rushed　out　to　discover　tracks　of　the　thieves。　Not　being　able　to　find　the　copper　money　which　they　thought　I　had　just　received；　they　decamped；　taking　nothing　but　a　few　yards　of　cotton　cloth　and　a　black　coat　and　trousers；　which　latter　were　picked　up　a　few　days　afterwards　hidden　in　the　grass。　There　was　no　doubt　whatever　who　were　the　thieves。　Convicts　are　employed　to　guard　the　Government　stores　when　the　boat　arrives　from　Ternate。　Two　of　them　watch　all　night；　and　often　take　the　opportunity　to　roam　about　and　commit　robberies。

The　next　day　I　received　my　money；　and　secured　it　well　in　a　strong　box　fastened　under　my　bed。　I　took　out　five　or　six　hundred　cents　for　daily　expenses；　and　put　them　in　a　small　japanned　box；　which　always　stood　upon　my　table。　In　the　afternoon　I　went　for　a　short　walk；　and　on　my　return　this　box　and　my　keys；　which　I　had　carelessly　left　on　the　table；　were　gone。　Two　of　my　boys　were　in　the　house；　but　had　heard　nothing。　I　immediately　gave　information　of　the　two　robberies　to　the　Director　at　the　mines　and　to　the　Commandant　at　the　fort；　and　got　for　answer；　that　if　I　caught　the　thief　in　the　act　I　might　shoot　him。　By　inquiry　in　the　village；　we　afterwards　found　that　one　of　the　convicts　who　was　on　duty　at　the　Government　rice…store　in　the　village　had　quitted　his　guard；　was　seen　to　pass　over　the　bridge　towards　my　house；　was　seen　again　within　two　hundred　yards　of　my　house；　and　on　returning　over　the　bridge　into　the　village　carried　something　under　his　arm；　carefully　covered　with　his　sarong。　My　box　was　stolen　between　the　hours　he　was　seen　going　and　returning；　and　it　was　so　small　as　to　be　easily　carried　in　the　way　descri