the malay archipelago-2-第33部分

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d　in　size；　and　in　its　white　woolly　covering；　a　small　fat　lamb；　but　had　short　legs；　hand…like　feet　with　large　claws；　and　a　long　prehensile　tail。　It　was　a　Cuscus　（C。　maculatus）；　one　of　the　curious　marsupial　animals　of　the　Papuan　region；　and　I　was　very　desirous　to　obtain　the　skin。　The　owners；　however；　said　they　wanted　to　eat　it；　and　though　I　offered　them　a　good　price；　and　promised　to　give　them　all　the　meat；　there　was　grout　hesitation。　Suspecting　the　reason；　I　offered；　though　it　was　night；　to　set　to　work　immediately　and　get　out　the　body　for　them；　to　which　they　agreed。　The　creature　was　much　hacked　about；　and　the　two　hind　feet　almost　cut　off；　but　it　was　the　largest　and　finest　specimen　of　the　kind　I　had　seen；　and　after　an　hour's　hard　work　I　handed　over　the　body　to　the　owners；　who　immediately　cut　it　up　and　roasted　it　for　supper。

As　this　was　a　very　good　place　for　birds；　I　determined　to　remain　a　month　longer；　and　took　the　opportunity　of　a　native　boat　going　to　Dobbo；　to　send　Ali　for　a　fresh　supply　of　ammunition　and　provisions。　They　started　on　the　10th　of　April；　and　the　house　was　crowded　with　about　a　hundred　men；　boys；　women；　and　girls；　bringing　their　loads　of　sugar…cane；　plantains；　sirih…leaf；　yams；　&c。；　one　lad　going　from　each　house　to　sell　the　produce　and　make　purchases。　The　noise　was　indescribable。　At　least　fifty　of　the　hundred　were　always　talking　at　once；　and　that　not　in　the　low　measured　tones　of　the　apathetically　polite　Malay；　but　with　loud　voices；　shouts；　and　screaming　laughter；　in　which　the　women　and　children　were　even　more　conspicuous　than　the　men。　It　was　only　while　gazing　at　me　that　their　tongues　were　moderately　quiet；　because　their　eyes　were　fully　occupied。　The　black　vegetable　soil　here　overlying　the　coral　rock　is　very　rich；　and　the　sugar…cane　was　finer　than　any　I　had　ever　seen。　The　canes　brought　to　the　boat　were　often　ten　and　even　twelve　feet　long；　and　thick　in　proportion；　with　short　joints　throughout；　swelling　between　the　knots　with　the；　abundance　of　the　rich　juice。　At　Dobbo　they　get　a　high　price　for　it；　1d。　to　3d。　a　stick；　and　there　is　an　insatiable　demand　among　the　crews　of　the　praus　and　the　Baba　fishermen。　Here　they　eat　it　continually。　They　half　live　on　it；　and　sometimes　feed　their　pigs　with　it。　Near　every　house　are　great　heaps　of　the　refuse　cane；　and　large　wicker…baskets　to　contain　this　refuse　as　it　is　produced　form　a　regular　part　of　the　furniture　of　a　house。　Whatever　time　of　the　day　you　enter；　you　are　sure　to　find　three　or　four　people　with　a　yard　of　cane　in　one　hand；　a　knife　in　the　other；　and　a　basket　between　their　legs；　hacking；　paring；　chewing；　and　basket…filling；　with　a　persevering　assiduity　which　reminds　one　of　a　hungry　cow　grazing；　or　of　a　caterpillar　eating　up　a　leaf。

