the malay archipelago-1-第59章

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myself　until　they　had　passed；　to　avoid　a　catastrophe　which　would　increase　the　dislike　with　which　I　was　already　regarded。　Everyday　about　noon　the　buffaloes　were　brought　into　the　villa；　and　were　tethered　in　the　shade　around　the　houses；　and　then　I　had　to　creep　about　like　a　thief　by　backways；　for　no　one　could　tell　what　mischief　they　might　do　to　children　and　houses　were　I　to　walk　among　them。　If　I　came　suddenly　upon　a　well　where　women　were　drawing　water　or　children　bathing；　a　sudden　flight　was　the　certain　result；　which　things　occurring　day　after　day；　were　very　unpleasant　to　a　person　who　does　not　like　to　be　disliked；　and　who　had　never　been　accustomed　to　be　treated　as　an　ogre。

About　the　middle　of　November；　finding　my　health　no　better；　and　insects；　birds；　and　shells　all　very　scarce；　I　determined　to　return　to　Mamajam；　and　pack　up　my　collections　before　the　heavy　rains　commenced。　The　wind　bad　already　begun　to　blow　from　the　west；　and　many　signs　indicated　that　the　rainy　season　might　set　in　earlier　than　usual；　and　then　everything　becomes　very　damp；　and　it　is　almost　impossible　to　dry　collections　properly。　My　kind　friend　Mr。　Mesman　again　lent　me　his　pack…horses；　and　with　the　assistance　of　a　few　men　to　carry　my　birds　and　insects；　which　I　did　not　like　to　trust　on　horses'　backs；　we　got　everything　home　safe。　Few　can　imagine　the　luxury　it　was　to　stretch　myself　on　a　sofa；　and　to　take　my　supper　comfortably　at　table　seated　in　my　easy　bamboo　chair；　after　having　for　five　weeks　taken　all　my　meals　uncomfortably　on　the　floor。　Such　things　are　trifles　in　health；　but　when　the　body　is　weakened　by　disease　the　habits　of　a　lifetime　cannot　be　so　easily　set　aside。

My　house；　like　all　bamboo　structures　in　this　country；　was　a　leaning　one；　the　strong　westerly　winds　of　the　wet　season　having　set　all　its　posts　out　of　the　perpendicular　to　such　a　degree　as　to　make　me　think　it　might　someday　possibly　go　over　altogether。　It　is　a　remarkable　thing　that　the　natives　of　Celebes　have　not　discovered　the　use　of　diagonal　struts　in　strengthening　buildings。　I　doubt　if　there　is　a　native　house　in　the　country　two　years　old　and　at　all　exposed　to　the　wind；　which　stands　upright；　and　no　wonder；　as　they　merely　consist　of　posts　and　joists　all　placed　upright　or　horizontal；　and　fastened　rudely　together　with　rattans。　They　may　be　seen　in　every　stage　of　the　process　of　tumbling　down；　from　the　first　slight　inclination；　to　such　a　dangerous　slope　that　it　becomes　a　notice　to　quit　to　the　occupiers。

The　mechanical　geniuses　of　the　country　have　only　discovered　two　ways　of　remedying　the　evil。　One　is；　after　it　has　commenced；　to　tie　the　house　to　a　post　in　the　ground　on　the　windward　side　by　a　rattan　or　bamboo　cable。　The　other　is　a　preventive；　but　how　they　ever　found　it　out　and　did　not　discover　the　true　way　is　a　mystery。　This　plan　is；　to　build　the　house　in　the　usual　way；　but　instead　of　having　all　the　principal　supports　of　straight　posts；　to　have　two　or　three　of　them　chosen　as　crooked　as　possible。　I　had　often　noticed　these　crooked　posts　in　houses；　but　imputed　it　to　the　scarcity　of　good；　straight　timber；　until　one　day　I　met　some　men　carrying　home　a　post　shaped　something　like　a　dog's　hind　leg；　and　inquired　of　my　native　boy　what　they　were　going　to　do　with　such　a　piece　of　wood。　〃To　make　a　post　for　a　house；〃　said　he。　〃But　why　don't　they　get　a　straight　one；　there　are　plenty　here？〃　said　I。　〃Oh；〃　replied　he；　〃they　prefer　some　like　that　in　a　house；　because　then　it　won't　fall；〃　evidently　imputing　the　effect　to　some　occult　property　of　crooked　timber。　A　little　consideration　and　a　diagram。　will；　however；　show；　that　the　effect　imputed　to　the　crooked　post　may　be　really　produced　by　it。　A　true　square　changes　its　figure　readily　into　a　rhomboid　or　oblique　figure；　but　when　one　or　two　of　the　uprights　are　bent　or　sloping；　and　placed　so　as　to　oppose　each　other；　the　effect　of　a　strut　is　produced；　though　in　a　rude　and　clumsy　manner。

