the malay archipelago-1-第7部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ish　officials　and　of　a　few　Portuguese　merchants；　embedded　in　groves　of　palms　and　fruit…trees；　whose　varied　and　beautiful　foliage　furnishes　a　pleasing　relief　to　the　eye；　as　well　as　most　grateful　shade。

The　old　fort；　the　large　Government　House；　and　the　ruins　of　a　cathedral　attest　the　former　wealth　and　importance　of　this　place；　which　was　once　as　much　the　centre　of　Eastern　trade　as　Singapore　is　now。　The　following　description　of　it　by　Linschott；　who　wrote　two　hundred　and　seventy　years　ago；　strikingly　exhibits　the　change　it　has　undergone：

〃Malacca　is　inhabited　by　the　Portuguese　and　by　natives　of　the　country；　called　Malays。　The　Portuguese　have　here　a　fortress；　as　at　Mozambique；　and　there　is　no　fortress　in　all　the　Indies；　after　those　of　Mozambique　and　Ormuz；　where　the　captains　perform　their　duty　better　than　in　this　one。　This　place　is　the　market　of　all　India；　of　China；　of　the　Moluccas；　and　of　other　islands　around　aboutfrom　all　which　places；　as　well　as　from　Banda；　Java；　Sumatra；　Siam；　Pegu；　Bengal；　Coromandel；　and　Indiaarrive　ships　which　come　and　go　incessantly；　charged　with　an　infinity　of　merchandises。　There　would　be　in　this　place　a　much　greater　number　of　Portuguese　if　it　were　not　for　the　inconvenience；　and　unhealthiness　of　the　air；　which　is　hurtful　not　only　to　strangers；　but　also　to　natives　of　the　country。　Thence　it　is　that　all　who　live　in　the　country　pay　tribute　of　their　health；　suffering　from　a　certain　disease；　which　makes　them　lose　either　their　skin　or　their　hair。　And　those　who　escape　consider　it　a　miracle；　which　occasions　many　to　leave　the　country；　while　the　ardent　desire　of　gain　induces　others　to　risk　their　health；　and　endeavour　to　endure　such　an　atmosphere。　The　origin　of　this　town；　as　the　natives　say；　was　very　small；　only　having　at　the　beginning；　by　reason　of　the　unhealthiness　of　the　air；　but　six　or　seven　fishermen　who　inhabited　it。　But　the　number　was　increased　by　the　meeting　of　fishermen　from　Siam；　Pegu；　and　Bengal；　who　came　and　built　a　city；　and　established　a　peculiar　language；　drawn　from　the　most　elegant　nodes　of　speaking　of　other　nations；　so　that　in　fact　the；　language　of　the　Malays　is　at　present　the　most　refined；　exact；　and　celebrated　of　all　the　East。　The　name　of　Malacca　was　given　to　this　town；　which；　by　the　convenience　of　its　situation；　in　a　short　time　grew　to　such　wealth；　that　it　does　not　yield　to　the　most　powerful　towns　and　regions　around　about。　The　natives；　both　men　and　women；　are　very　courteous　and　are　reckoned　the　most　skillful　in　the　world　in　compliments；　and　study　much　to　compose　and　repeat　verses　and　love…songs。　Their　language　is　in　vogue　through　the　Indies；　as　the　French　is　here。

At　present；　a　vessel　over　a　hundred　tons　hardly　ever　enters　its　port；　and　the　trade　is　entirely　confined　to　a　few　petty　products　of　the　forests；　and　to　the　fruit；　which　the　trees；　planted　by　the　old　Portuguese；　now　produce　for　the　enjoyment　of　the　inhabitants　of　Singapore。　Although　rather　subject　to　fevers；　it　is　not　at　present　considered　very　unhealthy。

