the malay archipelago-1-第33章

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wn　and　port　of　Banca。　Here　I　stayed　a　day　or　two；　until　I　could　obtain　a　boat　to　take　me　across　the　straits；　and　all　the　river　to　Palembang。　A　few　walks　into　the　country　showed　me　that　it　was　very　hilly；　and　full　of　granitic　and　laterite　rocks；　with　a　dry　and　stunted　forest　vegetation；　and　I　could　find　very　few　insects。　A　good…sized　open　sailing…boat　took　me　across　to　the　mouth　of　the　Palembang　river　where；　at　a　fishing　village；　a　rowing…boat　was　hired　to　take　me　up　to　Palembanga　distance　of　nearly　a　hundred　miles　by　water。　Except　when　the　wind　was　strong　and　favourable　we　could　only　proceed　with　the　tide；　and　the　banks　of　the　river　were　generally　flooded　Nipa…swamps；　so　that　the　hours　we　were　obliged　to　lay　at　anchor　passed　very　heavily。　Reaching　Palembang　on　the　8th　of　November；　I　was　lodged　by　the　Doctor；　to　whom　I　had　brought　a　letter　of　introduction；　and　endeavoured　to　ascertain　where　I　could　find　a　good　locality　for　collecting。　Everyone　assured　me　that　I　should　have　to　go　a　very　long　way　further　to　find　any　dry　forest；　for　at　this　season　the　whole　country　for　many　miles　inland　was　flooded。　I　therefore　had　to　stay　a　week　at　Palembang　before　I　could　determine　my　future　movements。

The　city　is　a　large　one；　extending　for　three　or　four　miles　along　a　fine　curve　of　the　river；　which　is　as　wide　as　the　Thames　at　Greenwich。　The　stream　is；　however；　much　narrowed　by　the　houses　which　project　into　it　upon　piles；　and　within　these；　again；　there　is　a　row　of　houses　built　upon　great　bamboo　rafts；　which　are　moored　by　rattan　cables　to　the　shore　or　to　piles；　and　rise　and　fall　with　the　tide。

The　whole　riverfront　on　both　sides　is　chiefly　formed　of　such　houses；　and　they　are　mostly　shops　open　to　the　water；　and　only　raised　a　foot　above　it；　so　that　by　taking　a　small　boat　it　is　easy　to　go　to　market　and　purchase　anything　that　is　to　be　had　in　Palembang。　The　natives　are　true　Malays；　never　building　a　house　on　dry　land　if　they　can　find　water　to　set　it　in；　and　never　going　anywhere　on　foot　if　they　can　reach　the　place　in　a　heat。　A　considerable　portion　of　the　population　are　Chinese　and　Arabs；　who　carry　on　all　the　trade；　while　the　only　Europeans　are　the　civil　and　military　officials　of　the　Dutch　Government。　The　town　is　situated　at　the　head　of　the　delta　of　the　river；　and　between　it　and　the　sea　there　is　very　little　ground　elevated　above　highwater　mark；　while　for　many　miles　further　inland；　the　banks　of　the　main　stream　and　its　numerous　tributaries　are　swampy；　and　in　the　wet　season　hooded　for　a　considerable　distance。　Palembang　is　built　on　a　patch　of　elevated　ground；　a　few　miles　in　extent；　on　the　north　bank　of　the　river。　At　a　spot　about　three　miles　from　the　town　this　turns　into　a　little　hill；　the　top　of　which　is　held　sacred　by　the　natives；　shaded　by　some　fine　trees；and　inhabited　by　a　colony　of　squirrels　which　have　become　half…tame。　On　holding　out　a　few　crumbs　of　bread　or　any　fruit；　they　come　running　down　the　trunk；　take　the　morsel　out　of　your　fingers；　and　dart　away　instantly。　Their　tails　are　carried　erect；　and　the　hair；　which　is　ringed　with　grey；　yellow；　and　brown；　radiates　uniformly　around　them；　and　looks　exceedingly　pretty。　They　have　somewhat　of　the　motions　of

mice；　coming　on　with　little　starts；　and　gazing　intently　with　their　large　black　eyes　before　venturing　to　advance　further。　The　manner　in　which　Malays　often　obtain　the　confidence　of　wild　animals　is　a　very　pleasing　trait　in　their　character；　and　is　due　in　some　degree　to　the　quiet　deliberation　of　their　manners；　and　their　love　of　repose　rather　than　of　action。　The　young　are　obedient　to　the　wishes　of　their　elders；　and　seem　to　feel　none　of　that　propensity　to　mischief　which　European　boys　exhibit。　How　long　would　tame　squirrels　continue　to　inhabit　trees　in　the　vicinity　of　an　English　village；　even　if　close　to　the　church？　They　would　soon　be　pelted　and　driven　away；　or　snared　and　confined　in　a　whirling　cage。　I　have　never　heard　of　these　pretty　animals　being　tamed　in　this　way　in　England；　but　I　should　think　it　might　be　easily　done　in　any　gentleman's　park；　and　they　would　certainly　be　as　pleasing　and　attractive　as　they　would　be　uncommon。