After　five　days'　absence　the　boats　returned　from　Dobbo；　bringing　Ali　and　all　the　things　I　had　sent　for　quite　safe。　A　large　party　had　assembled　to　be　ready　to　carry　home　the　goods　brought；　among　which　were　a　good　many　cocoa…nut；　which　are　a　great　luxury　here。　It　seems　strange　that　they　should　never　plant　them；　but　the　reason　simply　is；　that　they　cannot　bring　their　hearts　to　bury　a　good　nut　for　the　prospective　advantage　of　a　crop　twelve　years　hence。　There　is　also　the　chance　of　the　fruits　being　dug　up　and　eaten　unless　watched　night　and　day。　Among　the　things　I　had　sent　for　was　a　box　of　arrack；　and　I　was　now　of　course　besieged　with　requests　for　a　little　drop。　I　gave　them　a　flask　（about　two　bottles；　which　was　very　soon　finished；　and　I　was　assured　that　there　were　many　present　who　had　not　had　a　taste。　As　I　feared　my　box　would　very　soon　be　emptied　if　I　supplied　all　their　demands；　I　told　them　I　had　given　them　one；　but　the　second　they　must　pay　for；　and　that　afterwards　I　must　have　a　Paradise　bird　for　each　flask。　They　immediately　sent　round　to　all　the　neighbouring　houses；　and　mustered　up　a　rupee　in　Dutch　copper　money；　got　their　second　flask；　and　drunk　it　as　quickly　as　the　first；　and　were　then　very　talkative；　but　less　noisy　and　importunate　than　I　had　expected。　Two　or　three　of　them　got　round　me　and　begged　me　for　the　twentieth　time　to　tell　them　the　name　of　my　country。　Then；　as　they　could　not　pronounce　it　satisfactorily；　they　insisted　that　I　was　deceiving　them；　and　that　it　was　a　name　of　my　own　invention。　One　funny　old　man；　who　bore　a　ludicrous　resemblance；　to　a　friend　of　mine　at　home；　was　almost　indignant。　〃Ung…lung！　〃said　he；　〃who　ever　heard　of　such　a　name？ang　langanger…lungthat　can't　be　the　name　of　your　country；　you　are　playing　with　us。〃　Then　he　tried　to　give　a　convincing　illustration。　〃My　country　is　Wanumbaianybody　can　say　Wanumbai。　I'm　an　‘　orang…Wanumbai；　but；　N…glung！　who　ever　heard　of　such　a　name？　Do　tell　us　the　real　name　of　your　country；　and　then　when　you　are　gone　we　shall　know　how　to　talk　about　you。〃　To　this　luminous　argument　and　remonstrance　I　could　oppose　nothing　but　assertion；　and　the　whole　party　remained　firmly　convinced　that　I　was　for　some　reason　or　other　deceiving　them。　They　then　attacked　me　on　another　pointwhat　all　the　animals　and　birds　and　insects　and　shells　were　preserved　so　carefully　for。　They　had　often　asked　me　this　before；　and　I　had　tried　to　explain　to　them　that　they　would　be　stuffed；　and　made　to　look　as　if　alive；　and　people　in　my　country　would　go　to　look　at　them。　But　this　was　not　satisfying；　in　my　country　there　must　be　many　better　things　to　look　at；　and　they　could　not　believe　I　would　take　so　much　trouble　with　their　birds　and　beasts　just　for　people　to　look　at。　They　did　not　want　to　look　at　them；　and　we；　who　made　calico　and　glass　and　knives；　and　all　sorts　of　wonderful　things；　could　not　want　things　from　Aru　to　look　at。　They　had　evidently　been　thinking　about　it；　and　had　at　length　got　what　seemed　a　very　satisfactory　theory；　for　the　same　old　man　said　to　me；　in　a　low；　mysterious　voice；　〃What　becomes　of　them　when　you　go　on　to　the　sea？〃　〃Why；　they　are　all　packed　up　in　boxes；〃　said　I　〃What　did　you　think　became　of　them？〃　〃They　all　come　to　life　again；　don't　they？〃　said　he；　and　though　I　tried　to　joke　it　off；　and　said　if　they　did　we　should　have　plenty　to　eat　at　sea；　he　stuck　to　his　opinion；　and　kept　repeating；　with　an　air　of　deep　conviction；　〃Yes；　they　all　come　to　life　again；　that's　what　they　dothey　all　come　to　life　again。〃

