the malay archipelago-1-第6章

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ry　and　a　soil　almost　as　arid　as　that　of　Timor。　Yet　between　these　corresponding　groups　of　islands；　constructed　as　it　were　after　the　same　pattern；　subjected　to　the　same　climate；　and　bathed　by　the　same　oceans；　there　exists　the　greatest　possible　contrast　when　we　compare　their　animal　productions。　Nowhere　does　the　ancient　doctrinethat　differences　or　similarities　in　the　various　forms　of　life　that　inhabit　different　countries　are　due　to　corresponding　physical　differences　or　similarities　in　the　countries　themselvesmeet　with　so　direct　and　palpable　a　contradiction。　Borneo　and　New　Guinea；　as　alike　physically　as　two　distinct　countries　can　be；　are　zoologically　wide　as　the　poles　asunder；　while　Australia；　with　its　dry　winds；　its　open　plains；　its　stony　deserts；　and　its　temperate　climate；　yet　produces　birds　and　quadrupeds　which　are　closely　related　to　those　inhabiting　the　hot　damp　luxuriant　forests；　which　everywhere　clothe　the　plains　and　mountains　of　New　Guinea。

In　order　to　illustrate　more　clearly　the　means　by　which　I　suppose　this　great　contrast　has　been　brought　about；　let　us　consider　what　would　occur　if　two　strongly　contrasted　divisions　of　the　earth　were；　by　natural　means；　brought　into　proximity。　No　two　parts　of　the　world　differ　so　radically　in　their　productions　as　Asia　and　Australia；　but　the　difference　between　Africa　and　South　America　is　also　very　great；　and　these　two　regions　will　well　serve　to　illustrate　the　question　we　are　considering。　On　the　one　side　we　have　baboons；　lions；　elephants；　buffaloes；　and　giraffes；　on　the　other　spider…monkeys；　pumas；　tapirs；　anteaters；　and　sloths；　while　among　birds；　the　hornbills；　turacos；　orioles；　and　honeysuckers　of　Africa　contrast　strongly　with　the　toucans；　macaws；　chatterers；　and　hummingbirds　of　America。

Now　let　us　endeavour　to　imagine　（what　it　is　very　probable　may　occur　in　future　ages）　that　a　slow　upheaval　of　the　bed　of　the　Atlantic　should　take　place；　while　at　the　same　time　earthquake…　shocks　and　volcanic　action　on　the　land　should　cause　increased　volumes　of　sediment　to　be　poured　down　by　the　rivers；　so　that　the　two　continents　should　gradually　spread　out　by　the　addition　of　newly…formed　lands；　and　thus　reduce　the　Atlantic　which　now　separates　them；　to　an　arm　of　the　sea　a　few　hundred　miles　wide。　At　the　same　time　we　may　suppose　islands　to　be　upheaved　in　mid…　channel；　and；　as　the　subterranean　forces　varied　in　intensity；　and　shifted　their　points　of　greatest　action；　these　islands　would　sometimes　become　connected　with　the　land　on　one　side　or　other　of　the　strait；　and　at　other　times　again　be　separated　from　it。　Several　islands　would　at　one　time　be　joined　together；　at　another　would　be　broken　up　again；　until　at　last；　after　many　long　ages　of　such　intermittent　action；　we　might　have　an　irregular　archipelago　of　islands　filling　up　the　ocean　channel　of　the　Atlantic；　in　whose　appearance　and　arrangement　we　could　discover　nothing　to　tell　us　which　had　been　connected　with　Africa　and　which　with　America。　The　animals　and　plants　inhabiting　these　islands　would；　however；　certainly　reveal　this　portion　of　their　former　history。　On　those　islands　which　had　ever　formed　a　part　of　the　South　American　continent；　we　should　be　sure　to　find　such　common　birds　as　chatterers　and　toucans　and　hummingbirds；　and　some　of　the　peculiar　American　quadrupeds；　while　on　those　which　had　been　separated　from　Africa；　hornbills；　orioles；　and　honeysuckers　would　as　certainly　be　found。　Some　portion　of　the　upraised　land　might　at　different　times　have　had　a　temporary　connection　with　both　continents；　and　would　then　contain　a　certain　amount　of　mixture　in　its　living　inhabitants。　Such　seems　to　have　been　the　case　with　the　islands　of　Celebes　and　the　Philippines。　Other　islands；　again；　though　in　such　close　proximity　as　Bali　and　Lombock；　might　each　exhibit　an　almost　unmixed　sample　of　the　productions　of　the　continents　of　which　they　had　directly　or　indirectly　once　formed　a　part。

