the malay archipelago-1-第25章

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　them。　They　have　the　usual　fault　of　all　people　in　a　half…savage　state　apathy　and　dilatoriness；　but；　however　annoying　this　may　be　to　Europeans　who　come　in　contact　with　them；　it　cannot　be　considered　a　very　grave　offence；　or　be　held　to　outweigh　their　many　excellent　qualities。

During　my　residence　among　the　Hill　Dyaks；　I　was　much　struck　by　the　apparent　absence　of　those　causes　which　are　generally　supposed　to　check　the　increase　of　population；　although　there　were　plain　indications　of　stationary　or　but　slowly　increasing　numbers。　The　conditions　most　favourable　to　a　rapid　increase　of　population　are：　an　abundance　of　food；　a　healthy　climate；　and　early　marriages。　Here　these　conditions　all　exist。　The　people　produce　far　more　food　than　they　consume；　and　exchange　the　surplus　for　gongs　and　brass　cannon；　ancient　jars；　and　gold　and　silver　ornaments；　which　constitute　their　wealth。　On　the　whole；　they　appear　very　free　from　disease；　marriages　take　place　early　（but　not　too　early）；　and　old　bachelors　and　old　maids　are　alike　unknown。　Why；　then；　we　must　inquire；　has　not　a　greater　population　been　produced？　Why　are　the　Dyak　villages　so　small　and　so　widely　scattered；　while　nine…tenths　of　the　country　is　still　covered　with　forest？

Of　all　the　checks　to　population　among　savage　nations　mentioned　by

Malthusstarvation；　disease；　war；　infanticide；　immorality；　and　infertility　of　the　womenthe　last　is　that　which　he　seems　to　think　least　important；　and　of　doubtful　efficacy；　and　yet　it　is　the　only　one　that　seems　to　me　capable　of　accounting　for　the　state　of　the　population　among　the　Sarawak　Dyaks。　The　population　of　Great　Britain　increases　so　as　to　double　itself　in　about　fifty　years。　To　do　this　it　is　evident　that　each　married　couple　must　average　three　children　who　live　to　be　married　at　the　age　of　about　twenty…five。　Add　to　these　those　who　die　in　infancy；　those　who　never　marry；　or　those　who　marry　late　in　life　and　have　no　offspring；　the　number　of　children　born　to　each　marriage　must　average　four　or　five；　and　we　know　that　families　of　seven　or　eight　are　very　common；　and　of　ten　and　twelve　by　no　means　rare。　But　from　inquiries　at　almost　every　Dyak　tribe　I　visited；　I　ascertained　that　the　women　rarely　had　more　than　three　or　four　children；　and　an　old　chief　assured　me　that　he　had　never　known　a　woman　to　have　more　than　seven。

In　a　village　consisting　of　a　hundred　and　fifty　families；　only　one　consisted　of　six　children　living；　and　only　six　of　five　children；　the　majority　of　families　appearing　to　be　two；　three；　or　four。　Comparing　this　with　the　known　proportions　in　European　countries；　it　is　evident　that　the　number　of　children　to　each　marriage　can　hardly　average　more　than　three　or　four；　and　as　even　in　civilized　countries　half　the　population　die　before　the　age　of　twenty…five；　we　should　have　only　two　left　to　replace　their　parents；　and　so　long　as　this　state　of　things　continued；　the　population　must　remain　stationary。　Of　course　this　is　a　mere　illustration；　but　the　facts　I　have　stated　seem　to　indicate　that　something　of　the　kind　really　takes　place；　and　if　so；　there　is　no　difficulty　in　understanding　the　smallness　and　almost　stationary　population　of　the　Dyak　tribes。

We　have　next　to　inquire　what　is　the　cause　of　the　small　number　of　births　and　of　living　children　in　a　family。　Climate　and　race　may　have　something　to　do　with　this；　but　a　more　real　and　efficient　cause　seems　to　me　to　be　the　hard　labour　of　the　women；　and　the　heavy　weights　they　constantly　carry。　A　Dyak　woman　generally　spends　the　whole　day　in　the　field；　and　carries　home　every　night　a　heavy　load　of　vegetables　and　firewood；　often　for　several　miles；　over　rough　and　hilly　paths；　and　not　unfrequently　has　to　climb　up　a　rocky　mountain　by　ladders；　and　over　slippery　steppingstones；　to　an　elevation　of　a　thousand　feet。　Besides　this；　she　has　an　hour's　work　every　evening　to　pound　the　rice　with　a　heavy　wooden　stamper；　which　violently　strains　every　part　of　the　body。　She　begins　this　kind　of　labour　when　nine　or　ten　years　old；　and　it　never　ceases　but　with　the　extreme　decrepitude　of　age。　Surely　we　need　not　wonder　at　the　limited　number　of　her　progeny；　but　rather　be　surprised　at　the　successful　efforts　of　nature　to　prevent　the　extermination　of　the　race。

