the malay archipelago-1-第17章

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mes　dry；　it　is　greatly　undulated　in　many　parts；　and　covered　with　small　patches　of　virgin　forest；　and　much　second…　growth　jungle　on　the　ground；　which　has　once　been　cultivated　by　the　Malays　or　Dyaks。

Now　it　seems　probable　to　me　that　a　wide　extent　of　unbroken　and　equally　lofty　virgin　forest　is　necessary　to　the　comfortable　existence　of　these　animals。　Such　forests　form　their　open　country；　where　they　can　roam　in　every　direction　with　as　much　facility　as　the　Indian　on　the　prairie；　or　the　Arab　on　the　desert；　passing　from　tree…top　to　tree…top　without　ever　being　obliged　to　descend　upon　the　earth。　The　elevated　and　the　drier　districts　are　more　frequented　by　man；　more　cut　up　by　clearings　and　low　second…growth　junglenot　adapted　to　its　peculiar　mode　of　progression；　and　where　it　would　therefore　be　more　exposed　to　danger；　and　more　frequently　obliged　to　descend　upon　the　earth。　There　is　probably　also　a　greater　variety　of　fruit　in　the　Mias　district；　the　small　mountains　which　rise　like　islands　out　of　it　serving　as　gardens　or　plantations　of　a　sort；　where　the　trees　of　the　uplands　are　to　be　found　in　the　very　midst　of　the　swampy　plains。

It　is　a　singular　and　very　interesting　sight　to　watch　a　Mias　making　his　way　leisurely　through　the　forest。　He　walks　deliberately　along　some　of　the　larger　branches　in　the　semi…erect　attitude　which　the　great　length　of　his　arms　and　the　shortness　of　his　legs　cause　him　naturally　to　assume；　and　the　disproportion　between　these　limbs　is　increased　by　his　walking　on　his　knuckles；　not　on　the　palm　of　the　hand；　as　we　should　do。　He　seems　always　to　choose　those　branches　which　intermingle　with　an　adjoining　tree；　on　approaching　which　he　stretches　out　his　long　arms；　and　seizing　the　opposing　boughs；　grasps　them　together　with　both　hands；　seems　to　try　their　strength；　and　then　deliberately　swings　himself　across　to　the　next　branch；　on　which　he　walks　along　as　before。　He　never　jumps　or　springs；　or　even　appears　to　hurry　himself；　and　yet　manages　to　get　along　almost　as　quickly　as　a　person　can　run　through　the　forest　beneath。　The　long　and　powerful　arms　are　of　the　greatest　use　to　the　animal；　enabling　it　to　climb　easily　up　the　loftiest　trees；　to　seize　fruits　and　young　leaves　from　slender　boughs　which　will　not　bear　its　weight；　and　to　gather　leaves　and　branches　with　which　to　form　its　nest。　I　have　already　described　how　it　forms　a　nest　when　wounded；　but　it　uses　a　similar　one　to　sleep　on　almost　every　night。　This　is　placed　low　down；　however；　on　a　small　tree　not　more　than　from　twenty　to　fifty　feet　from　the　ground；　probably　because　it　is　warmer　and　less　exposed　to　wind　than　higher　up。　Each　Mias　is　said　to　make　a　fresh　one　for　himself　every　night；　but　I　should　think　that　is　hardly　probable；　or　their　remains　would　be　much　more　abundant；　for　though　I　saw　several　about　the　coal…mines；　there　must　have　been　many　Orangs　about　every　day；　and　in　a　year　their　deserted　nests　would　become　very　numerous。　The　Dyaks　say　that；　when　it　is　very　wet；　the　Mias　covers　himself　over　with　leaves　of　pandanus；　or　large　ferns；　which　has　perhaps　led　to　the　story　of　his　making　a　hut　in　the　trees。

The　Orang　does　not　leave　his　bed　until　the　sun　has　well　risen　and　has　dried　up　the　dew　upon　the　leaves。　He　feeds　all　through　the　middle　of　the　day；　but　seldom　returns　to　the　same　tree　two　days　running。　They　do　not　seem　much　alarmed　at　man；　as　they　often　stared　down　upon　me　for　several　minutes；　and　then　only　moved　away　slowly　to　an　adjacent　tree。　After　seeing　one；　I　have　often　had　to　go　half　a　mile　or　more　to　fetch　my　gun；　and　in　nearly　every　case　have　found　it　on　the　same　tree；　or　within　a　hundred　yards；　when　I　returned。　I　never　saw　two　full…grown　animals　together；　but　both　males　and　females　are　sometimes　accompanied　by　half…grown　young　ones；　while；　at　other　times；　three　or　four　young　ones　were　seen　in　company。　Their　food　consists　almost　exclusively　of　fruit；　with　occasionally　leaves；　buds；　and　young　shoots。　They　seem　to　prefer　unripe　fruits；　some　of　which　were　very　sour；　others　intensely　bitter；　particularly　the　large　red；　fleshy　arillus　of　one　which　seemed　an　especial　favourite。　In　other　cases　they　eat　only　the　small　seed　of　a　large　fruit；　and　they　almost　always　waste　and　destroy　more　than　they　eat；　so　that　there　is　a　continual　rain　of　rejected　portions　below　the　tree　they　are　feeding　on。　The　Durian　is　an　especial　favourite；　and　quantities　of　this　delicious　fruit　are　destroyed　wherever　it　grows　surrounded　by　forest；　but　they　will　not　cross　clearings　to　get　at　them。　It　seems　wonderful　how　the　animal　can　tear　open　this　fruit；　the　outer　covering　of　which　is　so　thick　and　tough；　and　closely　covered　with　strong　conical　spines。　It　probably　bites　off　a　few　of　these　first；　and　then；　making　a　small　hole；　tears　open　the　fruit　with　its　powerful　fingers。

