the malay archipelago-1-第55章

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s　is　very　frequent　on　the　banks　of　rivers；　and　may　have　been　conveyed　from　island　to　island　on　trees　carried　down　by　hoods。　2。　Paradoxurus　fasciatus；　a　civet　cat；　very　common　over　a　large　part　of　the　Archipelago。　3。　Felis　megalotis；　a　tiger　cat；　said　to　be　peculiar　to　Timor；　where　it　exists　only　in　the　interior；　and　is　very　rare。　Its　nearest　allies　are　in　Java。　4。　Cervus　timoriensis；　a　deer；　closely　allied　to　the　Javan　and　Moluccan　species；　if　distinct。　5。　A　wild　pig；　Sus　timoriensis；　perhaps　the　same　as　some　of　the　Moluccan　species。　6。　A　shrew　mouse；　Sorex　tenuis；　supposed　to　be　peculiar　to　Timor。　7。　An　Eastern　opossum；　Cuscus　orientalis；　found　also　in　the　Moluccas；　if　not　a　distinct　species。

The　fact　that　not　one　of　these　species　is　Australia　or　nearly　allied　to　any　Australian　form；　is　strongly　corroborative　of　the　opinion　that　Timor　has　never　formed　a　part　of　that　country；　as　in　that　case　some　kangaroo　or　other　marsupial　animal　would　almost　certainly　be　found　there。　It　is　no　doubt　very　difficult　to　account　for　the　presence　of　some　of　the　few　mammals　that　do　exist　in　Timor；　especially　the　tiger　cat　and　the　deer。　We　must　consider；　however；　that　during　thousands；　and　perhaps　hundreds　of　thousands　of　years；　these　islands　and　the　seas　between　them　have　been　subjected　to　volcanic　action。　The　land　has　been　raised　and　has　sunk　again；　the　straits　have　been　narrowed　or　widened；　many　of　the　islands　may　have　been　joined　and　dissevered　again；　violent　floods　have　again　and　again　devastated　the　mountains　and　plains；　carrying　out　to　sea　hundreds　of　forest　trees；　as　has　often　happened　during　volcanic　eruptions　in　Java；　and　it　does　not　seem　improbable　that　once　in　a　thousand；　or　ten　thousand　years；　there　should　have　occurred　such　a　favourable　combination　of　circumstances　as　would　lead　to　the　migration　of　two　or　three　land　animals　from　one　island　to　another。　This　is　all　that　we　need　ask　to　account　for　the　very　scanty　and　fragmentary　group　of　Mammalia　which　now　inhabit　the　large　island　of　Timor。　The　deer　may　very　probably　have　been　introduced　by　man；　for　the　Malays　often　keep　tame　fawns；　and　it　may　not　require　a　thousand；　or　even　five　hundred　years；　to　establish　new　characters　in　an　animal　removed　to　a　country　so　different　in　climate　and　vegetation　as　is　Timor　from　the　Moluccas。　I　have　not　mentioned　horses；　which　are　often　thought　to　be　wild　in　Timor；　because　there　are　no　grounds　whatever　for　such　a　belief。　The　Timor　ponies　have　every　one　an　owner；　and　are　quite　as　much　domesticated　animals　as　the　cattle　on　a　South　American　hacienda。

I　have　dwelt　at　some　length　upon　the　origin　of　the　Timorese　fauna　because　it　appears　to　be　a　most　interesting　and　instructive　problem。　It　is　very　seldom　that　we　can　trace　the　animals　of　a　district　so　clearly　as　we　can　in　this　case　to　two　definite　sources；　and　still　more　rarely　that　they　furnish　such　decisive　evidence　of　the　time；　the　manner；　and　the　proportions　of　their　introduction。　We　have　here　a　group　of　Oceanic　Islands　in　miniatureislands　which　have　never　formed　part　of　the　adjacent　lands；　although　so　closely　approaching　them；　and　their　productions　have　the　characteristics　of　true　Oceanic　islands　slightly　modified。　These　characteristics　are：　the　absence　all　Mammalia　except　bats；　and　the　occurrence　of　peculiar　species　of　birds；　insects；　and　land　shells；　which；　though　found　nowhere　else；　are　plainly　related　to　those　of　the　nearest　land。　Thus；　we　have　an　entire　absence　of　Australian　mammals；　and　the　presence　of　only　a　few　stragglers　from　the　west　which　can　be　accounted　for　in　the　manner　already　indicated。　Bats　are　tolerably　abundant。

Birds　have　many　peculiar　species；　with　a　decided　relationship　to　those　of　the　two　nearest　masses　of　land。　The　insects　have　similar　relations　with　the　birds。　As　an　example；　four　species　of　the　Papilionidae　are　peculiar　to　Timor；　three　others　are　also　found　in　Java；　and　one　in　Australia。　Of　the　four　peculiar　species　two　are　decided　modifications　of　Javanese　forms；　while　the　others　seen　allied　to　those　of　the　Moluccas　and　Celebes。　The　very　few　land　shells　known　are　all；　curiously　enough；　allied　to　or　identical　with　Moluccan　or　Celebes　forms。　The　Pieridae　（white　and　yellow　butterflies）　which　wander　more；　and　from　frequenting　open　grounds；　are　more　liable　to　be　blown　out　to　sea；　seem　about　equally　related　to　those　of　Java；　Australia；　and　the　Moluccas。

