the golden chersonese and the way thither-第3章

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dews　fall　on　clear　nights。　　
＇*This　word　is　recognized　as　a　corruption　by　Portuguese　and　British
tongues　of　the　Arabic　word　〃musim；〃　〃season。〃＇

The　Peninsula　is　a　gorgeous　tropic　land；　and；　with　its　bounteous
rainfall　and　sunshine；　brings　forth　many　of　the　most　highly　prized
productions　of　the　tropics；　with　some　that　are　peculiar　to　itself。　Its
botany　is　as　yet　very　imperfectly　known。　Some　of　its　forest　trees　are
very　valuable　as　timber；　and　others　produce　hard…veined　woods　which
take　a　high　polish。　Rattans；　Malacca　canes；　and　gutta　are　well　known　as
among　its　forest　products；　gutta；　with　its　extensive　economical　uses；
having　been　used　only　for　Malay　horsewhips　and　knife…handles　previous
to　1843。　The　wild　nutmeg　is　indigenous；　and　the　nutmeg　of　commerce　and
the　clove　have　been　introduced　and　thrive。　Pepper　and　some　other　spices
flourish；　and　the　soil　with　but　a　little　cultivation　produces　rice　wet
and　dry；　tapioca；　gambier；　sugar…cane；　coffee；　yams；　sweet　potatoes；
cocoa；　sago；　cotton；　tea；　cinchona；　india　rubber；　and　indigo。　Still　it
is　doubtful　whether　a　soil　can　be　called　fertile　which　is　incapable　of
producing　the　best　kinds　of　cereals。　European　vegetables　are　on　the
whole　a　dismal　failure。　Conservatism　in　diet　must　be　given　up　by
Europeans；　the　yam；　edible　arum；　and　sweet　potato　must　take　the　place
of　the　〃Irish　potato；〃　and　water…melons　and　cucumbers　that　of　our　peas；
beans；　artichokes；　cabbages；　and　broccoli。　The　Chinese　raise　coarse
radishes　and　lettuce；　and　possibly　the　higher　grounds　may　some　day　be
turned　into　market　gardens。　The　fruits；　however；　are　innumerable；　as
well　as　wholesome　and　delicious。　Among　them　the　durion　is　the　most
esteemed　by　the　natives；　and　the　mangosteen　by　Europeans。

The　fauna　of　the　Peninsula　is　most　remarkable　and　abundant；　indeed；
much　of　its　forest…covered　interior　is　inhabited　by　wild　beasts　alone；
and　gigantic　pachyderms；　looking　like　monsters　of　an　earlier　age；　roam
unmolested　over　vast　tracts　of　country。　Among　this　thick…skinned　family
are　the　elephant；　the　one…horned　rhinoceros；　the　Malayan　tapir；　and　the
wild　hog；　the　last　held　in　abomination　by　the　Malays；　but　constituting
the　chief　animal　food　of　some　of　the　wild　tribes。

A　small　bear　with　a　wistful　face　represents　the　Plantigrade　family。　The
Quadrumana　are　very　numerous。　There　are　nine　monkeys；　one；　if　not　two
apes；　and　a　lemur　or　sloth；　which　screens　its　eyes　from　the　light。

Of　the　Digitigrada　there　are　the　otter　or　water…dog；　the　musang　and
climbing　musang；　the　civet　cat；　the　royal　tiger；　the　spotted　black
tiger；　in　whose　glossy　raven…black　coat　the　characteristic　markings　are
seen　in　certain　lights；　the　tiger　cat；　the　leopard；　the　Java　cat；　and
four　or　five　others。　Many　of　these　feline　animals　abound。

Among　the　ruminants　are　four　species　of　deer；　two　smaller　than　a　hare；
and　one　as　large　as　an　elk；　a　wild　goat　similar　to　the　Sumatran
antelope；　the　domestic　goat；　a　mean　little　beast；　the　buffalo；　a　great；
nearly　hairless；　gray　or　pink　beast；　bigger　than　the　buffalo　of　China
and　India；　a　short…legged　domestic　ox；　and　two　wild　oxen　or　bisons；
which　are　rare。

The　bat　family　is　not　numerous。　The　vampire　flies　high；　in　great
flocks；　and　is　very　destructive　to　fruit。　This　frugiverous　bat；　known
popularly　as　the　〃flying　fox；〃　is　a　very　interesting…looking　animal；
and　is　actually　eaten　by　the　people　of　Ternate。　At　the　height　of　the
fruit　season；　thousands　of　these　creatures　cross　from　Sumatra　to　the
mainland；　a　distance　never　less　than　forty　miles。　Their　strength　of
wing　is　enormous。　I　saw　one　captured　in　the　steamer　Nevada；　forty…five
miles　from　the　Navigators；　with　wings　measuring；　when　extended；　nearly
five　feet　across。　　These　are　formed　of　a　jet　black　membrane；　and　have　a
highly　polished　claw　at　the　extremity　of　each。　The　feet　consist　of　five
polished　black　claws；　with　which　the　bat　hangs　on；　head　downward；　to
the　forest　trees。　His　body　is　about　twice　the　size　of　that　of　a　very
large　rat；　black　and　furry　underneath；　and　with　red　foxy　fur　on　the
head　and　neck。　He　has　a　pointed　face；　a　very　black　nose；　and　prominent
black　eyes；　with　a　remorseless　expression　in　them。　An　edible　bat　of
vagrant　habits　is　also　found。

