the malay archipelago-1-第64章

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Here　we　have　a　picture　of　true　savage　life；　of　small　isolated　communities　at　war　with　all　around　them；　subject　to　the　wants　and　miseries　of　such　a　condition；　drawing　a　precarious　existence　from　the　luxuriant　soil；　and　living　on；　from　generation　to　generation；　with　no　desire　for　physical　amelioration；　and　no　prospect　of　moral　advancement。

Such　was　their　condition　down　to　the　year　1822；　when　the　coffee…　plant　was　first　introduced；　and　experiments　were　made　as　to　its　cultivation。　It　was　found　to　succeed　admirably　from　fifteen　hundred　feet；　up　to　four　thousand　feet　above　the　sea。　The　chiefs　of　villages　were　induced　to　undertake　its　cultivation。　Seed　and　native　instructors　were　sent　from　Java；　food　was　supplied　to　the　labourers　engaged　in　clearing　and　planting；　a　fixed　price　was　established　at　which　all　coffee　brought　to　the　government　collectors　was　to　be　paid　for；　and　the　village　chiefs　who　now　received　the　titles　of　〃Majors〃　were　to　receive　five　percent　of　the　produce。　After　a　time；　roads　were　made　from　the　port　of　Menado　up　to　the　plateau；　and　smaller　paths　were　cleared　from　village　to　village；　missionaries　settled　in　the　more　populous　districts　and　opened　schools；　and　Chinese　traders　penetrated　to　the　interior　and　supplied　clothing　and　other　luxuries　in　exchange　for　the　money　which　the　sale　of　the　coffee　had　produced。

At　the　same　time；　the　country　was　divided　into　districts；　and　the　system　of　〃Controlleurs；〃　which　had　worked　so　well　in　Java；　was　introduced。　The　〃Controlleur　〃was　a　European；　or　a　native　of　European　blood；　who　was　the　general　superintendent　of　the　cultivation　of　the　district；　the　adviser　of　the　chiefs；　the　protector　of　the　people；　and　the　means　of　communication　between　both　and　the　European　Government。　His　duties　obliged　him　to　visit　every　village　in　succession　once　a　month；　and　to　send　in　a　report　on　their　condition　to　the　Resident。　As　disputes　between　adjacent　villages　were　now　settled　by　appeal　to　a　superior　authority；　the　old　and　inconvenient　semi…fortified　houses　were　disused；　and　under　the　direction　of　the　〃Controlleurs〃　most　of　the　houses　were　rebuilt　on　a　neat　and　uniform　plan。　It　was　this　interesting　district　which　I　was　now　about　to　visit。

Having　decided　on　my　route；　I　started　at　8　A。M。　on　the　22d　of　June。　Mr。　Tower　drove　me　the　first　three　miles　in　his　chaise；　and　Mr。　Neys　accompanied　me　on　horseback　three　miles　further　to　the　village　of　Lotta。　Here　we　met　the　Controlleur　of　the　district　of　Tondano；　who　was　returning　home　from　one　of　his　monthly　tours；　and　who　had　agreed　to　act　as　my　guide　and　companion　on　the　journey。　From　Lotta　we　had　an　almost　continual　ascent　for　six　miles；　which　brought　us　on　to　the　plateau　of　Tondano　at　an　elevation　of　about　2；400　feet。　We　passed　through　three　villages　whose　neatness　and　beauty　quite　astonished　me。　The　main　road；　along　which　all　the　coffee　is　brought　down　from　the　interior　in　carts　drawn　by　buffaloes；　is　always　turned　aside　at　the　entrance　of　a　village；　so　as　to　pass　behind　it；　and　thus　allow　the　village　street　itself　to　be　kept　neat　and　clean。　This　is　bordered　by　neat　hedges　often　formed　entirely　of　rose…trees；　which　are　perpetually　in　blossom。　There　is　a　broad　central　path　and　a　border　of　fine　turf；　which　is　kept　well　swept　and　neatly　cut。　The　houses　are　all　of　wood；　raised　about　six　feet　on　substantial　posts　neatly　painted　blue；　while　the　walls　are　whitewashed。　They　all　have　a　verandah　enclosed　with　a　neat　balustrade；　and　are　generally　surrounded　by　orange…trees　and　flowering　shrubs。　The　surrounding　scenery　is　verdant　and　picturesque。　Coffee　plantations　of　extreme　luxuriance；　noble　palms　and　tree　ferns；　wooded　hills　and　volcanic　peaks；　everywhere　meet　the　eye。　I　had　heard　much　of　the　beauty　of　this　country；　but　the　reality　far　surpassed　my　expectations。