After　a　little　while；　and　a　good　deal　of　talking　among　themselves；　he　began　again〃I　know　all　about　itoh　yes！　Before　you　came　we　had　rain　every　dayvery　wet　indeed；　now；　ever　since　you　have　been　here；　it　is　fine　hot　weather。　Oh；　yes！　I　know　all　about　it；　you　can't　deceive　me。〃　And　so　I　was　set　down　as　a　conjurer；　and　was　unable　to　repel　the　charge。　But　the　conjurer　was　completely　puzzled　by　the　next　question：　〃What；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃is　the　great　ship；　where　the　Bugis　and　Chinamen　go　to　sell　their　things？　It　is　always　in　the　great　seaits　name　is　Jong；　tell　us　all　about　it。〃　In　vain　I　inquired　what　they　knew　about　it；　they　knew　nothing　but　that　it　was　called　〃Jong；〃　and　was　always　in　the　sea；　and　was　a　very　great　ship；　and　concluded　with；　〃Perhaps　that　is　your　country？〃　Finding　that　I　could　not　or　would　not　tell　them　anything　about　〃Jong；〃　there　came　more　regrets　that　I　would　not　tell　them　the　real　name　of　my　country；　and　then　a　long　string　of　compliments；　to　the　effect　that　I　was　a　much　better　sort　of　a　person　than　the　Bugis　and　Chinese；　who　sometimes　came　to　trade　with　them；　for　I　gave　them　things　for　nothing；　and　did　not　try　to　cheat　them。　How　long　would　I　stop？　was　the　next　earnest　inquiry。　Would　I　stay　two　or　three　months？　They　would　get　me　plenty　of　birds　and　animals；　and　I　might　soon　finish　all　the　goods　I　had　brought；　and　then；　said　the　old　spokesman；　〃Don't　go　away；　but　send　for　more　things　from　Dobbo；　and　stay　here　a　year　or　two。〃　And　then　again　the　old　story；　〃Do　tell　us　the　name　of　your　country。　We　know　the　Bugis　men；　and　the　Macassar　men；　and　the　Java　men；　and　the　China　men；　only　you；　we　don't　know　from　what　country　you　come。　Ung…lung！　it　can't　be；　I　know　that　is　not　the　name　of　your　country。〃　Seeing　no　end　to　this　long　talk；　I　said　I　was　tired；　and　wanted　to　go　to　sleep；　so　after　begging　one　a　little　bit　of　dry　fish　for　his　supper；　and　another　a　little　salt　to　eat　with　his　sagothey　went　off　very　quietly；　and　I　went　outside　and　took　a　stroll　round　the　house　by　moonlight；　thinking　of　the　simple　people　and　the　strange　productions　of　Aru；　and　then　turned　in　under　my　mosquito　curtain；　to　sleep　with　a　sense　of　perfect　security　in　the　midst　of　these　good…natured　savages。

We　now　had　seven　or　eight　days　of　hot　and　dry　weather；　which　reduced　the　little　river　to　a　succession　of　shallow　pools　connected　by　the　smallest　possible　thread　of　trickling　water。　If　there　were　a　dry　season　like　that　of　Macassar；　the　Aru　Islands　would　be　uninhabitable；　as　there　is　no　part　of　them　much　above　a　hundred　feet　high；　and　the　whole　being　a　mass　of　porous　coralline　rock；　allows　the　surface　water　rapidly　to　escape。　The　only　dry　season　they　have　is　for　a　month　or　two　about　September　or　October；　and　there　is　then　an　excessive　scarcity　of　water；　so　that　sometimes　hundreds　of　birds　and　other　animals　die　of　drought。　The　natives　then　remove　to　houses　near　the　sources　of　the　small　streams；　where；　in　the　shady　depths　of　the　forest；　a　small　quantity　of　water　still　remains。　Even　then　many　of　them　have　to　go　miles　for　their　water；　which　they　keep　in　large　bamboos　and　use　very　sparingly。　They　assure　me　that　they　catch　and　kill　game　of　all　kinds；　by　watching　at　the　water　holes　or　setting　snares　around　them。　That　would　be　the　time　for　me　to　make　my　collections；　but　the　want　of　water　would　be　a　terrible　annoyance；　and　the　impossibility　of　getting　away　before　another　whole　year　had　passed　made　it　out　of　the　question。

Ever　since　leaving　Dobbo　I　had　suffered　terribly　from　insects；　who　seemed　here　bent　upon　revenging　my　long…continued　persecution　of　their　race。　At　our　first　stopping…place　sand…flies　were　very　abundant　at　night；　penetrating　to　every　part　of　the　body；　and　producing　a　more　lasting　irritation　than　mosquitoes。　My　feet　and　ankles　especially　suffered；　and　were　completely　covered　with　little　red　swollen　specks；　which　tormented　me　horribly。　On　arriving　here　we　were　delighted　to　find　the　house　free　from　sand…　flies　or　mosquitoes；　but　in　the　plantations　where　my　daily　walks　led　me；　the　day…biting　mosquitoes　swarmed；　and　seemed　especially　to　delight　in　attaching　my　poor　feet