the malay archipelago-1-第14章

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now　what　was　making　such　a　disturbance　below。　I　instantly　fired；　and　he　made　off　at　once；　so　that　I　could　not　then　tell　whether　I　had　hit　him。

He　now　moved　very　rapidly　and　very　noiselessly　for　so　large　an　animal；　so　I　told　the　Dyaks　to　follow　and　keep　him　in　sight　while　I　loaded。　The　jungle　was　here　full　of　large　angular　fragments　of　rock　from　the　mountain　above；　and　thick　with　hanging　and　twisted　creepers。　Running；　climbing；　and　creeping　among　these；　we　came　up　with　the　creature　on　the　top　of　a　high　tree　near　the　road；　where　the　Chinamen　had　discovered　him；　and　were　shouting　their　astonishment　with　open　mouths：　〃Ya　Ya；　Tuan；　Orangutan；　Tuan。〃　Seeing　that　he　could　not　pass　here　without　descending；　he　turned　up　again　towards　the　hill；　and　I　got　two　shots；　and　following　quickly；　had　two　more　by　the　time　he　had　again　reached　the　path；　but　he　was　always　more　or　less　concealed　by　foliage；　and　protected　by　the　large　branch　on　which　he　was　walking。　Once　while　loading　I　had　a　splendid　view　of　him；　moving　along　a　large　limb　of　a　tree　in　a　semi…erect　posture；　and　showing　it　to　be　an　animal　of　the　largest　size。　At　the　path　he　got　on　to　one　of　the　loftiest　trees　in　the　forest；　and　we　could　see　one　leg　hanging　down　useless；　having　been　broken　by　a　ball。　He　now　fixed　himself　in　a　fork；　where　he　was　hidden　by　thick　foliage；　and　seemed　disinclined　to　move。　I　was　afraid　he　would　remain　and　die　in　this　position；　and　as　it　was　nearly　evening。　I　could　not　have　got　the　tree　cut　down　that　day。　I　therefore　fired　again；　and　he　then　moved　off；　and　going　up　the　hill　was　obliged　to　get　on　to　some　lower　trees；　on　the　branches　of　one　of　which　he　fixed　himself　in　such　a　position　that　he　could　not　fall；　and　lay　all　in　a　heap　as　if　dead；　or　dying。

I　now　wanted　the　Dyaks　to　go　up　and　cut　off　the　branch　he　was　resting　on；　but　they　were　afraid；　saying　he　was　not　dead；　and　would　come　and　attack　them。　We　then　shook　the　adjoining　tree；　pulled　the　hanging　creepers；　and　did　all　we　could　to　disturb　him；　but　without　effect；　so　I　thought　it　best　to　send　for　two　Chinamen　with　axes　to　cut　down　the　tree。　While　the　messenger　was　gone；　however；　one　of　the　Dyaks　took　courage　and　climbed　towards　him；　but　the　Mias　did　not　wait　for　him　to　get　near；　moving　off　to　another　tree；　where　he　got　on　to　a　dense　mass　of　branches　and　creepers　which　almost　completely　hid　him　from　our　view。　The　tree　was　luckily　a　small　one；　so　when　the　axes　came　we　soon　had　it　cut　through；　but　it　was　so　held　up　by　jungle　ropes　and　climbers　to　adjoining　trees　that　it　only　fell　into　a　sloping　position。　The　Mias　did　not　move；　and　I　began　to　fear　that　after　all　we　should　not　get　him；　as　it　was　near　evening；　and　half　a　dozen　more　trees　would　have　to　be　cut　down　before　the　one　he　was　on　would　fall。　As　a　last　resource　we　all　began　pulling　at　the　creepers；　which　shook　the　tree　very　much；　and；　after　a　few　minutes；　when　we　had　almost　given　up　all　hope；　down　he　came　with　a　crash　and　a　thud　like　the　fall　of　a　giant。　And　he　was　a　giant；　his　head　and　body　being　fully　as　large　as　a　man's。　He　was　of　the　kind　called　by　the　Dyaks　〃Mias　Chappan；〃　or　〃Mias　Pappan；〃　which　has　the　skin　of　the　face　broadened　out　to　a　ridge　or　fold　at　each　side。　His　outstretched　arms　measured　seven　feet　three　inches　across；　and　his　height；　measuring　fairly　from　the　top　of　the　head　to　the　heel　was　four　feet　two　inches。　The　body　just　below　the　arms　was　three　feet　two　inches　round；　and　was　quite　as　long　as　a　man's；　the　legs　being　exceedingly　short　in　proportion。　On　examination　we　found　he　had　been　dreadfully　wounded。　Both　legs　were　broken；　one　hip…joint　and　the　root　of　the　spine　completely　shattered；　and　two　bullets　were　found　flattened　in　his　neck　and　jaws。　Yet　he　was　still　alive　when　he　fell。　The　two　Chinamen　carried　him　home　tied　to　a　pole；　and　I　was　occupied　with　Charley　the　whole　of　the　next　day　preparing　the　skin　and　boiling　the　bones　to　make　a　perfect　skeleton；　which　are　now　preserved　in　the　Museum　at　Derby。