Ponies　are　imported　from　Sumatra；　and　a　few　horses　from　Australia；　but
the　latter　do　not　thrive。

The　domestic　cat　always　looks　as　if　half　his　tail　had　been　taken　off　in
a　trap。　The　domestic　dog　is　the　Asiatic；　not　the　European　dog；　a　leggy；
ugly；　vagrant；　uncared…for　fellow；　furnishing　a　useful　simile　and
little　more。

Weasels；　squirrels；　polecats；　porcupines；　and　other　small　animals　exist
in　numbers；　and　the　mermaid；　of　the　genus　Halicore；　connects　the
inhabitants　of　the　land　and　water。　　This　Duyong；　described　as　a
creature　seven　or　eight　feet　long；　with　a　head　like　that　of　an　elephant
deprived　of　its　proboscis；　and　the　body　and　tail　of　a　fish；　frequents
the　Sumatran　and　Malayan　shores；　and　its　flesh　is　held　in　great
estimation　at　the　tables　of　sultans　and　rajahs。　Besides　these　（and　the
list　is　long　enough）　there　are　many　small　beasts。

The　reptiles　are　unhappily　very　numerous。　Crawfurd　mentions　forty
species　of　snakes；　including　the　python　and　the　cobra。　Alligators　in
great　numbers　infest　the　tidal　waters　of　the　rivers。　Iguanas　and
lizards　of　several　species；　marsh…frogs；　and　green　tree…frogs　abound。
The　land…leeches　are　a　great　pest。　Scorpions　and　centipedes　are
abundant。　　There　are　many　varieties　of　ants；　among　them　a　formidable…
looking　black　creature　nearly　two　inches　long；　a　large　red　ant；　whose
bite　is　like　a　bad　pinch　from　forceps；　and　which　is　the　chief　source　of
formic　acid；　and　the　termes；　or　white　ant；　most　destructive　to　timber。

The　carpenter　beetle　is　also　found；　an　industrious　insect；　which
riddles　the　timber　of　any　building　in　which　he　effects　a　lodgment；　and
is　as　destructive　as　dry　rot。　There　are　bees　and　wasps；　and　hornets　of
large　size；　and　a　much…dreaded　insect；　possibly　not　yet　classified；
said　to　be　peculiar　to　the　Peninsula；　which　inflicts　so　severe　a　wound
as　to　make　a　strong　man　utter　a　cry　of　agony。　But　of　all　the　pests　the
mosquitoes　are　the　worst。　A　resident　may　spend　some　time　in　the　country
and　know　nothing　from　experience　of　scorpions；　centipedes；
land…leeches；　and　soldier　ants；　but　he　cannot　escape　from　the　mosquito；
the　curse　of　these　well…watered　tropic　regions。　In　addition　to　the
night　mosquito；　there　is　a　striped　variety　of　large　size；　known　as　the
〃tiger　mosquito；〃　much　to　be　feared；　for　it　pursues　its　bloodthirsty
work　in　the　daytime。

Among　the　harmless　insects　may　be　mentioned　the　cicada；　which　fills　the
forest　with　its　cheery　din；　the　green　grasshopper；　spiders；　and　flies
of　several　species；　dragon…flies　of　large　size　and　brilliant　coloring；
and　butterflies　and　moths　of　surpassing　beauty；　which　delight　in　the
hot；　moist；　jungle　openings；　and　even　surpass　the　flowers　in　the　glory
and　variety　of　their　hues。　Among　them　the　atlas　moth　is　found；
measuring　from　eight　to　ten　inches　across　its　wings。　The　leaf　insects
are　also　fascinating；　and　the　fire…flies　in　a　mangrove　swamp　on　a
dark；　still　night；　moving　in　gentle　undulations；　or　flashing　into
coruscations　after　brief　intervals　of　quiescence；　are　inconceivably
beautiful。

The　birds　of　the　Peninsula　are　many　and　beautiful。　Sun…birds　rival　the
flashing　colors　of　the　humming…birds　in　the　jungle　openings；
king…fishers　of　large　size　and　brilliant　blue　plumage　make　the　river
banks　gay；　shrieking　paroquets　with　coral…colored　beaks　and　tender
green　feathers；　abound　in　the　forests；　great；　heavy…billed　hornbills
hop　cumbrously　from　branch　to　branch；　rivaling　in　their　awkward　gait
the　rhinoceros　hornbills；　the　Javanese　peacock；　with　its　gorgeous　tail
and　neck　covered　with　iridescent　green　feathers　instead　of　blue　ones；
moves　majestically　along　the　jungle　tracks；　together　with　the　ocellated
pheasant；　the　handsome　and　high…couraged　jungle　cock；　and　the　glorious
Argus　pheasant；　a　bird　of　twilight　and　night；　with　〃a　hundred　eyes〃　on
each　feather　of　its　stately　tail。

According　to　Mr。　Newbold；　two　birds　of　paradise　（Paradisea　regia　and
Paradisea　gularis）　are　natives　of　the　Peninsula；*　and　among　other
bright…winged　creatu