After　many　inquiries；　I　found　that　a　day's　journey　by　water　above　Palembang　there　commenced　a　military　road　which　extended　up　to　the　mountains　and　even　across　to　Bencoolen；　and　I　determined　to　take　this　route　and　travel　on　until　I　found　some　tolerable　collecting　ground。　By　this　means　I　should　secure　dry　land　and　a　good　road；　and　avoid　the　rivers；　which　at　this　season　are　very　tedious　to　ascend　owing　to　the　powerful　currents；　and　very　unproductive　to　the　collector　owing　to　most　of　the　lands　in　their　vicinity　being　underwater。　Leaving　early　in　the　morning　we　did　not　reach　Lorok；　the　village　where　the　road　begins；　until　late　at　night。　I　stayed　there　a　few　days；　but　found　that　most　all　the　ground　in　the　vicinity　not　underwater　was　cultivated；　and　that　the　only　forest　was　in　swamps　which　were　now　inaccessible。　The　only　bird　new　to　me　which　I　obtained　at　Lorok　was　the　fine　long…　tailed　parroquet　（Palaeornis　longicauda）。　The　people　here　assured　me　that　the　country　was　just　the　same　as　this　for　a　very　long　waymore　than　a　week's　journey；　and　they　seemed　hardly　to　have　any　conception　of　an　elevated　forest…clad　country；　so　that　I　began　to　think　it　would　be　useless　going　on；　as　the　time　at　my　disposal　was　too　short　to　make　it　worth　my　while　to　spend　much　more　of　it　in　moving　about。　At　length；　however；　I　found　a　man　who　knew　the　country；　and　was　more　intelligent；　and　he　at　once　told　me　that　if　I　wanted　forest　I　must　go　to　the　district　of　Rembang；　which　I　found　on　inquiry　was　about　twenty…five　or　thirty　miles　off。

The　road　is　divided　into　regular　stages　of　ten　or　twelve　miles　each；　and；　without　sending　on　in　advance　to　have　coolies　ready；　only　this　distance　can　be　travelled　in　a　day。　At　each　station　there　are　houses　for　the　accommodation　of　passengers；　with　cooking…house　and　stables；　and　six　or　eight　men　always　on　guard。　There　is　an　established　system　for　coolies　at　fixed　rates；　the　inhabitants　of　the　surrounding　villages　all　taking　their　turn　to　be　subject　to　coolie　service；　as　well　as　that　of　guards　at　the　station　for　five　days　at　a　time。　This　arrangement　makes　travelling　very　easy；　and　was　a　great　convenience　for　me。　I　had　a　pleasant　walk　of　ten　or　twelve　miles　in　the　morning；　and　the　rest　of　the　day　could　stroll　about　and　explore　the　village　and　neighbourhood；　having　a　house　ready　to　occupy　without　any　formalities　whatever。　In　three　days　I　reached　Moera…dua；　the　first　village　in　Rembang；　and　finding　the　country　dry　and　undulating；　with　a　good　sprinkling　of　forest；　I　determined　to　remain　a　short　time　and　try　the　neighbourhood。　Just　opposite　the　station　was　a　small　but　deep　river；　and　a　good　bathing…place；　and　beyond　the　village　was　a　fine　patch　of　forest；　through　which　the　road　passed；　overshadowed　by　magnificent　trees；　which　partly　tempted　me　to　stay；　but　after　a　fortnight　I　could　find　no　good　place　for　insects；　and　very　few　birds　different　from　the　common　species　of　Malacca。　I　therefore　moved　on　another　stage　to　Lobo　Raman；　where　the　guard…house　is　situated　quite　by　itself　in　the　forest；　nearly　a　mile　from　each　of　three　villages。　This　was　very　agreeable　to　me；　as　I　could　move　about　without　having　every　motion　watched　by　crowds　of　men；　women　and　children；　and　I　had　also　a　much　greater　variety　of　walks　to　each　of　the　villages　and　the　plantations　around　them。

The　villages　of　the　Sumatran　Malays　are　somewhat　peculiar　and　very　picturesque。　A　space　of　some　acres　is　surrounded　with　a　high　fence；　and　over　this　area　the　houses　are　thickly　strewn　without　the　least　attempt　at　regularity。　Tall　cocoa…nut　trees　grow　abundantly　between　them；　and　the　ground　is　bare　and　smooth　with　the　trampling　of　many　feet。　The　houses　are　raised　about　six　feet　on　posts；　the　best　being　entirely　built　of　planks；　others　of　bamboo。　The　former　are　always　more　or　less　ornamented　with　carving　and　have　high…pitched　roofs　and　overhanging　eaves。　The　gable　ends　and　all　the　chief　posts　and　beams　are　sometimes　covered　with　exceedingly　tasteful　carved　work；　and　this　is　still　more　the　case　in　the　district　of　Menangkabo；　further　west。　The　floor　is　made　of　split　bamboo；　and　is　rather　shaky；　and　there　is　no　sign　of　anything　we　should　call　furnitu