The　Mias　rarely　descends　to　the　ground；　except　when　pressed　by　hunger；　it　seeks　succulent　shoots　by　the　riverside；　or；　in　very　dry　weather；　has　to　search　after　water；　of　which　it　generally　finds　sufficient　in　the　hollows　of　leaves。　Only　once　I　saw　two　half…grown　Orangs　on　the　ground　in　a　dry　hollow　at　the　foot　of　the　Simunjon　hill。　They　were　playing　together；　standing　erect；　and　grasping　each　other　by　the　arms。　It　may　be　safely　stated；　however；　that　the　Orang　never　walks　erect；　unless　when　using　its　hands　to　support　itself　by　branches　overhead　or　when　attacked。　Representations　of　its　walking　with　a　stick　are　entirely　imaginary。

The　Dyaks　all　declare　that　the　Mias　is　never　attacked　by　any　animal　in　the　forest；　with　two　rare　exceptions；　and　the　accounts　I　received　of　these　are　so　curious　that　I　give　them　nearly　in　the　words　of　my　informants；　old　Dyak　chiefs；　who　had　lived　all　their　lives　in　the　places　where　the　animal　is　most　abundant。　The　first　of　whom　I　inquired　said：　〃No　animal　is　strong　enough　to　hurt　the　Mias；　and　the　only　creature　he　ever　fights　with　is　the　crocodile。　When　there　is　no　fruit　in　the　jungle；　he　goes　to　seek　food　on　the　banks　of　the　river　where　there　are　plenty　of　young　shoots　that　he　likes；　and　fruits　that　grow　close　to　the　water。　Then　the　crocodile　sometimes　tries　to　seize　him；　but　the　Mias　gets　upon　him；　and　beats　him　with　his　hands　and　feet；　and　tears　him　and　kills　him。〃　He　added　that　he　had　once　seen　such　a　fight；　and　that　he　believes　that　the　Mias　is　always　the　victor。

My　next　informant　was　the　Orang　Kaya；　or　chief　of　the　Balow　Dyaks；　on　the　Simunjon　River。　He　said：　〃The　Mias　has　no　enemies；　no　animals　dare　attack　it　but　the　crocodile　and　the　python。　He　always　kills　the　crocodile　by　main　strength；　standing　upon　it；　pulling　open　its　jaws；　and　ripping　up　its　throat。　If　a　python　attacks　a　Mias；　he　seizes　it　with　his　hands；　and　then　bites　it；　and　soon　kills　it。　The　Mias　is　very　strong；　there　is　no　animal　in　the　jungle　so　strong　as　he。〃

It　is　very　remarkable　that　an　animal　so　large；　so　peculiar；　and　of　such　a　high　type　of　form　as　the　Orangutan；　should　be　confined　to　so　limited　a　districtto　two　islands；　and　those　almost　the　last　inhabited　by　the　higher　Mammalia；　for；　east　of　Borneo　and　Java；　the　Quadrumania；　Ruminants；　Carnivora；　and　many　other　groups　of　Mammalla　diminish　rapidly；　and　soon　entirely　disappear。　When　we　consider；　further；　that　almost　all　other　animals　have　in　earlier　ages　been　represented　by　allied　yet　distinct　forms　that；　in　the　latter　part　of　the　tertiary　period；　Europe　was　inhabited　by　bears；　deer；　wolves；　and　cats；　Australia　by　kangaroos　and　other　marsupials；　South　America　by　gigantic　sloths　and　ant…eaters；　all　different　from　any　now　existing；　though　intimately　allied　to　themwe　have　every　reason　to　believe　that　the　Orangutan；　the　Chimpanzee；　and　the　Gorilla　have　also　had　their　forerunners。　With　what　interest　must　every　naturalist　look　forward　to　the　time　when　the　caves　and　tertiary　deposits　of　the　tropics　may　be　thoroughly　examined；　and　the　past　history　and　earliest　appearance　of　the　great　man…like　apes　be　made　known　at　length。

I　will　now　say　a　few　words　as　to　the　supposed　existence　of　a　Bornean　Orang　as　large　as　the　Gorilla。　I　have　myself　examined　the　bodies　of　seventeen　freshly…killed　Orangs；　all　of　which　were　carefully　measured；　and　of　seven　of　them；　I　preserved　the　skeleton。　I　also　obtained　two　skeletons　killed　by　other　persons。　Of　this　extensive　series；　sixteen　were　fully　adult；　nine　being　males；　and　se