About　ten　days　after　this；　on　June　4th；　some　Dyaks　came　to　tell　us　that　the　day　before　a　Mias　had　nearly　killed　one　of　their　companions。　A　few　miles　down　the　river　there　is　a　Dyak　house；　and　the　inhabitants　saw　a　large　Orang　feeding　on　the　young　shoots　of　a　palm　by　the　riverside。　On　being　alarmed　he　retreated　towards　the　jungle　which　was　close　by；　and　a　number　of　the　men；　armed　with　spears　and　choppers；　ran　out　to　intercept　him。　The　man　who　was　in　front　tried　to　run　his　spear　through　the　animal's　body；　but　the　Mias　seized　it　in　his　hands；　and　in　an　instant　got　hold　of　the　man's　arm；　which　he　seized　in　his　mouth；　making　his　teeth　meet　in　the　flesh　above　the　elbow；　which　he　tore　and　lacerated　in　a　dreadful　manner。　Had　not　the　others　been　close　behind；　the　man　would　have　keen　more　seriously　injured；　if　not　killed；　as　he　was　quite　powerless；　but　they　soon　destroyed　the　creature　with　their　spears　and　choppers。　The　man　remained　ill　for　a　long　time；　and　never　fully　recovered　the　use　of　his　arm。

They　told　me　the　dead　Mias　was　still　lying　where　it　had　been　killed；　so　I　offered　them　a　reward　to　bring　it　up　to　our　landing…　place　immediately；　which　they　promised　to　do。　They　did　not　come；　however；　until　the　next　day；　and　then　decomposition　had　commenced；　and　great　patches　of　the　hair　came　off；　so　that　it　was　useless　to　skin　it。　This　I　regretted　much；　as　it　was　a　very　fine　full…grown　male。　I　cut　off　the　head　and　took　it　home　to　clean；　while　I　got　my　men　to　make　a　closed　fence　about　five　feet　high　around　the　rest　of　the　body；　which　would　soon　be　devoured　by　maggots；　small　lizards；　and　ants；　leaving　me　the　skeleton。　There　was　a　great　gash　in　his　face；　which　had　cut　deep　into　the　bone；　but　the　skull　was　a　very　fine　one；　and　the　teeth　were　remarkably　large　and　perfect。

On　June　18th　I　had　another　great　success；　and　obtained　a　fine　adult　male。　A　Chinaman　told　me　be　had　seen　him　feeding　by　the　side　of　the　path　to　the　river；　and　I　found　him　at　the　same　place　as　the　first　individual　I　had　shot。　He　was　feeding　on　an　oval　green　fruit　having　a　fine　red　arillus；　like　the　mace　which　surrounds　the　nutmeg；　and　which　alone　he　seemed　to　eat；　biting　off　the　thick　outer　rind　and　dropping　it　in　a　continual　shower。　I　had　found　the　same　fruit　in　the　stomach　of　some　others　which　I　had　killed。　Two　shots　caused　this　animal　to　loose　his　hold；　but　he　hung　for　a　considerable　time　by　one　hand；　and　then　fell　flat　on　his　face　and　was　half　buried　in　the　swamp。　For　several　minutes　he　lay　groaning　and　panting；　while　we　stood　close　around；　expecting　every　breath　to　be　his　last。　Suddenly；　however；　by　a　violent　effort　he　raised　himself　up；　causing　us　all　to　step　back　a　yard　or　two；　when；　standing　nearly　erect；　he　caught　hold　of　a　small　tree；　and　began　to　ascend　it。　Another　shot　through　the　back　caused　him　to　fall　down　dead。　A　flattened　bullet　was　found　in　his　tongue；　having　entered　the　lower　part　of　the　abdomen　and　completely　traversed　the　body；　fracturing　the　first　cervical　vertebra。　Yet　it　was　after　this　fearful　wound　that　he　had　risen；　and　begun　climbing　with　considerable　facility。　This　also　was　a　full…grown　male　of　almost　exactly　the　same　dimensions　as　the　other　two　I　had　measured。

On　June　21st　I　shot　another　adult　female；　which　was　eating　fruit　in　a　low　tree；　and　was　the　only　one　which　I　ever　killed　by　a　single　ball。

On　June　24th　I　was　called　by　a　Chinaman　to　shoot　a　Mias；　which；　he　said；　was　on　a　tree　close　by　his　house；　at　the　coal…mines。　Arriving　at　the　place；　we　had　some　difficulty　in　finding　the　animal；　as　he　had　gone　off　into　the　jungle；　which　was　very　rocky　and　difficult　to　traverse。　At　last　we　found　him　up　a　very　high　tree；　and　could　see　that　he　was　a　male　of　the　largest　size。　As　soon　as　I　had　fired；　he　moved　higher　up　the　tree；　and　while　he　was　doing　so　I　fired　again；　and　we　then　saw　that　one　arm　was　broken。　He　had　now　reached　the　very　highest　part　of　an　immense　tree；　and　immediately　began　breaking　off　boughs　all　around；　and　laying　them　across　and　across　to　make　a　nest。　It　was　very

interesting　to　see　how　well　he　had　chosen　his　place；　and　how　rapidly　he　stretched　out　his　unwounded　arm　in　every　direction；　breaking　off　good…sized　boughs　with　the　greatest　ease；　and　laying　them　back　across　each　other；　so　that　in　a　few　minutes　he　had　formed　a　compact　mass　of　foliage