the malay archipelago-1-第62章

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is　country　beyond　the　mountains。　During　the　rainy　season　it　is　quite　impassable；　the　river　filling　its　bed　and　rushing　between　perpendicular　cliffs　many　hundred　feet　high。　Even　at　the　time　of　my　visit　it　was　most　precipitous　and　fatiguing；　yet　women　and　children　came　over　it　daily；　and　men　carrying　heavy　loads　of　palm　sugar　（of　very　little　value）。　It　was　along　the　path　between　the　lower　and　the　upper　falls；　and　about　the　margin　of　the　upper　pool；　that　I　found　most　insects。　The　large　semi…transparent　butterfly；　Idea　tondana；　flew　lazily　along　by　dozens；　and　it　was　here　that　I　at　length　obtained　an　insect　which　I　had　hoped　but　hardly　expected　to　meet　withthe　magnificent　Papilio　androcles；　one　of　the　largest　and　rarest　known　swallow…tailed　butterflies。　During　my　four　days'　stay　at　the　falls；　I　was　so　fortunate　as　to　obtain　six　good　specimens。　As　this　beautiful　creature　flies；　the　long　white　tails　flicker　like　streamers；　and　when　settled　on　the　beach　it　carries　them　raised　upwards；　as　if　to　preserve　them　from　injury。　It　is　scarce　even　here；　as　I　did　not　see　more　than　a　dozen　specimens　in　all；　and　had　to　follow　many　of　them　up　and　down　the　river's　bank　repeatedly　before　I　succeeded　in　their　capture。　When　the　sun　shone　hottest；　about　noon；　the　moist　beach　of　the　pool　below　the　upper　fall　presented　a　beautiful　sight；　being　dotted　with　groups　of　gay　butterfliesorange；　yellow；　white；　blue；　and　green　which　on　being　disturbed　rose　into　the　air　by　hundreds；　forming　clouds　of　variegated　colours。

Such　gores；　chasms；　and　precipices　here　abound；as　I　have　nowhere　seen　in　the　Archipelago。　A　sloping　surface　is　scarcely　anywhere　to　be　found；　huge　walls　and　rugged　masses　of　rock　terminating　all　the　mountains　and　enclosing　the　valleys。　In　many　parts　there　are　vertical　or　even　overhanging　precipices　five　or　six　hundred　feet　high；　yet　completely　clothed　with　a　tapestry　of　vegetation。　Ferns；　Pandanaceae；　shrubs；　creepers；　and　even　forest　trees；　are　mingled　in　an　evergreen　network；　through　the　interstices　of　which　appears　the　white　limestone　rock　or　the　dark　holes　and　chasms　with　which　it　abounds。　These　precipices　are　enabled　to　sustain　such　an　amount　of　vegetation　by　their　peculiar　structure。　Their　surfaces　are　very　irregular；　broken　into　holes　and　fissures；　with　ledges　overhanging　the　mouths　of　gloomy　caverns；　but　from　each　projecting　part　have　descended　stalactites；　often　forming　a　wild　gothic　tracery　over　the　caves　and　receding　hollows；　and　affording　an　admirable　support　to　the　roots　of　the　shrubs；　trees；　and　creepers；　which　luxuriate　in　the　warm　pure　atmosphere　and　the　gentle　moisture　which　constantly　exudes　from　the　rocks。　In　places　where　the　precipice　offers　smooth　surfaces　of　solid　rock；　it　remains　quite　bare；　or　only　stained　with　lichens；　and　dotted　with　clumps　of　ferns　that　grow　on　the　small　ledges　and　in　the　minutest　crevices。

The　reader　who　is　familiar　with　tropical　nature　only　through　the　medium　of　books　and　botanical　gardens　will　picture　to　himself　in　such　a　spot　many　other　natural　beauties。　He　will　think　that　I　have　unaccountably　forgotten　to　mention　the　brilliant　flowers；　which；　in　gorgeous　masses　of　crimson；　gold　or　azure；　must　spangle　these　verdant　precipices；　hang　over　the　cascade；　and　adorn　the　margin　of　the　mountain　stream。　But　what　is　the　reality？　In　vain　did　I　gaze　over　these　vast　walls　of　verdure；　among　the　pendant　creepers　and　bushy　shrubs；　all　around　the　cascade　on　the　river's　bank；　or　in　the　deep　caverns　and　gloomy　fissuresnot　one　single　spot　of　bright　colour　could　be　seen；　not　one　single　tree　or　bush　or　creeper　bore　a　flower　sufficiently　conspicuous　to　form　an　object　in　the　landscape。　In　every　direction　the　eye　rested　on　green　foliage　and　mottled　rock。　There　was　infinite　variety　in　the　colour　and　aspect　of　the　foliage；　there　was　grandeur　in　the　rocky　masses　and　in　the　exuberant　luxuriance　of　the　vegetation；　but　there　was　no　brilliancy　of　colour；　none　of　those　bright　flowers　and　gorgeous　masses　of　blossom　so　generally　considered　to　be　everywhere　present　in　the　tropics。　I　have　here　given　an　accurate　sketch　of　a　luxuriant　tropical　scene　as　noted　down　on　the　spot；　and　its　general　characteristics　as　regards　colour　have　been　so　often　repeated；　both　in　South　America　and　over　many　thousand　miles　in　the　Eastern　tropics；　that　I　am　driven　to　conclude　that　it　represents　the　general　aspect　of　nature　at　the　equatorial　（that　is；　the　most　tropical）　parts　of　the　tropical　regions。

