the malay archipelago-2-第56部分

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k　he　will　raise　the　prices　in　the　interior；　and　lessen　the　supply　on　the　coast；　greatly　to　their　disadvantage；　they　also　think　their　tribute　will　be　raised　if　a　European　takes　back　a　quantity　of　the　rare　sorts；　and　they　have　besides　a　vague　and　very　natural　dread　of　some　ulterior　object　in　a　white　man's　coming　at　so　much　trouble　and　expense　to　their　country　only　to　get　Birds　of　Paradise；　of　which　they　know　he　can　buy　plenty　（of　the　common　yellow　ones　which　alone　they　value）　at　Ternate；　Macassar；　or　Singapore。

It　thus　happened　that　when　Mr。　Allen　arrived　at　Sorong；　and　explained　his　intention　of　going　to　seek　Birds　of　Paradise　in　the　interior；　innumerable　objections　were　raised。　He　was　told　it　was　three　or　four　days'　journey　over　swamps　and　mountains；　that　the　mountaineers　were　savages　and　cannibals；　who　would　certainly　kill　him；　and；　lastly；　that　not　a　man　in　the　village　could　be　found　who　dare　go　with　him。　After　some　days　spent　in　these　discussions；　as　he　still　persisted　in　making　the　attempt；　and　showed　them　his　authority　from　the　Sultan　of　Tidore　to　go　where　be　pleased　and　receive　every　assistance；　they　at　length　provided　him　with　a　boat　to　go　the　first　part　of　the　journey　up　a　river；　at　the　same　time；　however；　they　sent　private　orders　to　the　interior　villages　to　refuse　to　sell　any　provisions；　so　as　to　compel　him　to　return。　On　arriving　at　the　village　where　they　were　to　leave　the　river　and　strike　inland；　the　coast　people　returned；　leaving　Mr。　Allen　to　get　on　as　he　could。　Here　he　called　on　the　Tidore　lieutenant　to　assist　him；　and　procure　men　as　guides　and　to　carry　his　baggage　to　the　villages　of　the　mountaineers。　This；　however；　was　not　so　easily　done。　A　quarrel　took　place；　and　the　natives；　refusing　to　obey　the　imperious　orders　of　the　lieutenant；　got　out　their　knives　and　spears　to　attack　him　and　his　soldiers；　and　Mr。　Allen　himself　was　obliged　to　interfere　to　protect　those　who　had　come　to　guard　him。　The　respect　due　to　a　white　man　and　the　timely　distribution　of　a　few　presents　prevailed；　and；　on　showing　the　knives；　hatchets；　and　beads　he　was　willing　to　give　to　those　who　accompanied　him；　peace　was　restored；　and　the　next　day；　travelling　over　a　frightfully　rugged　country；　they　reached　the　villages　of　the　mountaineers。　Here　Mr。　Allen　remained　a　month　without　any　interpreter　through　whom　he　could　understand　a　word　or　communicate　a　want。　However；　by　signs　and　presents　and　a　pretty　liberal　barter；　he　got　on　very　well；　some　of　them　accompanying　him　every　day　in　the　forest　to　shoot；　and　receiving　a　small　present　when　he　was　successful。

In　the　grand　matter　of　the　Paradise　Birds；　however；　little　was　done。　Only　one　additional　species　was　found；　the　Seleucides　alba；　of　which　be　had　already　obtained　a　specimen　in　Salwatty；　but　he　learnt　that　the　other　kinds'　of　which　be　showed　them　drawings；　were　found　two　or　three　days'　journey　farther　in　the　interior。　When　I　sent　my　men　from　Dorey　to　Amberbaki；　they　heard　exactly　the　same　storythat　the　rarer　sorts　were　only　found　several　days'　journey　in　the　interior；　among　rugged　mountains；　and　that　the　skins　were　prepared　by　savage　tribes　who　had　never　even　been　seen　by　any　of　the　coast　people。

