the malay archipelago-1-第39部分

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　a　fourth　part　of　what　was　strictly　due；　he　said　to　them　mildly；　〃The　needles　which　you　sent　from　your　village　were　many　more　than　came　from　such…a…one's　village；　yet　your　tribute　is　less　than　his；　go　back　and　see　who　it　is　that　has　not　paid　the　tax。〃　And　the　next　year　the　produce　of　the　tax　increased　greatly；　for　they　feared　that　the　Rajah　might　justly　kill　those　who　a　second　time　kept　back　the　right　tribute。　And　so　the　Rajah　became　very　rich；　and　increased　the　number　of　his　soldiers；　and　gave　golden　jewels　to　his　wives；　and　bought　fine　black　horses　from　the　white…skinned　Hollanders；　and　made　great　feasts　when　his　children　were　born　or　were　married；　and　none　of　the　Rajahs　or　Sultans　among　the　Malays　were　so　great　or　powerful　as　the　Rajah　of　Lombock。

And　the　twelve　sacred　krisses　had　great　virtue。　And；　when　any　sickness　appeared　in　a　village　one　of　them　was　sent　for；　and　sometimes　the　sickness　went　away；　and　then　the　sacred　kris　was　taken　back　again　with　great　Honour；　and　the　head　men　of　the　village　came　to　tell　the　Rajah　of　its　miraculous　power；　and　to　thank　him。　And　sometimes　the　sickness　would　not　go　away；　and　then　everybody　was　convinced　that　there　had　been　a　mistake　in　the　number　of　needles　sent　from　that　village；　and　therefore　the　sacred　kris　had　no　effect；　and　had　to　be　taken　back　again　by　the　head　men　with　heavy　hearts；　but　still；　with　all　honourfor　was　not　the　fault　their　own？

CHAPTER　XIII。

TIMOR。

（COUPANG；　1857…1869。　DELLI；　1861。）

THE　island　of　Timor　is　about　three　hundred　miles　long　and　sixty　wide；　and　seems　to　form　the　termination　of　the　great　range　of　volcanic　islands　which　begins　with　Sumatra　more　than　two　thousand　miles　to　the　west。　It　differs　however　very　remarkably　from　all　the　other　islands　of　the　chain　in　not　possessing　any　active　volcanoes；　with　the　one　exception　of　Timor　Peak　near　the　centre　of　the　island；　which　was　formerly　active；　but　was　blown　up　during　an　eruption　in　1638　and　has　since　been　quiescent。　In　no　other　part　of　Timor　do　there　appear　to　be　any　recent　igneous　rocks；　so　that　it　can　hardly　be　classed　as　a　volcanic　island。　Indeed　its　position　is　just　outside　of　the　great　volcanic　belt；　which　extends　from　Flores　through　Ombay　and　Wetter　to　Banda。

I　first　visited　Timor　in　1857；　staying　a　day　at　Coupang；　the　chief　Dutch　town　at　the　west　end　of　the　island；　and　again　in　May　1859；　when　I　stayed　a　fortnight　in　the　same　neighbourhood。　In　the　spring　of　1861　I　spent　four　months　at　Delli；　the　capital　of　the　Portuguese　possessions　in　the　eastern　part　of　the　island。

The　whole　neighbourhood　of　Coupang　appears　to　have　been　elevated　at　a　recent　epoch；　consisting　of　a　rugged　surface　of　coral　rock；　which　rises　in　a　vertical　wall　between　the　beach　and　the　town；　whose　low；　white；　red…tiled　houses　give　it　an　appearance　very　similar　to　other　Dutch　settlements　in　the　East。　The　vegetation　is　everywhere　scanty　and　scrubby。　Plants　of　the　families　Apocynaceae　and　Euphorbiacea；　abound；　but　there　is　nothing　that　can　be　called　a　forest；　and　the　whole　country　has　a　parched　and　desolate　appearance；　contrasting　strongly　with　the　lofty　forest　trees　and　perennial　verdure　of　the　Moluccas　or　of　Singapore。　The　most　conspicuous　feature　of　the　vegetation　was　the　abundance　of　fine　fanleaved　palms　（Borassus　flabelliformis）；　from　the　leaves　of　which　are　constructed　the　strong　and　durable　water…buckets　in　general　use；　and　which　are　much　superior　to　those　formed　from　any　other　species　of　palm。　From　the　same　tree；　palm…wine　and　sugar　are　made；　and　the　common　thatch　for　houses　formed　of　the　leaves　lasts　six　or　seven　years　without　removal。　Close　to　the　town　I　noticed　the　foundation　of　a　ruined　house　below　high…water　mark；　indicating　recent　subsidence。　Earthquakes　are　not　severe　here；　and　are　so　infrequent　and　harmless　that　the　chief　houses　are　built　of　stone。

