the malay archipelago-1-第46章

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　woman　up　as　she　must　be　〃krissed。〃　In　vain　he　begged　and　prayed；　and　offered　to　pay　any　fine　the　Rajah　might　impose；　and　finally　refused　to　give　her　up　unless　he　was　forced　to　do　so。　This　the　Rajah　did　not　wish　to　resort　to；　as　he　no　doubt　thought　he　was　acting　as　much　for　the　Englishman's　honour　as　for　his　own；　so　he　appeared　to　let　the　matter　drop。　But　some　time　afterwards　he　sent　one　of　his　followers　to　the　house；　who　beckoned　the　girl　to　the　door；　and　then　saying；　〃The　Rajah　sends　you　this；〃　stabbed　her　to　the　heart。　More　serious　infidelity　is　punished　still　more　cruelly；　the　woman　and　her　paramour　being　tied　back　to　back　and　thrown　into　the　sea；　where　some　large　crocodiles　are　always　on　the　watch　to　devour　the　bodies。　One　such　execution　took　place　while　I　was　at　Ampanam；　but　I　took　a　long　walk　into　the　country　to　be　out　of　the　way　until　it　was　all　over；　thus　missing　the　opportunity　of　having　a　horrible　narrative　to　enliven　my　somewhat　tedious　story。

One　morning；　as　we　were　sitting　at　breakfast；　Mr。　Carter's　servant　informed　us　that　there　was　an　〃Amok〃　in　the　villagein　other　words；　that　a　man　was　〃running　a　muck。〃　Orders　were　immediately　given　to　shut　and　fasten　the　gates　of　our　enclosure；　but　hearing　nothing　for　some　time；　we　went　out；　and　found　there　had　been　a　false　alarm；　owing　to　a　slave　having　run　away；　declaring　he　would　〃amok；〃　because　his　master　wanted　to　sell　him。　A　short　time　before；　a　man　had　been　killed　at　a　gaming…table　because；　having　lost　half…a…dollar　more　than　he　possessed；　he　was　going　to　〃amok。〃　Another　had　killed　or　wounded　seventeen　people　before　he　could　be　destroyed。　In　their　wars　a　whole　regiment　of　these　people　will　sometimes　agree　to　〃amok；〃　and　then　rush　on　with　such　energetic　desperation　as　to　be　very　formidable　to　men　not　so　excited　as　themselves。　Among　the　ancients　these　would　have　been　looked　upon　as　heroes　or　demigods　who　sacrificed　themselves　for　their　country。　Here　it　is　simply　saidthey　made　〃amok。〃

Macassar　is　the　most　celebrated　place　in　the　East　for　〃running　a　muck。〃　There　are　said　to　be　one　or　two　a　month　on　the　average；　and　five；　ten；　or　twenty　persons　are　sometimes　killed　or　wounded　at　one　of　them。　It　is　the　national；　and　therefore　the　honourable；　mode　of　committing　suicide　among　the　natives　of　Celebes；　and　is　the　fashionable　way　of　escaping　from　their　difficulties。　A　Roman　fell　upon　his　sword；　a　Japanese　rips　up　his　stomach；　and　an　Englishman　blows　out　his　brains　with　a　pistol。　The　Bugis　mode　has　many　advantages　to　one　suicidically　inclined。　A　man　thinks　himself　wronged　by　societyhe　is　in　debt　and　cannot　payhe　is　taken　for　a　slave　or　has　gambled　away　his　wife　or　child　into　slaveryhe　sees　no　way　of　recovering　what　he　has　lost；　and　becomes　desperate。　He　will　not　put　up　with　such　cruel　wrongs；　but　will　be　revenged　on　mankind　and　die　like　a　hero。　He　grasps　his　kris…handle；　and　the　next　moment　draws　out　the　weapon　and　stabs　a　man　to　the　heart。　He　runs　on；　with　bloody　kris　in　his　hand；　stabbing　at　everyone　he　meets。　〃Amok！　Amok！〃　then　resounds　through　the　streets。　Spears；　krisses；　knives　and　guns　are　brought　out　against　him。　He　rushes　madly　forward；　kills　all　he　canmen；　women；　and　childrenand　dies　overwhelmed　by　numbers　amid　all　the　excitement　of　a　battle。　And　what　that　excitement　is　those　who　have　been　in　one　best　know；　but　all　who　have　ever　given　way　to　violent　passions；　or　even　indulged　in　violent　and　exciting　exercises；　may　form　a　very　good　idea。　It　is　a　delirious　intoxication；　a　temporary　madness　that　absorbs　every　thought　and　every　energy。　And　can　we　wonder　at　the　kris…bearing；　untaught；　brooding　Malay　preferring　such　a　death；　looked　upon　as　almost　honourable　to　the　cold…blooded　details　of　suicide；　if　he　wishes　to　escape　from　overwhelming　troubles；　or　the　merciless　of　the　hangman　and　the　disgrace　of　a　public　execution；　when　he　has　taken　the　law　into　his　own　hands　and　too　hastily　revenged　himself　upon　his　enemy？　In　either　case　he　chooses　rather　to　〃amok。〃

