the malay archipelago-1-第30章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


sts；　but　not　tied。　It　was　a　case　of　robbery；　and　after　the　evidence　was　given；　and　a　few　questions　had　been　asked　by　the　chief；　the　accused　said　a　few　words；　and　then　sentence　was　pronounced；　which　was　a　fine。　The　parties　then　got　up　and　walked　away　together；　seeming　quite　friendly；　and　throughout　there　was　nothing　in　the　manner　of　any　one　present　indicating　passion　or　ill…feelinga　very　good　illustration　of　the　Malayan　type　of　character。

In　a　month's　collecting　at　Wonosaleni　and　Djapannan　I　accumulated　ninety…eight　species　of　birds；　but　a　most　miserable　lot　of　insects。　I　then　determined　to　leave　East　Java　and　try　the　more　moist　and　luxuriant　districts　at　the　western　extremity　of　the　island。　I　returned　to　Sourabaya　by　water；　in　a　roomy　boat　which　brought　myself；　servants；　and　baggage　at　one…fifth　the　expense　it　had　cost　me　to　come　to　Modjo…kerto。　The　river　has　been　rendered　navigable　by　being　carefully　banked　up；　but　with　the　usual　effect　of　rendering　the　adjacent　country　liable　occasionally　to　severe　floods。　An　immense　traffic　passes　down　this　river；　and　at　a　lock　we　passed　through；　a　mile　of　laden　boats　were　waiting　two　or　three　deep；　which　pass　through　in　their　turn　six　at　a　time。

A　few　days　afterwards　I　went　by　steamer　to　Batavia；　where　I　stayed　about　a　week　at　the　chief　hotel；　while　I　made　arrangements　for　a　trip　into　the　interior。　The　business　part　of　the　city　is　near　the　harbour；　but　the　hotels　and　all　the　residences　of　the　officials　and　European　merchants　are　in　a　suburb　two　miles　off；　laid　out　in　wide　streets　and　squares　so　as　to　cover　a　great　extent　of　ground。　This　is　very　inconvenient　for　visitors；　as　the　only　public　conveyances　are　handsome　two…horse　carriages；　whose　lowest　charge　is　five　guilders　（8s。　4d。）　for　half　a　day；　so　that　an　hour's　business　in　the　morning　and　a　visit　in　the　evening　costs　16s。　8d。　a　day　for　carriage　hire　alone。

Batavia　agrees　very　well　with　Mr。　Money's　graphic　account　of　it；　except　that　his　〃clear　canals〃　were　all　muddy；　and　his　〃smooth　gravel　drives〃　up　to　the　houses　were　one　and　all　formed　of　coarse　pebbles；　very　painful　to　walk　upon；　and　hardly　explained　by　the　fact　that　in　Batavia　everybody　drives；　as　it　can　hardly　be　supposed　that　people　never　walk　in　their　gardens。　The　H？tel　des　Indes　was　very　comfortable；　each　visitor　having　a　sitting…room　and　bedroom　opening　on　a　verandah；　where　he　can　take　his　morning　coffee　and　afternoon　tea。　In　the　centre　of　the　quadrangle　is　a　building　containing　a　number　of　marble　baths　always　ready　for　use；　and　there　is　an　excellent　table　d'h？te　breakfast　at　ten；　and　dinner　at　six；　for　all　which　there　is　a　moderate　charge　per　day。

I　went　by　coach　to　Buitenzorg；　forty　miles　inland　and　about　a　thousand　feet　above　the　sea；　celebrated　for　its　delicious　climate　and　its　Botanical　Gardens。　With　the　latter　I　was　somewhat　disappointed。　The　walks　were　all　of　loose　pebbles；　making　any　lengthened　wanderings　about　them　very　tiring　and　painful　under　a　tropical　sun。　The　gardens　are　no　doubt　wonderfully　rich　in　tropical　and　especially　in　Malayan　plants；　but　there　is　a　great　absence　of　skillful　laying…out；　there　are　not　enough　men　to　keep　the　place　thoroughly　in　order；　and　the　plants　themselves　are　seldom　to　be　compared　for　luxuriance　and　beauty　to　the　same　species　grown　in　our　hothouses。　This　can　easily　be　explained。　The　plants　can　rarely　be　placed　in　natural　or　very　favourable　conditions。　The　climate　is　either　too　hot　or　too　cool；　too　moist　or　too　dry；　for　a　large　proportion　of　them；　and　they　seldom　get　the　exact　quantity　of　shade　or　the　right　quality　of　soil　to　suit　them。　In　our　stoves　these　varied　conditions　can　be　supplied　to　each　individual　plant　far　better　than　in　a　large　garden；　where　the　fact　that　the　plants　are　most　of　them　growing　in　or　near　their　native　country　is　supposed　to　preclude；　the　necessity　of　giving　them　much　individual　attention。　Still；　however；　there　is　much　to　admire　here。　There　are　avenues　of　stately　palms；　and　clumps　of　bamboos　of　perhaps　fifty　different　kinds；　and　an　endless　variety　of　tropical　shrubs　and　trees　with　strange　and　beautiful　foliage。　As　a　change　from　the　excessive　heat　of　Batavia；　Buitenzorg　is　a　delightful　abode。　It　is　just　elevated　enough　to　have　deliciously　cool　evenings　and　nights；　but　not　so　much　as　to　require　any　change　of　clothing；　and　to　a　person　long　resident　in　the　hotter　climate　of　the　plains；　the　air　is　always　fresh　and　pleasant；　and　admits　of　walking　at　almost　any　hour　of　the　day。　The　vicinity　is　most　picturesque　and　luxuriant；　and　the　great　volcano　of　Gunung　Salak；　with　its　truncated　and　jagged　summit；　forms　a　characteristic　background　to　many　of　the　landscapes。　A　great　mud　eruption　took　place　in　1699；　since　which　date　the　mountain　has　been　entirely　inactive。