The　inhabitants　of　Coupang　consist　of　Malays；　Chinese；　and　Dutch；　besides　the　natives；　so　that　there　are　many　strange　and　complicated　mixtures　among　the　population。　There　is　one　resident　English　merchant；　and　whalers　as　well　as　Australian　ships　often　come　here　for　stores　and　water。　The　native　Timorese　preponderate；　and　a　very　little　examination　serves　to　show　that　they　have　nothing　in　common　with　Malays；　but　are　much　more　closely　allied　to　the　true　Papuans　of　the　Aru　Islands　and　New　Guinea。　They　are　tall；　have　pronounced　features；　large　somewhat　aquiline　noses；　and　frizzly　hair；　and　are　generally　of　a　dusky　brown　colour。　The　way　in　which　the　women　talk　to　each　other　and　to　the　men；　their　loud　voices　and　laughter；　and　general　character　of　self…　assertion；　would　enable　an　experienced　observer　to　decide；　even　without　seeing　them；　that　they　were　not　Malays。

Mr。　Arndt；　a　German　and　the　Government　doctor；　invited　me　to　stay　at　his　house　while　in　Coupang；　and　I　gladly　accepted　his　offer；　as　I　only　intended　making　a　short　visit。　We　at　first　began　speaking　French；　but　he　got　on　so　badly　that　we　soon　passed　insensibly　into　Malay；　and　we　afterwards　held　long　discussions　on　literary；　scientific；　and　philosophical　questions　in　that　semi…barbarous　language；　whose　deficiencies　we　made　up　by　the　free　use　of　French　or　Latin　words。

After　a　few　walks　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　town；　I　found　such　a　poverty　of　insects　and　birds　that　I　determined　to　go　for　a　few　days　to　the　island　of　Semao　at　the　western　extremity　of　Timor；　where　I　heard　that　there　was　forest　country　with　birds　not　found　at　Coupang。　With　some　difficulty　I　obtained　a　large　dugout　boat　with　outriggers；　to　take　me　over　a　distance　of　about　twenty　miles。　I　found　the　country　pretty　well　wooded；　but　covered　with　shrubs　and　thorny　bushes　rather　than　forest　trees；　and　everywhere　excessively　parched　and　dried　up　by　the　long…continued　dry　season。　I　stayed　at　the　village　of　Oeassa；　remarkable　for　its　soap　springs。　One　of　these　is　in　the　middle　of　the　village；　bubbling　out　from　a　little　cone　of　mud　to　which　the　ground　rises　all　round　like　a　volcano　in　miniature。　The　water　has　a　soapy　feel　and　produces　a　strong　lather　when　any　greasy　substance　is　washed　in　it。　It　contains　alkali　and　iodine；　in　such　quantities　as　to　destroy　all　vegetation　for　some　distance　around。　Close　by　the　village　is　one　of　the　finest　springs　I　have　ever　seen；　contained　in　several　rocky　basins　communicating　by　narrow　channels。　These　have　been　neatly　walled　where　required　and　partly　levelled；　and　form　fine　natural　baths。　The　water　is　well　tasted　and　clear　as　crystal；　and　the　basins　are　surrounded　by　a　grove　of　lofty　many…stemmed　banyan…trees；　which　keep　them　always　cool　and　shady；　and　add　greatly　to　the　picturesque　beauty　of　the　scene。

