the malay archipelago-1-第22章

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rough　them；　their　hardness　outside；　their　freedom　from　any　pronounced　taste　or　smell；　their　great　abundance；　and　the　rapidity　of　their　growth　and　increase；　are　all　qualities　which　render　them　useful　for　a　hundred　different　purposes；　to　serve　which　other　materials　would　require　much　more　labour　and　preparation。　The　Bamboo　is　one　of　the　most　wonderful　and　most　beautiful　productions　of　the　tropics；　and　one　of　nature's　most　valuable　gifts　to　uncivilized　man。

The　Dyak　houses　are　all　raised　on　posts；　and　are　often　two　or　three　hundred　feet　long　and　forty　or　fifty　wide。　The　floor　is　always　formed　of　strips　split　from　large　Bamboos；　so　that　each　may　be　nearly　flat　and　about　three　inches　wide；　and　these　are　firmly　tied　down　with　rattan　to　the　joists　beneath。　When　well　made；　this　is　a　delightful　floor　to　walk　upon　barefooted；　the　rounded　surfaces　of　the　bamboo　being　very　smooth　and　agreeable　to　the　feet；　while　at　the　same　time　affording　a　firm　hold。　But；　what　is　more　important；　they　form　with　a　mat　over　them　an　excellent　bed；　the　elasticity　of　the　Bamboo　and　its　rounded　surface　being　far　superior　to　a　more　rigid　and　a　flatter　floor。　Here　we　at　once　find　a　use　for　Bamboo　which　cannot　be　supplied　so　well　by　another　material　without　a　vast　amount　of　labourpalms　and　other　substitutes　requiring　much　cutting　and　smoothing；　and　not　being　equally　good　when　finished。　When；　however；　a　flat；　close　floor　is　required；　excellent　boards　are　made　by　splitting　open　large　Bamboos　on　one　side　only；　and　flattening　them　out　so　as　to　form　slabs　eighteen　inches　wide　and　six　feet　long；　with　which　some　Dyaks　floor　their　houses。　These　with　constant　rubbing　of　the　feet　and　the　smoke　of　years　become　dark　and　polished；　like　walnut　or　old　oak；　so　that　their　real　material　can　hardly　be　recognised。　What　labour　is　here　saved　to　a　savage　whose　only　tools　are　an　axe　and　a　knife；　and　who；　if　he　wants　boards；　must　hew　them　out　of　the　solid　trunk　of　a　tree；　and　must　give　days　and　weeks　of　labour　to　obtain　a　surface　as　smooth　and　beautiful　as　the　Bamboo　thus　treated　affords　him。　Again；　if　a　temporary　house　is　wanted；　either　by　the　native　in　his　plantation　or　by　the　traveller　in　the　forest；　nothing　is　so　convenient　as　the　Bamboo；　with　which　a　house　can　be　constructed　with　a　quarter　of　the　labour　and　time　than　if　other　materials　are　used。

As　I　have　already　mentioned；　the　Hill　Dyaks　in　the　interior　of　Sarawak　make　paths　for　long　distances　from　village　to　village　and　to　their　cultivated　grounds；　in　the　course　of　which　they　have　to　cross　many　gullies　and　ravines；　and　even　rivers；　or　sometimes；　to　avoid　a　long　circuit；　to　carry　the　path　along　the　face　of　a　precipice。　In　all　these　cases　the　bridges　they　construct　are　of　Bamboo；　and　so　admirably　adapted　is　the　material　for　this　purpose；　that　it　seems　doubtful　whether　they　ever　would　have　attempted　such　works　if　they　had　not　possessed　it。　The　Dyak　bridge　is　simple　but　well　designed。　It　consists　merely　of　stout　Bamboos　crossing　each　other　at　the　road…way　like　the　letter　X；　and　rising　a　few　feet　above　it。　At　the　crossing　they　are　firmly　bound　together；　and　to　a　large　Bamboo　which　lays　upon　them　and　forms　the　only　pathway；　with　a　slender　and　often　very　shaky　one　to　serve　as　a　handrail。　When　a　river　is　to　be　crossed；　an　overhanging　tree　is　chosen　from　which　the　bridge　is　partly　suspended　and　partly　supported　by　diagonal　struts　from　the　banks；　so　as　to　avoid　placing　posts　in　the　stream　itself；　which　would　be　liable　to　be　carried　away　by　floods。　In　carrying　a　path　along　the　face　of　a　precipice；　trees　and　roots　are　made　use　of　for　suspension；　struts　arise　from　suitable　notches　or　crevices　in　the　rocks；　and　if　these　are　not　sufficient；　immense　Bamboos　fifty　or　sixty　feet　long　are　fixed　on　the　banks　or　on　the　branch　of　a　tree　below。　These　bridges　are　traversed　daily　by　men　and　women　carrying　heavy　loads；　so　that　any　insecurity　is　soon　discovered；　and；　as　the　materials　are　close　at　hand；　immediately　repaired。　When　a　path　goes　over　very　steep　ground；　and　becomes　slippery　in　very　wet　or　very　dry　weather；　the　Bamboo　is　used　in　another　way。　Pieces　are　cut　about　a　yard　long；　and　opposite　notches　being　made　at　each　end；　holes　are　formed　through　which　pegs　are　driven；　and　firm　and　convenient　steps　are　thus　formed　with　the　greatest　ease　and　celerity。　It　is　true　that　much　of　this　will　decay　in　one　or　two　seasons；　but　it　can　be　so　quickly　replaced　as　to　make　it　more　economical　than　using　a　harder　and　more　durable　wood。

