the malay archipelago-1-第67章

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ed　with　them；　the　savage　himself　admits　this。　He　admires　the　superior　acquirements　of　the　civilized　man；　and　it　is　with　pride　that　he　will　adopt　such　usages　as　do　not　interfere　too　much　with　his　sloth；　his　passions；　or　his　prejudices。　But　as　the　willful　child　or　the　idle　schoolboy；　who　was　never　taught　obedience；　and　never　made　to　do　anything　which　of　his　own　free　will　he　was　not　inclined　to　do；　would　in　most　cases　obtain　neither　education　nor　manners；　so　it　is　much　more　unlikely　that　the　savage；　with　all　the　confirmed　habits　of　manhood　and　the　traditional　prejudices　of　race；　should　ever　do　more　than　copy　a　few　of　the　least　beneficial　customs　of　civilization；　without　some　stronger　stimulus　than　precept；　very　imperfectly　backed　by　example。

If　we　are　satisfied　that　we　are　right　in　assuming　the　government　over　a　savage　race；　and　occupying　their　country；　and　if　we　further　consider　it　our　duty　to　do　what　we　can　to　improve　our　rude　subjects　and　raise　them　up　towards　our　own　level；　we　must　not　be　too　much　afraid　of　the　cry　of　〃despotism〃　and　〃slavery；〃　but　must　use　the　authority　we　possess　to　induce　them　to　do　work　which　they　may　not　altogether　like；　but　which　we　know　to　be　an　indispensable　step　in　their　moral　and　physical　advancement。　The　Dutch　have　shown　much　good　policy　in　the　means　by　which　they　have　done　this。　They　have　in　most　cases　upheld　and　strengthened　the　authority　of　the　native　chiefs；　to　whom　the　people　have　been　accustomed　to　render　a　voluntary　obedience；　and　by　acting　on　the　intelligence　and　self…interest　of　these　chiefs；　have　brought　about　changes　in　the　manners　and　customs　of　the　people；　which　would　have　excited　ill…feeling　and　perhaps　revolt；　had　they　been　directly　enforced　by　foreigners。

In　carrying　out　such　a　system；　much　depends　upon　the　character　of　the　people；　and　the　system　which　succeeds　admirably　in　one　place　could　only　be　very　partially　worked　out　in　another。　In　Minahasa　the　natural　docility　and　intelligence　of　the　race　have　made　their　progress　rapid；　and　how　important　this　is；　is　well　illustrated　by　the　fact；　that　in　the　immediate　vicinity　of　the　town　of　Menado　are　a　tribe　called　Banteks；　of　a　much　less　tractable　disposition；　who　have　hitherto　resisted　all　efforts　of　the　Dutch　Government　to　induce　them　to　adopt　any　systematic　cultivation。　These　remain　in　a　ruder　condition；　but　engage　themselves　willingly　as　occasional　porters　and　labourers；　for　which　their　greater　strength　and　activity　well　adapt　them。

No　doubt　the　system　here　sketched　seems　open　to　serious　objection。　It　is　to　a　certain　extent　despotic；　and　interferes　with　free　trade；　free　labour；　and　free　communication。　A　native　cannot　leave　his　village　without　a　pass；　and　cannot　engage　himself　to　any　merchant　or　captain　without　a　Government　permit。　The　coffee　has　all　to　be　sold　to　Government；　at　less　than　half　the　price　that　the　local　merchant　would　give　for　it；　and　he　consequently　cries　out　loudly　against　〃monopoly〃　and　〃oppression。〃　He　forgets；　how　ever；　that　the　coffee　plantations　were　established　by　the　Government　at　great　outlay　of　capital　and　skill；　that　it　gives　free　education　to　the　people；　and　that　the　monopoly　is　in　lieu　of　taxation。　He　forgets　that　the　product　he　wants　to　purchase　and　make　a　profit　by；　is　the　creation　of　the　Government；　without　whom　the　people　would　still　be　savages。　He　knows　very　well　that　free　trade　would；　as　its　first　result；　lead　to　the　importation　of　whole　cargoes　of　arrack；　which　would　be　carried　over　the　country　and　exchanged　for　coffee。　That　drunkenness　and　poverty　would　spread　over　the　land；　that　the　public　coffee　plantations　would　not　be　kept　up；　that　the　quality　and　quantity　of　the　coffee　would　soon　deteriorate；　that　traders　and　merchants　would　get　rich；　but　that　the　people　would　relapse　into　poverty　and　barbarism。　That　such　is　invariably　is　the　result　of　free　trade　with　any　savage　tribes　who　possess　a　valuable　product；　native　or　cultivated；　is　well　known　to　those　who　have　visited　such　people；　but　we　might　even　anticipate　from　general　principles　that　evil　results　would　happen。