The　village　consists　of　curious　little　houses　very　different　from　any　I　have　seen　elsewhere。　They　are　of　an　oval　figure；　and　the　walls　are　made　of　sticks　about　four　feet　high　placed　close　together。　From　this　rises　a　high　conical　roof　thatched　with　grass。　The　only　opening　is　a　door　about　three　feet　high。　The　people　are　like　the　Timorese　with　frizzly　or　wavy　hair　and　of　a　coppery　brown　colour。　The　better　class　appear　to　have　a　mixture　of　some　superior　race　which　has　much　improved　their　features。　I　saw　in　Coupang　some　chiefs　from　the　island　of　Savu　further　west；　who　presented　characters　very　distinct　from　either　the　Malay　or　Papuan　races。　They　most　resembled　Hindus；　having　fine　well…　formed　features　and　straight　thin　noses　with　clear　brown　complexions。　As　the　Brahminical　religion　once　spread　over　all　Java；　and　even　now　exists　in　Bali　and　Lombock；　it　is　not　at　all　improbable　that　some　natives　of　India　should　have　reached　this　island；　either　by　accident　or　to　escape　persecution；　and　formed　a　permanent　settlement　there。

I　stayed　at　Oeassa　four　days；　when；　not　finding　any　insects　and　very　few　new　birds；　I　returned　to　Coupang　to　await　the　next　mail　steamer。　On　the　way　I　had　a　narrow　escape　of　being　swamped。　The　deep　coffin…　like　boat　was　filled　up　with　my　baggage；　and　with　vegetables；　cocoa…　nut　and　other　fruit　for　Coupang　market；　and　when　we　had　got　some　way　across　into　a　rather　rough　sea；　we　found　that　a　quantity　of　water　was　coming　in　which　we　had　no　means　of　baling　out。　This　caused　us　to　sink　deeper　in　the　water；　and　then　we　shipped　seas　over　our　sides；　and　the　rowers；　who　had　before　declared　it　was　nothing；　now　became　alarmed　and　turned　the　boat　round　to　get　back　to　the　coast　of　Semao；　which　was　not　far　off。　By　clearing　away　some　of　the　baggage　a　little　of　the　water　could　be　baled　out；　but　hardly　so　fast　as　it　came　in；　and　when　we　neared　the　coast　we　found　nothing　but　vertical　walls　of　rock　against　which　the　sea　was　violently　beating。　We　coasted　along　some　distance　until　we　found　a　little　cove；　into　which　we　ran　the　boat；　hauled　it　on　shore；　and　emptying　it　found　a　large　hole　in　the　bottom；　which　had　been　temporarily　stopped　up　with　a　plug　of　cocoa…nut　which　had　come　out。　Had　we　been　a　quarter　of　a　mile　further　off　before　we　discovered　the　leak；　we　should　certainly　have　been　obliged　to　throw　most　of　our　baggage　overboard；　and　might　easily　have　lost　our　lives。　After　we　had　put　all　straight　and　secure　we　again　started；　and　when　we　were　halfway　across　got　into　such　a　strong　current　and　high　cross　sea　that　we　were　very　nearly　being　swamped　a　second　time；　which　made　me　vow　never　to　trust　myself　again　in　such　small　and　miserable　vessels。

The　mail　steamer　did　not　arrive　for　a　week；　and　I　occupied　myself　in　getting　as　many　of　the　birds　as　I　could；　and　found　some　which　were　very　interesting。　Among　them　were　five　species　of　pigeons　of　as　many　distinct　genera；　and　most　of　then　peculiar　to　the　island；　two　parrotsthe　fine　red…winged　broad…tail　（Platycercus　vulneratus）；　allied　to　an　Australian　species；　and　a　green　species　of　the　genus　Geoffroyus。　The　Tropidorhynchus　timorensis　was　as　ubiquitous　and　as　noisy　as　I　had　found　it　at　Lombock；　and　the　Sphaecothera　viridis；　a　curious　green　oriole　with　bare　red　orbits；　was　a　great　acquisition。　There　were　several　pretty　finches；　warblers；　and　flycatchers；　and　among　them　I　obtained　the　elegant　blue　and　red　Cyornis　hyacinthina；　but　I　cannot　recognise　among　my　collections　the　species　mentioned　by　Dampier；　who　seems　to　have　been　much　struck　by　the　number　of　small　songbirds　in　Timor。　He　says：　〃One　sort　of　these　pretty　little　birds　my　men　called　the　ringing　bird；　because　it　had　six　notes；　and　always　repeated　all　his