the malay archipelago-2-第24部分

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most　unknown；　and　I　could　not　help　speculating　on　what　my　wanderings　there　for　a　few　days　might　bring　to　light。


CHAPTER　XXIX

THE　KE　ISLANDS。

（JANUARY　1857）

THE　native　boats　that　had　come　to　meet　us　were　three　or　four　in　number；　containing　in　all　about　fifty　men。

They　were　long　canoes；　with　the　bow　and　stern　rising　up　into　a　beak　six　or　night　feet　high；　decorated　with　shells　and　waving　plumes　of　cassowaries　hair。　I　now　had　my　first　view　of　Papuans　in　their　own　country；　and　in　less　than　five　minutes　was　convinced　that　the　opinion　already　arrived　at　by　the　examination　of　a　few　Timor　and　New　Guinea　slaves　was　substantially　correct；　and　that　the　people　I　now　had　an　opportunity　of　comparing　side　by　side　belonged　to　two　of　the　most　　distinct　and　strongly　marked　races　that　the　earth　contains。　Had　I　been　blind；　I　could　have　been　certain　that　these　islanders　were　not　Malays。　The　loud；　rapid；　eager　tones；　the　incessant　motion；　the　intense　vital　activity　manifested　in　speech　and　action；　are　the　very　antipodes　of　the　quiet；　unimpulsive；　unanimated　Malay　These　Ke　men　came　up　singing　and　shouting；　dipping　their　paddles　deep　in　the　water　and　throwing　up　clouds　of　spray；　as　they　approached　nearer　they　stood　up　in　their　canoes　and　increased　their　noise　and　gesticulations；　and　on　coming　alongside；　without　asking　leave；　and　without　a　moment's　hesitation；　the　greater　part　of　them　scrambled　up　on　our　deck　just　as　if　they　were　come　to　take　possession　of　a　captured　vessel。　Then　commenced　a　scene　of　indescribable　confusion。　These　forty　black；　naked；　mop…headed　savages　seemed　intoxicated　with　joy　and　excitement。　Not　one　of　them　could　remain　still　for　a　moment。　Every　individual　of　our　crew　was　in　turn　surrounded　and　examined；　asked　for　tobacco　or　arrack；　grinned　at　and　deserted　for　another。　All　talked　at　once；　and　our　captain　was　regularly　mobbed　by　the　chief　men；　who　wanted　to　be　employed　to　tow　us　in；　and　who　begged　vociferously　to　be　paid　in　advance。　A　few　presents　of　tobacco　made　their　eyes　glisten；　they　would　express　their　satisfaction　by　grins　and　shouts；　by　rolling　on　deck；　or　by　a　headlong　leap　overboard。　Schoolboys　on　an　unexpected　holiday；　Irishmen　at　a　fair；　or　mid…shipmen　on　shore；　would　give　but　a　faint　idea　of　the　exuberant　animal　enjoyment　of　these　people。