The　population　of　Malacca　consists　of　several　races。　The　ubiquitous　Chinese　are　perhaps　the　most　numerous；　keeping　up　their　manners；　customs；　and　language；　the　indigenous　Malays　are　next　in　point　of　numbers；　and　their　language　is　the　Lingua…franca　of　the　place。　Next　come　the　descendants　of　the　Portuguesea　mixed；　degraded；　and　degenerate　race；　but　who　still　keep　up　the　use　of　their　mother　tongue；　though　ruefully　mutilated　in　grammar；　and　then　there　are　the　English　rulers；　and　the　descendants　of　the　Dutch；　who　all　speak　English。　The　Portuguese　spoken　at　Malacca　is　a　useful　philological　phenomenon。　The　verbs　have　mostly　lost　their　inflections；　and　one　form　does　for　all　moods；　tenses；　numbers；　and　persons。　Eu　vai；　serves　for　〃I　go；〃　〃I　went；〃　or；　〃I　will　go。〃　Adjectives；　too；　have　been　deprived　of　their　feminine　and　plural　terminations；　so　that　the　language　is　reduced　to　a　marvellous　simplicity；　and；　with　the　admixture　of　a　few　Malay　words；　becomes　rather　puzzling　to　one　who　has　heard　only　the　pure　Lusitanian。

In　costume　these　several　peoples　are　as　varied　as　in　their　speech。　The　English　preserve　the　tight…fitting　coat；　waistcoat；　and　trousers；　and　the　abominable　hat　and　cravat；　the　Portuguese　patronise　a　light　jacket；　or；　more　frequently；　shirt　and　trousers　only；　the　Malays　wear　their　national　jacket　and　sarong　（a　kind　of　kilt）；　with　loose　drawers；　while　the　Chinese　never　depart　in　the　least　from　their　national　dress；　which；　indeed；　it　is　impossible　to　improve　for　a　tropical　climate；　whether　as　regards　comfort　or　appearance。　The　loosely…hanging　trousers；　and　neat　white　half…　shirt　half　jacket；　are　exactly　what　a　dress　should　be　in　this　low　latitude。

I　engaged　two　Portuguese　to　accompany　me　into　the　interior；　one　as　a　cook；　the　other　to　shoot　and　skin　birds；　which　is　quite　a　trade　in　Malacca。　I　first　stayed　a　fortnight　at　a　village　called　Gading；　where　I　was　accommodated　in　the　house　of　some　Chinese　converts；　to　whom　I　was　recommended　by　the　Jesuit　missionaries。　The　house　was　a　mere　shed；　but　it　was　kept　clean；　and　I　made　myself　sufficiently　comfortable。　My　hosts　were　forming　a　pepper　and　gambir　plantation；　and　in　the　immediate　neighbourhood　were　extensive　tin…washings；　employing　over　a　thousand　Chinese。　The　tin　is　obtained　in　the　form　of　black　grains　from　beds　of　quartzose　sand；　and　is　melted　into　ingots　in　rude　clay　furnaces。　The　soil　seemed　poor；　and　the　forest　was　very　dense　with　undergrowth；　and　not　at　all　productive　of　insects；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　birds　were　abundant；　and　I　was　at　once　introduced　to　the　rich　ornithological　treasures　of　the　Malayan　region。

The　very　first　time　I　fired　my　gun　I　brought　down　one　of　the　most　curious　and　beautiful　of　the　Malacca　birds；　the　blue…billed　gaper　（Cymbirhynchus　macrorhynchus）；　called　by　the　Malays　the　〃Rainbird。〃　It　is　about　the　size　of　a　starling；　black　and　rich　claret　colour　with　white　shoulder　stripes；　and　a　very　large　and　broad　bill　of　the　most　pure　cobalt　blue　above　and　orange　below；　while　the　iris　is　emerald　green。　As　the　skins　dry　the　bill　turns　dull　black；　but　even　then　the　bird　is　handsome。　When　fresh　killed；　the　contrast　of　the　vivid　blue　with　the　rich　colours　of　the　plumage　is　remarkably　striking　and　beautiful。　The　lovely　Eastern　trogons；　with　their　rich…brown　backs；　beautifully　pencilled　wings；　and　crimson　breasts；　were　also　soon　obtained；　as　well　as　the　large　green　barbets　（Megalaema　versicolor）fruit…　eating　birds；　something　like　small　toucans；　with　a　short；　straight　bristly　bill；　and　whose　head　and　neck　are　variegated　with　patches　of　the　most　vivid　blue　and　crimson。　A　day　or　two　after；　my　hunter　brought　me　a　specimen　of　the　green　gaper　（Calyptomena　viridis）；　which　is　like　a　small　cock…of…the…rock；　but　entirely　of　the　most　vivid　green；　delicately　marked　on　the　wings　with　black　bars。　Handsome　woodpeckers　and　gay　kingfishers；　green　and　brown　cuckoos　with　velvety　red　faces　and　green　beaks；　red…breasted　doves　and　metallic　honeysuckers；　were　brought　in　day　after　day；　and　kept　me　in　a　continual　state　of　pleasurable　excitement。　After　a　fortnight　one　of　my　servants　was　seized　with　fever；　and　on　returning　to　Malacca；　the　same　disease；　attacked　the　other　as　well　as　myself。　By　a　liberal　use　of　quinine；　I　soon　recovered；　and　obtaining　other　men；　went　to　stay　at　the　Government　bungalow　of　Ayer…panas；　accompanied　by　a　young　gentleman；　a　native　of　the　place；　who　had　a　taste　for　natural　history。

