the malay archipelago-1-第29章

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and　communicating　by　steps　and　gateways。　The　central　dome　is　fifty　feet　in　diameter；　around　it　is　a　triple　circle　of　seventy…two　towers；　and　the　whole　building　is　six　hundred　and　twenty　feet　square；　and　about　one　hundred　feet　high。　In　the　terrace　walls　are　niches　containing　cross…legged　figures　larger　than　life　to　the　number　of　about　four　hundred；　and　both　sides　of　all　the　terrace　walls　are　covered　with　bas…reliefs　crowded　with　figures；　and　carved　in　hard　stone　and　which　must　therefore　occupy　an　extent　of　nearly　three　miles　in　length！　The　amount　of　human　labour　and　skill　expended　on　the　Great　Pyramid　of　Egypt　sinks　into　insignificance　when　compared　with　that　required　to　complete　this　sculptured　hill…temple　in　the　interior　of　Java。

GUNONG　PRAU。About　forty　miles　southwest　of　Samarang；　on　a　mountain　called　Gunong　Prau；　an　extensive　plateau　is　covered　with　ruins。　To　reach　these　temples；　four　flights　of　stone　steps　were　made　up　the　mountain　from　opposite　directions；　each　flight　consisting　of　more　than　a　thousand　steps。　Traces　of　nearly　four　hundred　temples　have　been　found　here；　and　many　（perhaps　all）　were　decorated　with　rich　and　delicate　sculptures。　The　whole　country　between　this　and　Brambanam；　a　distance　of　sixty　miles；　abounds　with　ruins；　so　that　fine　sculptured　images　may　be　seen　lying　in　the　ditches；　or　built　into　the　walls　of　enclosures。

In　the　eastern　part　of　Java；　at　Kediri　and　in　Malang；　there　are　equally　abundant　traces　of　antiquity；　but　the　buildings　themselves　have　been　mostly　destroyed。　Sculptured　figures；　however；　abound；　and　the　ruins　of　forts；　palaces；　baths；　aqueducts；　and　temples；　can　be　everywhere　traced。　It　is　altogether　contrary　to　the　plan　of　this　book　to　describe　what　I　have　not　myself　seen；　but；　having　been　led　to　mention　them；　I　felt　bound　to　do　something　to　call　attention　to　these　marvellous　works　of　art。　One　is　overwhelmed　by　the　contemplation　of　these　innumerable　sculptures；　worked　with　delicacy　and　artistic　feeling　in　a　hard；　intractable；　trachytic　rock；　and　all　found　in　one　tropical　island。　What　could　have　been　the　state　of　society；　what　the　amount　of　population；　what　the　means　of　subsistence　which　rendered　such　gigantic　works　possible；　will；　perhaps；　ever　remain　a　mystery；　and　it　is　a　wonderful　example　of　the　power　of　religious　ideas　in　social　life；　that　in　the　very　country　where；　five　hundred　years　ago；　these　grand　works　were　being　yearly　executed；　the　inhabitants　now　only　build　rude　houses　of　bamboo　and　thatch；　and　look　upon　these　relics　of　their　forefathers　with　ignorant　amazement；　as　the　undoubted　productions　of　giants　or　of　demons。　It　is　much　to　be　regretted　that　the　Dutch　Government　does　not　take　vigorous　steps　for　the　preservation　of　these　ruins　from　the　destroying　agency　of　tropical　vegetation；　and　for　the　collection　of　the　fine　sculptures　which　are　everywhere　scattered　over　the　land。

Wonosalem　is　situated　about　a　thousand　feet　above　the　sea；　but　unfortunately　it　is　at　a　distance　from　the　forest；　and　is　surrounded　by　coffee　plantations；　thickets　of　bamboo；　and　coarse　grasses。　It　was　too　far　to　walk　back　daily　to　the　forest；　and　in　other　directions　I　could　find　no　collecting　ground　for　insects。　The　place　was；　however；　famous　for　peacocks；　and　my　boy　soon　shot　several　of　these　magnificent　birds；　whose　flesh　we　found　to　be　tender；　white；　and　delicate；　and　similar　to　that　of　a　turkey。　The　Java　peacock　is　a　different　species　from　that　of　India；　the　neck　being　covered　with　scale…like　green　feathers；　and　the　crest　of　a　different　form；　but　the　eyed　train　is　equally　large　and　equally　beautiful。　It　is　a　singular　fact　in　geographical　distribution　that　the　peacock　should　not　be　found　in　Sumatra　or　Borneo；　while　the　superb　Argus；　Fire…backed　and　Ocellated　pheasants　of　those　islands　are　equally　unknown　in　Java。　Exactly　parallel　is　the　fact　that　in　Ceylon　and　Southern　India；　where　the　peacock　abounds；　there　are　none　of　the　splendid　Lophophori　and　other　gorgeous　pheasants　which　inhabit　Northern　India。　It　would　seem　as　if　the　peacock　can　admit　of　no　rivals　in　its　domain。　Were　these　birds　rare　in　their　native　country；　and　unknown　alive　in　Europe；　they　would　assuredly　be　considered　as　the　true　princes　of　the　feathered　tribes；　and　altogether　unrivalled　for　stateliness　and　beauty。　As　it　is；　I　suppose　scarcely　anyone　if　asked　to　fix　upon　the　most　beautiful　bird　in　the　world　would　name　the　peacock；　any　more　than　the　Papuan　savage　or　the　Bugis　trader　would　fix　upon　the　bird　of　paradise　for　the　same　honour。