Under　similar　circumstances　Malays　could　not　behave　as　these　Papuans　did。　If　they　came　on　board　a　vessel　（after　asking　permission）；　not　a　word　would　be　at　first　spoken；　except　a　few　compliments；　and　only　after　some　time；　and　very　cautiously；　world　any　approach　be　made　to　business。　One　would　speak　at　a　time；　with　a　low　voice　and　great　deliberation；　and　the　mode　of　making　a　bargain　would　be　by　quietly　refusing　all　your　offers；　or　even　going　away　without　saying　another　word　about　the　matter；　unless　advanced　your　price　to　what　they　were　willing　to　accept。　Our　crew；　many　of　whom　had　not　made　the　voyage　before；　seemed　quite　scandalized　at　such　unprecedented　bad　manners；　and　only　very　gradually　made　any　approach　to　fraternization　with　the　black　fellows。　They　reminded　me　of　a　party　of　demure　and　well…behaved　children　suddenly　broken　in　upon　by　a　lot　of　wild　romping；　riotous　boys；　whose　conduct　seems　most　extraordinary　and　very　naughty。　These　moral　features　are　more　striking　and　more　conclusive　of　absolute　diversity　than　oven　the　physical　contrast　presented　by　the　two　races；　though　that　is　sufficiently　remarkable。　The　sooty　blackness　of　the　skin；　the　mop…like　head　of　frizzly　hair；　and；　most　important　of　all；　the　marked　form　of　countenance　of　quite　a　different　type　from　that　of　the　Malay；　are　what　we　cannot　believe　to　result　from　mere　climatal　or　other　modifying　influences　on　one　and　the　same　race。　The　Malay　face　is　of　the　Mongolian　type；　broad　and　somewhat　flat。　The　brows　are　depressed；　the　mouth　wide；　but　not　projecting；　and　the　nose　small　and　well　formed　but　for　the　great　dilatation　of　the　nostrils。　The　face　is　smooth；　and　rarely　develops　the　trace　of　a　beard；　the　hair　black；　coarse；　and　perfectly　straight。　The　Papuan；　on　the　other　hand；　has　a　face　which　we　may　say　is　compressed　and　projecting。　The　brows　are　protuberant　and　overhanging；　the　mouth　large　and　prominent；　while　the　nose　is　very　large；　the　apex　elongated　downwards；　the　ridge　thick；　and　the　nostrils　large。　It　is　an　obtrusive　and　remarkable　feature　in　the　countenance；　the　very　reverse　of　what　obtains　in　the　Malay　face。　The　twisted　beard　and　frizzly　hair　complete　this　remarkable　contrast。　Hero　then　I　had　reached　a　new　world；　inhabited　by　a　strange　people。　Between　the　Malayan　tribes；　among　whom　I　had　for　some　years　been　living；　and　the　Papuan　races；　whose　country　I　had　now　entered；　we　may　fairly　say　that　there　is　as　much　difference；　both　moral　and　physical；　as　between　the　red　Indians　of　South　America　and　the　negroes　of　Guinea　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　Atlantic。

Jan。　1st；　1857。…This　has　been　a　day　of　thorough　enjoyment。　I　have　wandered　in　the　forests　of　an　island　rarely　seen　by　Europeans。　Before　daybreak　we　left　our　anchorage；　and　in　an　hour　reached　the　village　of　Har；　where　we　were　to　stay　three　or　four　days。　The　range　of　hills　here　receded　so　as　to　form　a　small　bay；　and　they　were　broken　up　into　peaks　and　hummocks　with　intervening　flats　and　hollows。　A　broad　beach　of　the　whitest　sand　lined　the　inner　part　of　the　bay；　backed　by　a　mass　of　cocoa…nut　palms；　among　which　the　huts　were　concealed；　and　surmounted　by　a　dense　and　varied　growth　of　timber。　Canoes　and　boats　of　various　sizes　were　drawn　up　on　the　beach　and　one　or　two　idlers；　with　a　few　children　and　a　dog；　gazed　at　our　prau　as　we　came　to　an　anchor。

When　we　went　on　shore　the　first　thing　that　attracted　us　was　a　large　and　well…constructed　shed；　under　which　a　long　boat　was　being　built；　while　others　in　various　stages　of　completion　were　placed　at　intervals　along　the　beach。　　Our　captain；　who　wanted　two　of　moderate　size　for　the　trade　among　the　islands　at　Aru；　immediately　began　bargaining　for　them；　and　in　a　short　tine　had　arranged　the　nuns　number　of　brass　guns；　gongs；　sarongs；　handkerchiefs；　axes；　white　plates；　tobacco；　and　arrack；　which　he　was　to　give　for　a　hair　which　could　be　got　ready　in　four　days。　We　then　went　to　the　village；　which　consisted　only　of　three　or　four　huts；　situated　immediately　above　the　beach　on　an　irregular　rocky　piece　of　ground　overshadowed　with　cocoa…nuts；　palms；　bananas；　and　other　fruit　trees。　The　houses　were　very　rude；　black；　and　half　rotten；　raised　a　few　feet　on　posts　with　low　sides　of　bamboo　or　planks；　and　high　thatched　roofs。　They　had　small　doors　and　no　windows；　an　opening　under　the　projecting　gables　letting　the　smoke　out　and　a　little　light　in。　The　floors　were　of　strips　of　bamboo；　thin；　slippery；　and　elastic；　and　so　weak　that　my　feet　were　in　danger　of　plunging　through　at　every　step。　Native　boxes　of　pandanus…leaves　and　slabs　of　palm　pith；　very　neatly　constructed；　mats　of　the　same；　jars　and　cooking　pots　of　native　pottery；　and　a　few　European　plates　and　basins；　were　the　whole　furniture；　and　the　interior　was　throughout　dark　and　smoke…blackened；　and　dismal　in　the　extreme。