The　great　staples　of　the　trade　of　Lombock　as　well　as　of　Bali　are　rice　and　coffee；　the　former　grown　on　the　plains；　the　latter　on　the　hills。　The　rice　is　exported　very　largely　to　other　islands　of　the　Archipelago；　to　Singapore；　and　even　to　China；　and　there　are　generally　one　or　more　vessels　loading　in　the　port。　It　is　brought　into　Ampanam　on　pack…horses；　and　almost　everyday　a　string　of　these　would　come　into　Mr。　Carter's　yard。　The　only　money　the　natives　will　take　for　their　rice　is　Chinese　copper　cash；　twelve　hundred　of　which　go　to　a　dollar。　Every　morning　two　large　sacks　of　this　money　had　to　be　counted　out　into　convenient　sums　for　payment。　From　Bali　quantities　of　dried　beef　and　ox…tongues　are　exported；　and　from　Lombock　a　good　many　ducks　and　ponies。　The　ducks　are　a　peculiar　breed；　which　have　very　long　flat　bodies；　and　walk　erect　almost　like　penguins。　They　are　generally　of　a　pale　reddish　ash　colour；　and　are　kept　in　large　flocks。　They　are　very　cheap　and　are　largely　consumed　by　the　crews　of　the　rice　ships；　by　whom　they　are　called　Baly…soldiers；　but　are　more　generally　known　elsewhere　as　penguin…ducks。

My　Portuguese　bird…stuffer　Fernandez　now　insisted　on　breaking　his　agreement　and　returning　to　Singapore；　partly　from　homesickness；　but　more　I　believe　from　the　idea　that　his　life　was　not　worth　many　months'　purchase　among　such　bloodthirsty　and　uncivilized　peoples。　It　was　a　considerable　loss　to　me；　as　I　had　paid　him　full　three　times　the　usual　wages　for　three　months　in　advance；　half　of　which　was　occupied　in　the　voyage　and　the　rest　in　a　place　where　I　could　have　done　without　him；　owing　to　there　being　so　few　insects　that　I　could　devote　my　own　time　to　shooting　and　skinning。　A　few　days　after　Fernandez　had　left；　a　small　schooner　came　in　bound　for　Macassar；　to　which　place　I　took　a　passage。　As　a　fitting　conclusion　to　my　sketch　of　these　interesting　islands；　I　will　narrate　an　anecdote　which　I　heard　of　the　present　Rajah；　and　which；　whether　altogether　true　or　not；　well　illustrates　native　character；　and　will　serve　as　a　means　of　introducing　some　details　of　the　manners　and　customs　of　the　country　to　which　I　have　not　yet　alluded。

CHAPTER　XII。

L0MBOCK：　HOW　THE　RAJAH　TOOK　THE　CENSUS。

The　Rajah　of　Lombock　was　a　very　wise　man　and　he　showed　his　wisdom　greatly　in　the　way　he　took　the　census。　For　my　readers　must　know　that　the　chief　revenues　of　the　Rajah　were　derived　from　a　head…tax　of　rice；　a　small　measure　being　paid　annually　by　every　man；　woman；　and　child　in　the　island；　There　was　no　doubt　that　every　one　paid　this　tax；　for　it　was　a　very　light　one；　and　the　land　was　fertile　and　the　people　well　off；　but　it　had　to　pass　through　many　hands　before　it　reached　the　Government　storehouses。　When　the　harvest　was　over　the　villagers　brought　their　rice　to　the　Kapala　kampong；　or　head　of　the　village；　and　no　doubt　he　sometimes　had　compassion　for　the　poor　or　sick　and　passed　over　their　short　measure；　and　sometimes　was　obliged　to　grant　a　favour　to　those　who　had　complaints　against　him；　and　then　he　must　keep　up　his　own　dignity　by　having　his　granaries　better　filled　than　his　neighbours；　and　so　the　rice　that　he　took　to　the　〃Waidono〃　that　was　over　his　district　was　generally　good　deal　less　than　it　should　have　been。　And　all　the　〃Waidonos〃　had　of　course　to　take　care　of　themselves；　for　they　were　all　in　debt　and　it　was　so　easy　to　take　a　little　of　the　Government　rice；　and　there　would　still　be　plenty　for　the　Rajah。　And　the　〃Gustis〃　or　princes　who　received　the　rice　from　the　Waidonos　helped　themselves　likewise；　and　so　when　the　harvest　was　all　over　and　the　rice　tribute　was　all　brought　in；　the　quantity　was　found　to　be　less　each　year　than　the　one　before。　Sickness　in　one　district；　and　fevers　in　another；　and　failure　of　the　crops　in　a　third；　were　of　course　alleged　as　the　cause　of　this　falling　off；　but　when　the　Rajah　went　to　hunt　at　the　foot　of　the　great　mountain；　or　went　to　visit　a　〃Gusti〃　on　the　other　side　of　the　island；　he　always　saw　the　villages　full　of　people；　all　looking　well…fed　and　happy。　And　he　noticed　that　the　krisses　of　his　chiefs　and　officers　were　getting　handsomer　and　handsomer；　and　the　handles　that　were　of　yellow　wood　were　changed　for　ivory；　and　those　of　ivory　were　changed　for　gold；　and　diamonds　and　emeralds　sparkled　on　many　of　them；　and　he　knew　very　well　which　way　the　tribute…rice　went。　But