About　one　o'clock　we　reached　Tomohón；　the　chief　place　of　a　district；　having　a　native　chief　now　called　the　〃Major；〃　at　whose　house　we　were　to　dine。　Here　was　a　fresh　surprise　for　me。　The　house　was　large；　airy　and　very　substantially　built　of　hard　native　timber；　squared　and　put　together　in　a　most　workmanlike　manner。　It　was　furnished　in　European　style；　with　handsome　chandelier　lamps；　and　the　chairs　and　tables　all　well　made　by　native　workmen。　As　soon　as　we　entered；　madeira　and　bitters　were　offered　us。　Then　two　handsome　boys　neatly　dressed　in　white；　and　with　smoothly　brushed　jet…black　hair；　handed　us　each　a　basin　of　water　and　a　clean　napkin　on　a　salver。　The　dinner　was　excellent。　Fowls　cooked　in　various　ways；　wild　pig　roasted；　stewed　and　fried；　a　fricassee　of　bats；　potatoes；　rice　and　other　vegetables；　all　served　on　good　china；　with　finger　glasses　and　fine　napkins；　and　abundance　of　good　claret　and　beer；　seemed　to　me　rather　curious　at　the　table　of　a　native　chief　on　the　mountains　of　Celebes。　Our　host　was　dressed　in　a　suit　of　black　with　patent…leather　shoes；　and　really　looked　comfortable　and　almost　gentlemanly　in　them。　He　sat　at　the　head　of　the　table　and　did　the　honours　well；　though　he　did　not　talk　much。　Our　conversation　was　entirely　in　Malay；　as　that　is　the　official　language　here；　and　in　fact　the　mother…tongue　and　only　language　of　the　Controlleur；　who　is　a　native…born　half…breed。　The　Major's　father　who　was　chief　before　him；　wore；　I　was　informed；　a　strip　of　bark　as　his　sole　costume；　and　lived　in　a　rude　but　raised　home　on　lofty　poles；　and　abundantly　decorated　with　human　heads。　Of　course　we　were　expected；　and　our　dinner　was　prepared　in　the　best　style；　but　I　was　assured　that　the　chiefs　all　take　a　pride　in　adopting　European　customs；　and　in　being　able　to　receive　their　visitors　in　a　handsome　manner。

After　dinner　and　coffee；　the　Controlleur　went　on　to　Tondano；　and　I　strolled　about　the　village　waiting　for　my　baggage；　which　was　coming　in　a　bullock…cart；　and　did　not　arrive　until　after　midnight。　Supper　was　very　similar　to　dinner；　and　on　retiring　I　found　an　elegant　little　room　with　a　comfortable　bed；　gauze　curtains　with　blue　and　red　hangings；　and　every　convenience。　Next　morning　at　sunrise　the　thermometer　in　the　verandah　stood　at　69°；　which　I　was　told　is　about　the　usual　lowest　temperature　at　this　place；　2；500　feet　above　the　sea。　I　had　a　good　breakfast　of　coffee；　eggs；　and　fresh　bread　and　butter；　which　I　took　in　the　spacious　verandah　amid　the　odour　of　roses；　jessamine；　and　other　sweet…scented　flowers；　which　filled　the　garden　in　front；　and　about　eight　o'clock　left　Tomohón　with　a　dozen　men　carrying　my　baggage。

Our　road　lay　over　a　mountain　ridge　about　4；000　feet　above　the　sea；　and　then　descended　about　500　feet　to　the　little　village　of　Rurúkan；　the　highest　in　the　district　of　Minahasa；　and　probably　in　all　Celebes。　Here　I　had　determined　to　stay　for　some　time　to　see　whether　this　elevation　would　produce　any　change　in　the　zoology。　The　village　had　only　been　formed　about　ten　years；　and　was　quite　as　neat　as　those　I　had　passed　through；　and　much　more　picturesque。　It　is　placed　on　a　small　level　spot；　from　which　there　is　an　abrupt　wooded　descent　down　to　the　beautiful　lake　of　Tondano；　with　volcanic　mountains　beyond。　On　one　side　is　a　ravine；　and　beyond　it　a　fine　mountainous　and　wooded　country。

Near　the　village　are　the　coffee　plantations。　The　trees　are　planted　in　rows；　and　are　kept　topped　to　about　seven　feet　high。　This　causes　the　lateral　branches　to　grow　very　strong；　so　that　some　of　the　trees　become　perfect　hemispheres；　loaded　with　fruit　from　top　to　bottom；　and　producing　from　ten　to　twenty　pounds　each　of　cleaned　coffee　annually。　These　plantations　were　all　formed　by　the　Government；　and　are　cultivated　by　the　villagers　under　the　direction　of　their　chief。　Certain　days　are　appointed　for　weeding　or　gathering；　and　the　whole　working　population　are　summoned　by　the　sound　of　a　gong。　An　account　is　kept　of　the　number　of　hours'　work　done　by　each　family；　and　at　the　year's　end；　the　produce　of　the　sale　is　divided　among　them　proportionately。　The　coffee　is　taken　to　Government　stores　established　at　central　places　over　the　whole　country；　and　is　paid　for　at　a　low　fixed　price。　Out　of　this　a　certain　percentage　goes　to　the　chiefs　and　majors；　and　the　remainder　is　divided　among　the　inhabitants。　This　system　works　very　well；　and　I　believe　is　at　present　far　better　for　the　people　than　free…trade　would　be。　There　are　also　large　rice…fields；　and　in　this　little　village　o