In　the　Malay　Archipelago　we　have；　I　believe；　a　case　exactly　parallel　to　that　which　I　have　here　supposed。　We　have　indications　of　a　vast　continent；　with　a　peculiar　fauna　and　flora　having　been　gradually　and　irregularly　broken　up；　the　island　of　Celebes　probably　marking　its　furthest　westward　extension；　beyond　which　was　a　wide　ocean。　At　the　same　time　Asia　appears　to　have　been　extending　its　limits　in　a　southeast　direction；　first　in　an　unbroken　mass；　then　separated　into　islands　as　we　now　see　it；　and　almost　coming　into　actual　contact　with　the　scattered　fragments　of　the　great　southern　land。

From　this　outline　of　the　subject；　it　will　be　evident　how　important　an　adjunct　Natural　History　is　to　Geology；　not　only　in　interpreting　the　fragments　of　extinct　animals　found　in　the　earth's　crust；　but　in　determining　past　changes　in　the　surface　which　have　left　no　geological　record。　It　is　certainly　a　wonderful　and　unexpected　fact　that　an　accurate　knowledge　of　the　distribution　of　birds　and　insects　should　enable　us　to　map　out　lands　and　continents　which　disappeared　beneath　the　ocean　long　before　the　earliest　traditions　of　the　human　race。　Wherever　the　geologist　can　explore　the　earth's　surface；　he　can　read　much　of　its　past　history；　and　can　determine　approximately　its　latest　movements　above　and　below　the　sea…level；　but　wherever　oceans　and　seas　now　extend；　he　can　do　nothing　but　speculate　on　the　very　limited　data　afforded　by　the　depth　of　the　waters。　Here　the　naturalist　steps　in；　and　enables　him　to　fill　up　this　great　gap　in　the　past　history　of　the　earth。

One　of　the　chief　objects　of　my　travels　was　to　obtain　evidence　of　this　nature；　and　my　search　after　such　evidence　has　been　rewarded　by　great　success；　so　that　I　have　been　able　to　trace　out　with　some　probability　the　past　changes　which　one　of　the　most　interesting　parts　of　the　earth　has　undergone。　It　may　be　thought　that　the　facts　and　generalizations　here　given　would　have　been　more　appropriately　placed　at　the　end　rather　than　at　the　beginning　of　a　narrative　of　the　travels　which　supplied　the　facts。　In　some　cases　this　might　be　so；　but　I　have　found　it　impossible　to　give　such　an　account　as　I　desire　of　the　natural　history　of　the　numerous　islands　and　groups　of　islands　in　the　Archipelago；　without　constant　reference　to　these　generalizations　which　add　so　much　to　their　interest。　Having　given　this　general　sketch　of　the　subject；　I　shall　be　able　to　show　how　the　same　principles　can　be　applied　to　the　individual　islands　of　a　group；　as　to　the　whole　Archipelago；　and　thereby　make　my　account　of　the　many　new　and　curious　animals　which　inhabit　them　both；　more　interesting　and　more　instructive　than　if　treated　as　mere　isolated　facts。

Contrasts　of　Races。Before　I　had　arrived　at　the　conviction　that　the　eastern　and　western　halves　of　the　Archipelago　belonged　to　distinct　primary　regions　of　the　earth；　I　had　been　led　to　group　the　natives　of　the　Archipelago　under　two　radically　distinct　races。　In　this　I　differed　from　most　ethnologists　who　had　before　written　on　the　subject；　for　it　had　been　the　almost　universal　custom　to　follow　William　von　Humboldt　and　Pritchard；　in　classing　all　the　Oceanic　races　as　modifications　of　one　type。　Observation　soon　showed　me；　however；　that　Malays　and　Papuans　differed　radically　in　every　physical；　mental；　and　moral　character；　and　more　detailed　research；　continued　for　eight　years；　satisfied　me　that　under　these　two　forms；　as　types；　the　whole　of　the　peoples　of　the　Malay　Archipelago　and　Polynesia　could　be　classified。　On　drawing　the　line　which　separates　these　races；　it　is　found　to　come　near　to　that　which　divides　the　zoological　regions；　but　somewhat　eastward　of　it；　a　circumstance　which　appears　to　me　very　significant　of　the　same　causes　having　influenced　the　distribution　of　mankind　that　have　determined　the　range　of　other　animal　forms。

The　reason　why　exactly　the　same　line　does　not　limit　both　is　sufficiently　intelligible。　Man　has　means　of　traversing　the　sea　which　animals　do　not　possess；　and　a　superior　race　has　power　to　press　out　or　assimilate　an　inferior　one。　The　maritime　enterprise　and　higher　civilization　of　the　Malay　races　have　enabled　them　to　overrun　a　portion　of　the　adjacent　region；　in　which　they　have　entirely　supplanted　the　indigenous　inhabitants　if　it　ever　possessed　any；　and　to　spread　much　of　their　language；　their　domestic　animals；　and　their　customs　far　over　the　Pacific；　into　islands　where　they　have　but　slightly；