If　there　is　one　thing　rather　than　another　to　which　the　grand　law　of　continuity　or　development　will　apply；　it　is　to　human　progress。　There　are　certain　stages　through　which　society　must　pass　in　its　onward　march　from　barbarism　to　civilization。　Now　one　of　these　stages　has　always　been　some　form　or　other　of　despotism；　such　as　feudalism　or　servitude；　or　a　despotic　paternal　government；　and　we　have　every　reason　to　believe　that　it　is　not　possible　for　humanity　to　leap　over　this　transition　epoch；　and　pass　at　once　from　pure　savagery　to　free　civilization。　The　Dutch　system　attempts　to　supply　this　missing　link；　and　to　bring　the　people　on　by　gradual　steps　to　that　higher　civilization；　which　we　（the　English）　try　to　force　upon　them　at　once。　Our　system　has　always　failed。　We　demoralize　and　we　extirpate；　but　we　never　really　civilize。　Whether　the　Dutch　system　can　permanently　succeed　is　but　doubtful；　since　it　may　not　be　possible　to　compress　the　work　of　ten　centuries　into　one；　but　at　all　events　it　takes　nature　as　a　guide；　and　is　therefore；　more　deserving　of　success；　and　more　likely　to　succeed；　than　ours。

There　is　one　point　connected　with　this　question　which　I　think　the　Missionaries　might　take　up　with　great　physical　and　moral　results。　In　this　beautiful　and　healthy　country；　and　with　abundance　of　food　and　necessaries；　the　population　does　not　increase　as　it　ought　to　do。　I　can　only　impute　this　to　one　cause。　Infant　mortality；　produced　by　neglect　while　the　mothers　are　working　in　the　plantations；　and　by　general　ignorance　of　the　conditions　of　health　in　infants。　Women　all　work；　as　they　have　always　been　accustomed　to　do。　It　is　no　hardship　to　them；　but　I　believe　is　often　a　pleasure　and　relaxation。　They　either　take　their　infants　with　them；　in　which　case　they　leave　them　in　some　shady　spot　on　the　ground；　going　at　intervals　to　give　them　nourishment；　or　they　leave　them　at　home　in　the　care　of　other　children　too　young　to　work。　Under　neither　of　these　circumstances　can　infants　be　properly　attended　to；　and　great　mortality　is　the　result；　keeping　the　increase　of　population　far　below　the　rate　which　the　general　prosperity　of　the　country　and　the　universality　of　marriage　would　lead　us　to　expect。　This　is　a　matter　in　which　the　Government　is　directly　interested；　since　it　is　by　the　increase　of　the　population　alone　that　there　can　be　any　large　and　permanent　increase　in　the　production　of　coffee。　The　Missionaries　should　take　up　the　question　because；　by　inducing　married　women　to　confine　themselves　to　domestic　duties；　they　will　decidedly　promote　a　higher　civilization；　and　directly　increase　the　health　and　happiness　of　the　whole　community。　The　people　are　so　docile　and　so　willing　to　adopt　the　manners　and　customs　of　Europeans；　that　the　change　might　be　easily　effected　by　merely　showing　them　that　it　was　a　question　of　morality　and　civilization；　and　an　essential　step　in　their　progress　towards　an　equality　with　their　white　rulers。

After　a　fortnight's　stay　at　Rurúkan；　I　left　that　pretty　and　interesting　village　in　search　of　a　locality　and　climate　more　productive　of　birds　and　insects。　I　passed　the　evening　with　the　Controlleur　of　Tondano；　and　the　next　morning　at　nine；　left　in　a　small　boat　for　the　head　of　the　lake；　a　distance　of　about　ten　miles。　The　lower　end　of　the　lake　is　bordered　by　swamps　and　marshes　of　considerable　extent；　but　a　little　further　on；　the　hills　come　down　to　the　water's　edge　and　give　it　very　much　the　appearance　of　a　greet　river；　the　width　being　about　two　miles。　At　the　upper　end　is　the　village　of　Kakas；　where　I　dined　with　the　head　man　in　a　good　house　like　those　I　have　already　described；　and　then　went　on　to　Langówan；　four　miles　distant　over　a　level　plain。　This　was　the　place　where　I　had　been　recommended　to　stay；　and　I　accordingly　unpacked　my　baggage　and　made　myself　comfortable　in　the　large　house　devoted　to　visitors。　I　obtained　a　man　to　shoot　for　me；　and　another　to　accompany　me　the　next　day　to　the　forest；　where　I　was　in　hopes　of　finding　a　good　collecting　ground。

In　the　morning　after　breakfast　I　started　off；　but　found　I　had　four　miles　to　walk　over　a　wearisome　straight　road　through　coffee　plantations　before　I　could　get　to　the　forest；　and　as　soon　as　I　did　so　；it　came　on　to　rain　heavily　and　did　not