Accompanied　by　Ali　and　Baderoon；　I　now　attempted　to　make　some　explorations；　and　we　were　followed　by　a　train　of　boys　eager　to　see　what　we　were　going　to　do。　The　most　trodden　path　from　the　beach　led　us　into　a　shady　hollow；　where　the　trees　were　of　immense　height　and　the　undergrowth　scanty。　From　the　summits　of　these　trees　came　at　intervals　a　deep　booming　sound；　which　at　first　puzzled　us；　but　which　we　soon　found　to　proceed　from　some　large　pigeons。　My　boys　shot　at　them；　and　after　one　or　two　misses；　brought　one　down。　It　was　a　magnificent　bird　twenty　inches　long；　of　a　bluish　white　colour；　with　the　back　wings　and　tail　intense　metallic　green；　with　golden；　blue；　and　violet　reflexions；　the　feet　coral　red；　and　the　eyes　golden　yellow。　It　is　a　rare　species；　which　I　have　named　Carpophaga　concinna；　and　is　found　only　in　a　few　small　islands；　where；　however；　it　abounds。　It　is　the　same　species　which　in　the　island　of　Banda　is　called　the　nutmeg…pigeon；　from　its　habit　of　devouring　the　fruits；　the　seed　or　nutmeg　being　thrown　up　entire　and　uninjured。　Though　these　pigeons　have　a　narrow　beak；　yet　their　jaws　and　throat　are　so　extensible　that　they　can　swallow　fruits　of　very　large　size。　I　had　before　shot　a　species　much　smaller　than　this　one；　which　had　a　number　of　hard　globular　palm…fruits　in　its　crop；　each　more　than　an　inch　in　diameter。

A　little　further　the　path　divided　into　two；　one　leading　along　the　beach；　and　across　mangrove　and　sago　swamps　the　other　rising　to　cultivated　grounds。　We　therefore　returned；　and　taking　a　fresh　departure　from　the　village；　endeavoured　to　ascend　the　hills　and　penetrate　into　the　interior。　The　path；　however；　was　a　most　trying　one。　Where　there　was　earth；　it　was　a　deposit　of　reddish　clay　overlying　the　rock；　and　was　worn　so　smooth　by　the　attrition　of　naked　feet　that　my　shoes　could　obtain　no　hold　on　the　sloping　surface。　A　little　farther　we　came　to　the　bare　rock；　and　this　was　worse；　for　it　was　so　rugged　and　broken；　and　so　honeycombed　and　weatherworn　into　sharp　points　and　angles；　that　my　boys；　who　had　gone　barefooted　all　their　lives；　could　not　stand　it。　Their　feet　began　to　bleed；　and　I　saw　that　if　I　did　not　want　them　completely　lamed　it　would　be　wise　to　turn　lack。　My　own　shoes；　which　were　rather　thin；　were　but　a　poor　protection；　and　would　soon　have　been　cut　to　pieces；　yet　our　little　naked　guides　tripped　along　with　the　greatest　ease　and　unconcern；　and　seemed　much　astonished　at　our　effeminacy　in　not　being　able　to　take　a　walk　which　to　them　was　a　perfectly　agreeable　one。　During　the　rest　of　our　stay　in　the　island　we　were　obliged　to　confine　ourselves　to　the　vicinity　of　the　shore　and　the　cultivated　grounds；　and　those　more　level　portions　of　the　forest　where　a　little　soil　had　accumulated　and　the　rock　had　been　less　exposed　to　atmospheric　action。

The　island　of　Ke　（pronounced　exactly　as　the　letter　K；　but　erroneously　spelt　in　our　maps　Key　or　Ki）　is　long　and　narrow；　running　in　a　north　and　south　direction；　and　consists　almost　entirely　of　rock　and　mountain。　It　is　everywhere　covered　with　luxuriant　forests；　and　in　its　bays　and　inlets　the　sand　is　of　dazzling　whiteness；　resulting　from　the　decomposition　of　the　coralline　limestone　of　which　it　is　entirely　composed。　In　all　the　little　swampy　inlets　and　valleys　sago　trees　aboun