One　of　the　surest　and　most　beneficial　effects　of　advancing　civilization；　will　be　the　amelioration　of　the　condition　of　these　women。　The　precept　and　example　of　higher　races　will　make　the　Dyak　ashamed　of　his　comparatively　idle　life；　while　his　weaker　partner　labours　like　a　beast　of　burthen。　As　his　wants　become　increased　and　his　tastes　refined；　the　women　will　have　more　household　duties　to　attend　to；　and　will　then　cease　to　labour　in　the　fielda　change　which　has　already　to　a　great　extent　taken　place　in　the　allied　Malay；　Javanese；　and　Bugis　tribes。　Population　will　then　certainly　increase　more　rapidly；　improved　systems　of　agriculture　and　some　division　of　labour　will　become　necessary　in　order　to　provide　the　means　of　existence；　and　a　more　complicated　social　state　will　take　the　place　of　the　simple　conditions　of　society　which　now　occur　among　them。　But；　with　the　sharper　struggle　for　existence　that　will　then　arise；　will　the　happiness　of　the　people　as　a　whole　be　increased　or　diminished？　Will　not　evil　passions　be　aroused　by　the　spirit　of　competition；　and　crimes　and　vices；　now　unknown　or　dormant；　be　called　into　active　existence？　These　are　problems　that　time　alone　can　solve；　but　it　is　to　be　hoped　that　education　and　a　high…class　European　example　may　obviate　much　of　the　evil　that　too　often　arises　in　analogous　cases；　and　that　we　may　at　length　be　able　to　point　to　one　instance　of　an　uncivilized　people　who　have　not　become　demoralized；　and　finally　exterminated；　by　contact　with　European　civilization。

A　few　words　in　conclusion；　about　the　government　of　Sarawak。　Sir　James　Brooke　found　the　Dyaks　oppressed　and　ground　down　by　the　most　cruel　tyranny。　They　were　cheated　by　the　Malay　traders　and　robbed　by　the　Malay　chiefs。　Their　wives　and　children　were　often　captured　and　sold　into　slavery；　and　hostile　tribes　purchased　permission　from　their　cruel　rulers　to　plunder；　enslave；　and　murder　them。　Anything　like　justice　or　redress　for　these　injuries　was　utterly　unattainable。　From　the　time　Sir　James　obtained　possession　of　the　country；　all　this　was　stopped。　Equal　justice　was　awarded　to　Malay；　Chinaman；　and　Dyak。　The　remorseless　pirates　from　the　rivers　farther　east　were　punished；　and　finally　shut　up　within　their　own　territories；　and　the　Dyak；　for　the　first　time；　could　sleep　in　peace。　His　wife　and　children　were　now　safe　from　slavery；　his　house　was　no　longer　burned　over　his　head；　his　crops　and　his　fruits　were　now　his　own　to　sell　or　consume　as　he　pleased。　And　the　unknown　stranger　who　had　done　all　this　for　them；　and　asked　for　nothing　in　return；　what　could　he　be？　How　was　it　possible　for　them　to　realize　his　motives？　Was　it　not　natural　that　they　should　refuse　to　believe　he　was　a　man？　For　of　pure　benevolence　combined　with　great　power；　they　had　had　no　experience　among　men。　They　naturally　concluded　that　he　was　a　superior　being；　come　down　upon　earth　to　confer　blessings　on　the　afflicted。　In　many　villages　where　he　had　not　been　seen；　I　was　asked　strange　questions　about　him。　Was　he　not　as　old　as　the　mountains？　Could　he　not　bring　the　dead　to　life？　And　they　firmly　believe　that　he　can　give　them　good　harvests；　and　make　their　fruit…trees　bear　an　abundant　crop。

In　forming　a　proper　estimate　of　Sir　James　Brooke's　government　it　must　ever　be　remembered　that　he　held　Sarawak　solely　by　the　goodwill　of　the　native　inhabitant。　He　had　to　deal　with　two　races；　one　of　whom；　the　Mahometan　Malays；　looked　upon　the　other　race；　the　Dyaks；　as　savages　and　slaves；　only　fit　to　be　robbed　and　plundered。　He　has　effectually　protected　the　Dyaks；　and　has　invariably　treated　them　as；　in　his　sight；　equal　to　the　Malays；　and　yet　he　has　secured　the　affection　and　goodwill　of　both。　Notwithstanding　the　religious　prejudice；　of　Mahometans；　he　has　induced　them　to　modify　many　of　their　worst　laws　and　customs；　and　to　assimilate　their　criminal　code　to　that　of　the　civilized　world。　That　his　government　still　continues；　after　twenty…　seven　yearsnotwithstanding　his　frequent　absences　from　ill…health；　notwithstanding　conspiracies　of　Malay　chiefs；　and　insurrections　of　Chinese　gold…diggers；　all　of　which　have　been　overcome　by　the　supp