On　leaving　Buitenzorg；　I　had　coolies　to　carry　my　baggage　and　a　horse　for　myself；　both　to　be　changed　every　six　or　seven　miles。　The　road　rose　gradually；　and　after　the　first　stage　the　hills　closed　in　a　little　on　each　side；　forming　a　broad　valley；　and　the　temperature　was　so　cool　and　agreeable；　and　the　country　so　interesting；　that　I　preferred　walking。　Native　villages　imbedded　in　fruit　trees；　and　pretty　villas　inhabited　by　planters　or　retired　Dutch　officials；　gave　this　district　a　very　pleasing　and　civilized　aspect；　but　what　most　attracted　my　attention　was　the　system　of　terrace…cultivation；　which　is　here　universally　adopted；　and　which　is；　I　should　think；　hardly　equalled　in　the　world。　The　slopes　of　the　main　valley；　and　of　its　branches；　were　everywhere　cut　in　terraces　up　to　a　considerable　height；　and　when　they　wound　round　the　recesses　of　the　hills　produced　all　the　effect　of　magnificent　amphitheatres。　Hundreds　of　square　miles　of　country　are　thus　terraced；　and　convey　a　striking　idea　of　the　industry　of　the　people　and　the　antiquity　of　their　civilization。　These　terraces　are　extended　year　by　year　as　the　population　increases；　by　the　inhabitants　of　each　village　working　in　concert　under　the　direction　of　their　chiefs；　and　it　is　perhaps　by　this　system　of　village　culture　alone；　that　such　extensive　terracing　and　irrigation　has　been　rendered　possible。　It　was　probably　introduced　by　the　Brahmins　from　India；　since　in　those　Malay　countries　where　there　is　no　trace　of　a　previous　occupation　by　a　civilized　people；　the　terrace　system　is　unknown。　I　first　saw　this　mode　of　cultivation　in　Bali　and　Lombock；　and；　as　I　shall　have　to　describe　it　in　some　detail　there　（see　Chapter　X。）；　I　need　say　no　more　about　it　in　this　place；　except　that；　owing　to　the　finer　outlines　and　greater　luxuriance　of　the　country　in　West　Java；　it　produces　there　the　most　striking　and　picturesque　effect。　The　lower　slopes　of　the　mountains　in　Java　possess　such　a　delightful　climate　and　luxuriant　soil；　living　is　so　cheap　and　life　and　property　are　so　secure；　that　a　considerable　number　of　Europeans　who　have　been　engaged　in　Government　service；　settle　permanently　in　the　country　instead　of　returning　to　Europe。　They　are　scattered　everywhere　throughout　the　more　accessible　parts　of　the　island；　and　tend　greatly　to　the　gradual　improvement　of　the　native　population；　and　to　the　continued　peace　and　prosperity　of　the　whole　country。

Twenty　miles　beyond　Buitenzorg　the　post　road　passes　over　the　Megamendong　Mountain；　at　an　elevation　of　about　4；500　feet。　The　country　is　finely　mountainous；　and　there　is　much　virgin　forest　still　left　upon　the　hills；　together　with　some　of　the　oldest　coffee…plantations　in　Java；　where　the　plants　have　attained　almost　the　dimensions　of　forest　trees。　About　500　feet　below　the　summit　level　of　the　pass　there　is　a　road…keeper's　hut；　half　of　which　I　hired　for　a　fortnight；　as　the　country　looked　promising　for　making　collections。　I　almost　immediately　found　that　the　productions　of　West　Java　were　remarkably　different　from　those　of　the　eastern　part　of　the　island；　and　that　all　the　more　remarkable　and　characteristic　Javanese　birds　and　insects　were　to　be　found　here。　On　the　very　first　day；　my　hunters　obtained　for　me　the　elegant　yellow　and　green　trogon　（Harpactes　Reinwardti）；　the　gorgeous　little　minivet　flycatcher　（Pericrocotus　miniatus）；　which　looks　like　a　flame　of　fire　as　it　flutters　among　the　bushes；　and　the　rare　and　curious　black　and　crimson　oriole　（Analcipus　sanguinolentus）；　all　of　these　species　which　are　found　only　in　Java；　and　even　se