How　is　it　then；　that　the　descriptions　of　travellers　generally　give　a　very　different　idea？　and　where；　it　may　be　asked；　are　the　glorious　flowers　that　we　know　do　exist　in　the　tropics？　These　questions　can　be　easily　answered。　The　fine　tropical　flowering…　plants　cultivated　in　our　hothouses　have　been　culled　from　the　most　varied　regions；　and　therefore　give　a　most　erroneous　idea　of　their　abundance　in　any　one　region。　Many　of　them　are　very　rare；　others　extremely　local；　while　a　considerable　number　inhabit　the　more　arid　regions　of　Africa　and　India；　in　which　tropical　vegetation　does　not　exhibit　itself　in　its　usual　luxuriance。　Fine　and　varied　foliage；　rather　than　gay　flowers；　is　more　characteristic　of　those　parts　where　tropical　vegetation　attains　its　highest　development；　and　in　such　districts　each　kind　of　flower　seldom　lasts　in　perfection　more　than　a　few　weeks；　or　sometimes　a　few　days。　In　every　locality　a　lengthened　residence　will　show　an　abundance　of　magnificent　and　gaily…blossomed　plants；　but　they　have　to　be　sought　for；　and　are　rarely　at　any　one　time　or　place　so　abundant　as　to　form　a　perceptible　feature　in　the　landscape。　But　it　has　been　the　custom　of　travellers　to　describe　and　group　together　all　the　fine　plants　they　have　met　with　during　a　long　journey；　and　thus　produce　the　effect　of　a　gay　and　flower…　painted　landscape。　They　have　rarely　studied　and　described　individual　scenes　where　vegetation　was　most　luxuriant　and　beautiful；　and　fairly　stated　what　effect　was　produced　in　them　by　flowers。　I　have　done　so　frequently；　and　the　result　of　these　examinations　has　convinced　me　that　the　bright　colours　of　flowers　have　a　much　greater　influence　on　the　general　aspect　of　nature　in　temperate　than　in　tropical　climates。　During　twelve　years　spent　amid　the　grandest　tropical　vegetation；　I　have　seen　nothing　comparable　to　the　effect　produced　on　our　landscapes　by　gorse；　broom；　heather；　wild　hyacinths；　hawthorn；　purple　orchises；　and　buttercups。

The　geological　structure　of　this　part　of　Celebes　is　interesting。　The　limestone　mountains；　though　of　great　extent；　seem　to　be　entirely　superficial；　resting　on　a　basis　of　basalt　which　in　some　places　forms　low　rounded　hills　between　the　more　precipitous　mountains。　In　the　rocky　beds　of　the　streams　basalt　is　almost　always　found；　and　it　is　a　step　in　this　rock　which　forms　the　cascade　already　described。　From　it　the　limestone　precipices　rise　abruptly；　and　in　ascending　the　little　stairway　along　the　side　of　the　fall；　you　step　two　or　three　times　from　tpe　of　rock　on　to　the　otherthe　limestone　dry　and　rough；　being　worn　by　the　water　and　rains　into　sharp　ridges　and　honeycombed　holesthe　basalt　moist；　even；　and　worn　smooth　and　slippery　by　the　passage　of　bare…　footed　pedestrians。　The　solubility　of　the　limestone　by　rain…water　is　well　seen　in　the　little　blocks　and　peaks　which　rise　thickly　through　the　soil　of　the　alluvial　plains　as　you　approach　the　mountains。　They　are　all　skittle…shaped；　larger　in　the　middle　than　at　the　base；　the　greatest　diameter　occurring　at　the　height　to　which　the　country　is　flooded　in　the　wet　season；　and　thence　decreasing　regularly　to　the　ground。　Many　of　them　overhang　considerably；　and　some　of　the　slenderer　pillars　appear　to　stand　upon　a　point。　When　the　rock　is　less　solid　it　becomes　curiously　honeycombed　by　the　rains　of　successive　winters；　and　I　noticed　some　masses　reduced　to　a　complete　network　of　stone　through　which　light　could　be　seen　in　every　direction。

From　these　mountains　to　the　sea　extends　a　perfectly　flat　alluvial　plain；　with　no　indication　that　water　would　accumulate　at　a　great　depth　beneath　it；　yet　the　authorities　at　Macassar　have　spent　much　money　in　boring　a　well　a　thousand　feet　deep　in　hope　of　getting　a　supply　of　water　like　that　obtained　by　the　Artesian　wells　in　the　London　and　Paris　basins。　It　is　not　to　be　wondered　at　that　the　attempt　was　unsuccessful