It　seems　as　if　Nature　had　taken　precautions　that　these　her　choicest　treasures　should　not　be　made　too　common；　and　thus　be　undervalued。　This　northern　coast　of　New　Guinea　is　exposed　to　the　full　swell　of　the　Pacific　Ocean；　and　is　rugged　and　harbourless。　The　country　is　all　rocky　and　mountainous；　covered　everywhere　with　dense　forests；　offering　in　its　swamps　and　precipices　and　serrated　ridges　an　almost　impassable　barrier　to　the　unknown　interior；　and　the　people　are　dangerous　savages；　in　the　very　lowest　stage　of　barbarism。　In　such　a　country；　and　among　such　a　people；　are　found　these　wonderful　productions　of　Nature；　the　Birds　of　Paradise；　whose　exquisite　beauty　of　form　and　colour　and　strange　developments　of　plumage　are　calculated　to　excite　the　wonder　and　admiration　of　the　most　civilized　and　the　most　intellectual　of　mankind；　and　to　furnish　inexhaustible　materials　for　study　to　the　naturalist；　and　for　speculation　to　the　philosopher。

Thus　ended　my　search　after　these　beautiful　birds。　Five　voyages　to　different　parts　of　the　district　they　inhabit；　each　occupying　in　its　preparation　and　execution　the　larger　part　of　a　year；　produced　me　only　five　species　out　of　the　fourteen　known　to　exist　in　the　New　Guinea　district。　The　kinds　obtained　are　those　that　inhabit　the　coasts　of　New　Guinea　and　its　islands；　the　remainder　seeming　to　be　strictly　confined　to　the　central　mountain…ranges　of　the　northern　peninsula；　and　our　researches　at　Dorey　and　Amberbaki；　near　one　end　of　this　peninsula；　and　at　Salwatty　and　Sorong；　near　the　other；　enable　me　to　decide　with　some　certainty　on　the　native　country　of　these　rare　and　lovely　birds；　good　specimens　of　which　have　never　yet　been　seen　in　Europe。

It　must　be　considered　as　somewhat　extraordinary　that；　during　five　years'　residence　and　travel　in　Celebes；　the　Moluccas；　and　New　Guinea；　I　should　never　have　been　able　to　purchase　skins　of　half　the　species　which　Lesson；　forty　years　ago；　obtained　during　a　few　weeks　in　the　same　countries。　I　believe　that　all；　except　the　common　species　of　commerce；　are　now　much　more　difficult　to　obtain　than　they　were　even　twenty　years　ago；　and　I　impute　it　principally　to　their　having　been　sought　after　by　the　Dutch　officials　through　the　Sultan　of　Tidore。　The　chiefs　of　the　annual　expeditions　to　collect　tribute　have　had　orders　to　get　all　the　rare　sorts　of　Paradise　Birds；　and　as　they　pay　little　or　nothing　for　them　（it　being　sufficient　to　say　they　are　for　the　Sultan）；　the　head　men　of　the　coast　villages　would　for　the　future　refuse　to　purchase　them　from　the　mountaineers；　and　confine　themselves　instead　to　the　commoner　species；　which　are　less　sought　after　by　amateurs；　but　are　a　more　profitable　merchandise。　The　same　causes　frequently　lead　the　inhabitants　of　uncivilized　countries　to　conceal　minerals　or　other　natural　products　with　which　they　may　become　acquainted；　from　the　fear　of　being　obliged　to　pay　increased　tribute；　or　of　bringing　upon　themselves　a　new　and　oppressive　labour。

CHAPTER　XXXIX。

THE　NATURAL　HISTORY　OF　THE　PAPUAN　ISLANDS。

NEW　GUINEA；　with　the　islands　joined　to　it　by　a　shallow　sea；　constitute　the　Papuan　group；　characterised　by　a　very　close　resemblance　in　their　peculiar　forms　of　life。　Having　already；　in　my　chapters　on　the　Aru　Islands　and　on　the　Birds　of　Paradise；　given　some　details　of　the　natural　history　of　this　district；　I　shall　here　confine　myself　to　a　general　sketch　of　its　animal　productions；　and　of　their　relations　to　those　of　the　rest　of　the　world。