Three　days　after　my　arrival　at　Wonosalem；　my　friend　Mr。　Ball　came　to　pay　me　a　visit。　He　told　me　that　two　evenings　before；　a　boy　had　been　killed　and　eaten　by　a　tiger　close　to　Modjo…agong。　He　was　riding　on　a　cart　drawn　by　bullocks；　and　was　coming　home　about　dusk　on　the　main　road；　and　when　not　half　a　mile　from　the　village　a　tiger　sprang　upon　him；　carried　him　off　into　the　jungle　close　by；　and　devoured　him。　Next　morning　his　remains　were　discovered；　consisting　only　of　a　few　mangled　bones。　The　Waidono　had　got　together　about　seven　hundred　men；　and　were　in　chase　of　the　animal；　which；　I　afterwards　heard；　they　found　and　killed。　They　only　use　spears　when　in　pursuit　of　a　tiger　in　this　way。　They　surround　a　large　tract　of　country；　and　draw　gradually　together　until　the　animal　is　enclosed　in　a　compact　ring　of　armed　men。　When　he　sees　there　is　no　escape　he　generally　makes　a　spring；　and　is　received　on　a　dozen　spears；　and　almost　instantly　stabbed　to　death。　The　skin　of　an　animal　thus　killed　is；　of　course；　worthless；　and　in　this　case　the　skull；　which　I　had　begged　Mr。　Ball　to　secure　for　me；　was　hacked　to　pieces　to　divide　the　teeth；　which　are　worn　as　charms。

After　a　week　at　Wonosalem；　I　returned　to　the　foot　of　the　mountain；　to　a　village　named　Djapannan；　which　was　surrounded　by　several　patches　of　forest；　and　seemed　altogether　pretty　well　spited　to　my　pursuits。　The　chief　of　the　village　had　prepared　two　small　bamboo　rooms　on　one　side　of　his　own　courtyard　to　accommodate　me；　and　seemed　inclined　to　assist　me　as　much　as　he　could。　The　weather　was　exceedingly　hot　and　dry；　no　rain　having　fallen　for　several　months；　and　there　was；　in　consequence；　a　great　scarcity　of　insects；　and　especially　of　beetles。　I　therefore　devoted　myself　chiefly　to　obtaining　a　good　set　of　the　birds；　and　succeeded　in　making　a　tolerable　collection。　All　the　peacocks　we　had　hitherto　shot　had　had　short　or　imperfect　tails；　but　I　now　obtained　two　magnificent　specimens　more　than　seven　feet　long；　one　of　which　I　preserved　entire；　while　I　kept　the　train　only　attached　to　the　tail　of　two　or　three　others。　When　this　bird　is　seen　feeding　on　the　ground；　it　appears　wonderful　how　it　can　rise　into　the　air　with　such　a　long　and　cumbersome　train　of　feathers。　It　does　so　however　with　great　ease；　by　running　quickly　for　a　short　distance；　and　then　rising　obliquely；　and　will　fly　over　trees　of　a　considerable　height。　I　also　obtained　here　a　specimen　of　the　rare　green　jungle…fowl　（Gallus　furcatus）；　whose　back　and　neck　are　beautifully　scaled　with　bronzy　feathers；　and　whose　smooth…edged　oval　comb　is　of　a　violet　purple　colour；　changing　to　green　at　the　base。　It　is　also　remarkable　in　possessing　a　single　large　wattle　beneath　its　throat；　brightly　coloured　in　three　patches　of　red；　yellow；　and　blue。　The　common　jungle…cock　（Gallus　bankiva）　was　also　obtained　here。　It　is　almost　exactly　like　a　common　game…cock；　but　the　voice　is　different；　being　much　shorter　and　more　abrupt；　hence　its　native　name　is　Bekeko。　Six　different　kinds　of　woodpeckers　and　four　kingfishers　were　found　here；　the　fine　hornbill；　Buceros　lunatus；　more　than　four　feet　long；　and　the　pretty　little　lorikeet；　Loriculus　pusillus；　scarcely　more　than　as　many　inches。

One　morning；　as　I　was　preparing　and　arranging　specimens；　I　was　told　there　was　to　be　a　trial；　and　presently　four　or　five　men　came　in　and　squatted　down　on　a　mat　under　the　audience…shed　in　the　court。　The　chief　then　came　in　with　his　clerk；　and　sat　down　opposite　them。　Each　spoke　in　turn；　telling　his　own　tale；　and　then　I　found　that　those　who　first　entered　were　the　prisoner；　accuser；　policemen；　and　witness；　and　that　the　prisoner　was　indicated　solely　by　having　a　loose　piece　of　cord　twilled　around　his　wrists；　but　not　tied。　It　was　a　case　of　robbery；　and　after　the　evidence　was　given；　and　a　few　questions　h