One　of　the　most　striking　uses　to　which　Bamboo　is　applied　by　the　Dyaks；　is　to　assist　them　in　climbing　lofty　trees　by　driving　in　pegs　in　the　way　I　have　already　described　at　page　85。　This　method　is　constantly　used　in　order　to　obtain　wax；　which　is　one　of　the　most　valuable　products　of　the　country。　The　honey…bee　of　Borneo　very　generally　hangs　its　combs　under　the　branches　of　the　Tappan；　a　tree　which　towers　above　all　others　in　the　forest；　and　whose　smooth　cylindrical　trunk　often　rises　a　hundred　feet　without　a　branch。　The　Dyaks　climb　these　lofty　trees　at　night；　building　up　their　Bamboo　ladder　as　they　go；　and　bringing　down　gigantic　honeycombs。　These　furnish　them　with　a　delicious　feast　of　honey　and　young　bees；　besides　the　wax；　which　they　sell　to　traders；　and　with　the　proceeds　buy　the　much…coveted　brass　wire；　earrings；　and　bold…edged　handkerchiefs　with　which　they　love　to　decorate　themselves。　In　ascending　Durian　and　other　fruit　trees　which　branch　at　from　thirty　to　fifty　feet　from　the　ground；　I　have　seen　them　use　the　Bamboo　pegs　only；　without　the　upright　Bamboo　which　renders　them　so　much　more　secure。

The　outer　rind　of　the　Bamboo；　split　and　shaved　thin；　is　the　strongest　material　for　baskets；　hen…coops；　bird…cages；　and　conical　fish…traps　are　very　quickly　made　from　a　single　joint；　by　splitting　off　the　skin　in　narrow　strips　left　attached　to　one　end；　while　rings　of　the　same　material　or　of　rattan　are　twisted　in　at　regular　distances。　Water　is　brought　to　the　houses　by　little　aqueducts　formed　of　large　Bamboos　split　in　half　and　supported　on　crossed　sticks　of　various　heights　so　as　to　give　it　a　regular　fall。　Thin　long…jointed　Bamboos　form　the　Dyaks'　only　water…　vessels；　and　a　dozen　of　them　stand　in　the　corner　of　every　house。　They　are　clean；　light；　and　easily　carried；　and　are　in　many　ways　superior　to　earthen　vessels　for　the　same　purpose。　They　also　make　excellent　cooking　utensils；　vegetables　and　rice　can　be　boiled　in　them　to　perfection；　and　they　are　often　used　when　travelling。　Salted　fruit　or　fish；　sugar；　vinegar；　and　honey　are　preserved　in　them　instead　of　in　jars　or　bottles。　In　a　small　Bamboo　case；　prettily　carved　and　ornamented；　the　Dyak　carries　his　sirih　and　lime　for　betel　chewing；　and　his　little　long…bladed　knife　has　a　Bamboo　sheath。　His　favourite　pipe　is　a　huge　hubble…bubble；　which　he　will　construct　in　a　few　minutes　by　inserting　a　small　piece　of　Bamboo　for　a　bowl　obliquely　into　a　large　cylinder　about　six　inches　from　the　bottom　containing　water；　through　which　the　smoke　passes　to　a　long　slender　Bamboo　tube。　There　are　many　other　small　matters　for　which　Bamboo　is　daily　used；　but　enough　has　now　been　mentioned　to　show　its　value。　In　other　parts　of　the　Archipelago　I　have　myself　seen　it　applied　to　many　new　uses；　and　it　is　probable　that　my　limited　means　of　observation　did　not　make　me　acquainted　with　one…half　the　ways　in　which　it　is　serviceable　to　the　Dyaks　of　Sarawak。

While　upon　the　subject　of　plants　I　may　here　mention　a　few　of　the　more　striking　vegetable　productions　of　Borneo。　The　wonderful　Pitcher…plants；　forming　the　genus　Nepenthes　of　botanists；　here　reach　their　greatest　development。　Every　mountain…top　abounds　with　them；　running　along　the　ground；　or　climbing　over　shrubs　and　stunted　trees；　their　elegant　pitchers　hanging　in　every　direction。　Some　of　these　are　long　and　slender；　resembling　in　form　the　beautiful　Philippine　lace…sponge　（Euplectella）；　which　has　now　become　so　common；　others　are　broad　and　short。　Their　colours　are　green；　variously　tinted　and　mottled　with　red　or　purple。　The　finest　yet　known　were　obtained　on　the　summit　of　Kini…balou；　in　North…west　Borneo。　One　of　the　broad　sort；　Nepenthes　rajah；　will　hold　two　quarts　of　water　in　its　pitcher。　Another；　Nepenthes　Edwardsiania；　has　a　narrow　pitcher　twenty　inches　long；　while　the　plant　itself　grows　to　a　length　of　t