At　Ayer…panas　we　had　a　comfortable　house　to　stay　in；　and　plenty　of　room　to　dry　and　preserve　our　specimens；　but；　owing　to　there　being　no　industrious　Chinese　to　cut　down　timber；　insects　were　comparatively　scarce；　with　the　exception　of　butterflies；　of　which　I　formed　a　very　fine　collection。　The　manner　in　which　I　obtained　one　fine　insect　was　curious；　and　indicates　bow　fragmentary　and　imperfect　a　traveller's　collection　must　necessarily　be。　I　was　one　afternoon　walking　along　a　favourite　road　through　the　forest；　with　my　gun；　when　I　saw　a　butterfly　on　the　ground。　It　was　large；　handsome；　and　quite　new　to　me；　and　I　got　close　to　it　before　it　flew　away。　I　then　observed　that　it　had　been　settling　on　the　dung　of　some　carnivorous　animal。　Thinking　it　might　return　to　the　same　spot；　I　next　day　after　breakfast　took　my　net；　and　as　I　approached　the　place　was　delighted　to　see　the　same　butterfly　sitting　on　the　same　piece　of　dung；　and　succeeded　in　capturing　it。　It　was　an　entirely　new　species　of　great　beauty；　and　has　been　named　by　Mr。　HewitsonNymphalis　calydona。　I　never　saw　another　specimen　of　it；　and　it　was　only　after　twelve　years　had　elapsed　that　a　second　individual　reached　this　country　from　the　northwestern　part　of　Borneo。

Having　determined　to　visit　Mount　Ophir；　which　is　situated　in　the　middle　of　the　peninsula　about　fifty　miles　east　of　Malacca；　we　engaged　six　Malays　to　accompany　us　and　carry　our　baggage。　As　we　meant　to　stay　at　least　a　week　at　the　mountain；　we　took　with　us　a　good　supply　of　rice；　a　little　biscuit；　butter　and　coffee；　some　dried　fish　and　a　little　brandy；　with　blankets；　a　change　of　clothes；　insect　and　bird　boxes；　nets；　guns　and　ammunition。　The　distance　from　Ayer…panas　was　supposed　to　be　about　thirty　miles。

Our　first　day's　march　lay　through　patches　of　forest；　clearings；　and　Malay　villages；　and　was　pleasant　enough。　At　night　we　slept　at　the　house　of　a　Malay　chief；　who　lent　us　a　verandah；　and　gave　us　a　fowl　and　some　eggs。　The　next　day　the　country　got　wilder　and　more　dilly。　We　passed　through　extensive　forests；　along　paths　often　up　to　our　knees　in　mud；　and　were　much　annoyed　by　the　leeches　for　which　this　district　is　famous。　These　little　creatures　infest　the　leaves　and　herbage　by　the　side　of　the　paths；　and　when　a　passenger　comes　along　they　stretch　themselves　out　at　full　length；　and　if　they　touch　any　part　of　his　dress　or　body；　quit　their　leaf　and　adhere　to　it。　They　then　creep　on　to　his　feet；　legs；　or　other　part　of　his　body　and　suck　their　fill；　the　first　puncture　being　rarely　felt　during　the　excitement　of　walking。　On　bathing　in　the　evening　we　generally　found　half　a　dozen　or　a　dozen　on　each　of　us；　most　frequently　on　our　legs；　but　sometimes　on　our　bodies；　and　I　had　one　who　sucked　his　fill　from　the　side　of　my　neck；　but　who　luckily　missed　the　jugular　vein。　There　are　many　species　of　these　forest　leeches。　All　are　small；　but　some　are　beautifully　marked　with　stripes　of　brig