Just　before　I　had　left　Mamajam　the　people　had　sown　a　considerable　quantity　of　maize；　which　appears　above　ground　in　two　or　three　days；　and　in　favourable　seasons　ripens　in　less　than　two　months。　Owing　to　a　week's　premature　rains　the　ground　was　all　flooded　when　I　returned；　and　the　plants　just　coming　into　ear　were　yellow　and　dead。　Not　a　grain　would　be　obtained　by　the　whole　village；　but　luckily　it　is　only　a　luxury；　not　a　necessity　of　life。　The　rain　was　the　signal　for　ploughing　to　begin；　in　order　to　sow　rice　on　all　the　flat　lands　between　us　and　the　town。　The　plough　used　is　a　rude　wooden　instrument　with　a　very　short　single　handle；　a　tolerably　well…shaped　coulter；　and　the　point　formed　of　a　piece　of　hard　palm…wood　fastened　in　with　wedges。　One　or　two　buffaloes　draw　it　at　a　very　slow　pace。　The　seed　is　sown　broadcast；　and　a　rude　wooden　harrow　is　used　to　smooth　the　surface。

By　the　beginning　of　December　the　regular　wet　season　had　set　in。　Westerly　winds　and　driving　rains　sometimes　continued　for　days　together；　the　fields　for　miles　around　were　under　water；　and　the　ducks　and　buffaloes　enjoyed　themselves　amazingly。　All　along　the　road　to　Macassar；　ploughing　was　daily　going　on　in　the　mud　and　water；　through　which　the　wooden　plough　easily　makes　its　way；　the　ploughman　holding　the　plough…handle　with　one　hand　while　a　long　bamboo　in　the　other　serves　to　guide　the　buffaloes。　These　animals　require　an　immense　deal　of　driving　to　get　them　on　at　all；　a　continual　shower　of　exclamations　is　kept　up　at　them；　and　〃Oh！　ah！　Gee！　ugh！〃　are　to　be　heard　in　various　keys　and　in　an　uninterrupted　succession　all　day　long。　At　night　we　were　favoured　with　a　different　kind　of　concert。　The　dry　ground　around　my　house　had　become　a　marsh　tenanted　by　frogs；　who　kept　up　a　most　incredible　noise　from　dusk　to　dawn。　They　were　somewhat　musical　too；　having　a　deep　vibrating　note　which　at　times　closely　resembles　the　tuning　of　two　or　three　bass…viols　in　an　orchestra。　In　Malacca　and　Borneo　I　had　heard　no　such　sounds　as　these；　which　indicates　that　the　frogs；　like　most　of　the　animals　of　Celebes；　are　of　species　peculiar　to　it。

My　kind　friend　and　landlord；　Mr。　Mesman；　was　a　good　specimen　of　the　Macassar…born　Dutchman。　He　was　about　thirty…five　years　of　age；　had　a　large　family；　and　lived　in　a　spacious　house　near　the　town；　situated　in　the　midst　of　a　grove　of　fruit　trees；　and　surrounded　by　a　perfect　labyrinth　of　offices；　stables；　and　native　cottages　occupied　by　his　numerous　servants；　slaves；　or　dependants。　He　usually　rose　before　the　sun；　and　after　a　cup　of　coffee　looked　after　his　servants；　horses；　and　dogs；　until　seven；　when　a　substantial　breakfast　of　rice　and　meat　was　ready　in　a　cool　verandah。　Putting　on　a　clean　white　linen　suit；　he　then　（trove　to　town　in　his　buggy；　where　he　had　an　office；　with　two　or　three　Chinese　clerks　who　looked　after　his　affairs。　His　business　was　that　of　a　coffee　and　opium　merchant。　He　had　a　coffee　estate　at　Bontyne；　and　a　small　prau　which　traded　to　the　Eastern　islands　near　New　Guinea；　for　mother…of…pearl　and　tortoiseshell。　About　one　he　would　return　home；　have　coffee　and　cake　or　fried　plantain；　first　changing　his　dress　for　a　coloured　cotton　shirt　and　trousers　and　bare　feet；　and　then　take　a　siesta　with　a　book。　About　four；　after　a　cup　of　tea；　he　would　walk　round　his　premises；　and　generally　stroll　down　to　Mamajam　to　pay　me　a　visit；　and　look　after　his　farm。

This　consisted　of　a　coffee　plantation　and　an　orchard　of　fruit　trees；　a　dozen　horses　and　a　score　of　cattle；　with　a　small　village　of　Timorese　slaves　and　Macassar　servants。　One　family　looked　after　the　cattle　and　supplied　the　house　with　milk；　bringing　me　also　a　large　glassful　every　morning；　one　of　my　greatest　luxuries。　Others　had　charge　of　the　horses；　which　were　brought　in　every　afternoon　and　fed　with　cut　grass。　Others　had　to　cut　grass　for　their　master's　horses　at　Macassarnot　a　very　easy　task　in　the　dry　season；　when　all　the　country　looks　like　baked　mud；　or　in　the　rainy　season；　when　miles　in　every　direction　are　flooded。　How　they　managed　it　was　a　mystery　to　me；　but　they　know　grass　must　be　had；　and　they　get　it。　One　lame　woman　had　charge　of　a　flock　of　ducks。　Twice　a　day　she　took　them　out　to　feed　in　the　marshy　places；　let　them　waddle　and　gobble　for　an　hour　or　two；　and　then　drove　them　back　and　shut　them　up　in　a　small　dark　shed　to　digest　their　meal；　whence　they　gave　forth　occasionally　a　melancholy　quack。　Every　nigh