It　has　been　objected　to　in　Mr。　Darwin's　theory；　of　Oceanic　Islands　having　never　been　connected　with　the　mainland；　that　this　would　imply　that　their　animal　population　was　a　matter　of　chance；　it　has　been　termed　the　〃flotsam　and　jetsam　theory；〃　and　it　has　been　maintained　that　nature　does　not　work　by　the　〃chapter　of　accidents。〃　But　in　the　case　which　I　have　here　described；　we　have　the　most　positive　evidence　that　such　has　been　the　mode　of　peopling　the　islands。　Their　productions　are　of　that　miscellaneous　character　which　we　should　expect　front　such　an　origin；　and　to　suppose　that　they　have　been　portions　of　Australia　or　of　Java　will　introduce　perfectly　gratuitous　difficulties；　and　render　it　quite　impossible　to　explain　those　curious　relations　which　the　best　known　group　of　animals　（the　birds）　have　been　shown　to　exhibit。　On　the　other　hand；　the　depth　of　the　surrounding　seas；　the　form　of　the　submerged　banks；　and　the　volcanic　character　of　most　of　the　islands；　all　point　to　an　independent　origin。

Before　concluding；　I　must　make　one　remark　to　avoid　misapprehension。　When　I　say　that　Timor　has　never　formed　part　of　Australia；　I　refer　only　to　recent　geological　epochs。　In　Secondary　or　even　Eocene　or　Miocene　times；　Timor　and　Australia　may　have　been　connected；　but　if　so；　all　record　of　such　a　union　has　been　lost　by　subsequent　submergence；　and　in　accounting　for　the　present　land…inhabitants　of　any　country　we　have　only　to　consider　those　changes　which　have　occurred　since　its　last　elevation　above　the　waters　since　such　last　elevation；　I　feel　confident　that　Timor　has　not　formed　part　of　Australia。

CHAPTER　XV。

CELEBES。

（MACASSAR；　SEPTEMBER　TO　NOVEMBER；　1856。）

I　LEFT　Lombock　on　the　30th　of　August；　and　reached　Macassar　in　three　days。　It　was　with　great　satisfaction　that　I　stepped　on　a　shore　which　I　had　been　vainly　trying　to　reach　since　February；　and　where　I　expected　to　meet　with　so　much　that　was　new　and　interesting。

The　coast　of　this　part　of　Celebes　is　low　and　flat；　lined　with　trees　and　villages　so　as　to　conceal　the　interior；　except　at　occasional　openings　which　show　a　wide　extent　of　care　and　marshy　rice…fields。　A　few　hills　of　no　great　height　were　visible　in　the　background；　but　owing　to　the　perpetual　haze　over　the　land　at　this　time　of　the　year；　I　could　nowhere　discern　the　high　central　range　of　the　peninsula；　or　the　celebrated　peak　of　Bontyne　at　its　southern　extremity。　In　the　roadstead　of　Macassar　there　was　a　fine　42…gun　frigate；　the　guardship　of　the　place；　as　well　as　a　small　war　steamer　and　three　or　four　little　cutters　used　for　cruising　after　the　pirates　which　infest　these　seas。　There　were　also　a　few　square…rigged　trading…vessels；　and　twenty　or　thirty　native　praus　of　various　sizes。　I　brought　letters　of　introduction　to　a　Dutch　gentleman；　Mr。　Mesman；　and　also　to　a　Danish　shopkeeper；　who　could　both　speak　English　and　who　promised　to　assist　me　in　finding　a　place　to　stay；　suitable　for　my　pursuits。　In　the　meantime；　I　went　to　a　kind　of　clubhouse；　in　default　of　any　hotel　in　the　place。

Macassar　was　the　first　Dutch　town　I　had　visited；　and　I　found　it　prettier　and　cleaner　than　any　I　had　yet　seen　in　the　East。　The　Dutch　have　some　admirable　local　regulations。　All　European　houses　must　be　kept　well　white…washed；　and　every　person　must；　at　four　in　the　afternoon；　water　the　road　in　front　of　his　house。　The　streets　are　kept　clear　of　refuse；　and　covered　drains　carry　away　all　impurities　into　large　open　sewers；　into　which　the　tide　is　admitted　at　high…water　and　allowed　to　flow　out　when　it　has　ebbed；　carrying　all　the　sewage　with　it　into　the　sea。　The　town　consists　chiefly　of　one　long　narrow　street　along　the　seaside；　devoted　to　business；　and　principally　occupied　by　the　Dutch　and　Chinese　merchants'　offices　and　warehouses；　and　the　native　shops　or　bazaars。　This　extends　northwards　for　more　than　a　mile；　gradually　merging　into　native　houses　often　of　a　most　miserable　description；　but　made　to　have