New　Guinea　is　perhaps　the　largest　island　on　the　globe；　being　a　little　larger　than　Borneo。　It　is　nearly　fourteen　hundred　miles　long；　and　in　the　widest　part　four　hundred　broad；　and　seems　to　be　everywhere　covered　with　luxuriant　forests。　Almost　everything　that　is　yet　known　of　its　natural　productions　comes　from　the　north…　western　peninsula；　and　a　few　islands　grouped　around　it。　These　do　not　constitute　a　tenth　part　of　the　area　of　the　whole　island；　and　are　so　cut　off　from　it；　that　their　fauna　may　well　he　somewhat　different；　yet　they　have　produced　us　（with　a　very　partial　exploration）　no　less　than　two　hundred　and　fifty　species　of　land　birds；　almost　all　unknown　elsewhere；　and　comprising　some　of　the　most　curious　and　most　beautiful　of　the　feathered　tribes。　It　is　needless　to　say　how　much　interest　attaches　to　the　far　larger　unknown　portion　of　this　great　island；　the　greatest　terra　incognita　that　still　remains　for　the　naturalist　to　explore；　and　the　only　region　where　altogether　new　and　unimagined　forms　of　life　may　perhaps　be　found。　There　is　now；　I　am　happy　to　say；　some　chance　that　this　great　country　will　no　longer　remain　absolutely　unknown　to　us。　The　Dutch　Government　have　granted　well…equipped　steamer　to　carry　a　naturalist　（Mr。　Rosenberg；　already　mentioned　in　this　work）　and　assistants　to　New　Guinea；　where　they　are　to　spend　some　years　in　circumnavigating　the　island；　ascending　its　large　rivers　a《　far　as　possible　into　the　interior；　and　making　extensive　collections　of　its　natural　productions。

The　Mammalia　of　New　Guinea　and　the　adjacent　islands；　yet　discovered；　are　only　seventeen　in　number。　Two　of　these　are　bats；　one　is　a　pig　of　a　peculiar　species　（Sus　papuensis）；　and　the　rest　are　all　marsupials。　The　bats　are；　no　doubt；　much　more　numerous；　but　there　is　every　reason　to　believe　that　whatever　new　land　Mammalia　man　be　discovered　will　belong　to　the　marsupial　order。　One　of　these　is　a　true　kangaroo；　very　similar　to　some　of　middle…　sized　kangaroos　of　Australia；　and　it　is　remarkable　as　being　the　first　animal　of　the　kind　ever　seen　by　Europeans。　It　inhabits　Mysol　and　the　Aru　Islands　（an　allied　species　being　found　in　New　Guinea）；　and　was　seen　and　described　by　Le　Brun　in　1714；　from　living　specimens　at　Batavia。　A　much　more　extraordinary　creature　is　the　tree…kangaroo；　two　species　of　which　are　known　from　New　Guinea。　These　animals　do　not　differ　very　strikingly　in　form　from　the　terrestrial　kangaroos；　and　appear　to　be　but　imperfectly　adapted　to　an　arboreal　life；　as　they　move　rather　slowly；　and　do　not　seem　to　have　a　very　secure　footing　on　the　limb　of　a　tree。　The　leaping　power　of　the　muscular　tail　is　lost；　and　powerful　claws　have　been　acquired　to　assist　in　climbing；　but　in　other　respects　the　animal　seems　better　adapted　to　walls　on　terra　firma。　This　imperfect　adaptation　may　be　due　to　the　fact　of　there　being　no　carnivore　in　New　Guinea；　and　no　enemies　of　any　kind　from　which　these　animals　have　to　escape　by　rapid　climbing。　Four　species　of　Cuscus；　and　the　small　flying　opossum；　also　inhabit　New　Guinea；　and　there　are　five　other　smaller　marsupials；　one　of　which　is　the　size　of　a　rat；　and　takes　its　place　by　entering　houses　and　devouring　provisions。

The　birds　of　New　Guinea　offer　the　greatest　possible　contrast　to　the　Mammalia；　since　they　are　more　numerous；　more　beautiful；　and　afford　more　new；　curious；　and　elegant　forms　than　those　of　any　other　island　on　the　globe。　Besides　the　Birds　of　Paradise；　which　we　have　already　sufficiently　considered；　it　possesses　a　number　of　other　curious　birds；　which　in　the　eyes　of　the　ornithologist　almost　serves　to　distinguish　it　as　one　of　the　primary　divisions　of　the　earth。　Among　its　thirty　species　of　parrots　are　the　Great　Pluck　Cockatoo；　and　the　little　rigid…taile