the malay archipelago-2-第13章

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eared　at　the　last　moment。　One　we　found　at　supper　in　his　own　house；　and　rather　tipsy　with　his　parting　libations　of　arrack；　but　the　other　was　gone　across　the　bay；　and　we　were　obliged　to　leave　without　him。　We　stayed　some　hours　at　two　villages　near　the　east　end　of　Amboyna；　at　one　of　which　we　had　to　discharge　some　wood　for　the　missionaries'　house；　and　on　the　third　afternoon　reached　Captain　Van　der　Beck's　plantation；　situated　at　Hatosua；　in　that　part　of　Ceram　opposite　to　the　island　of　Amboyna。　This　was　a　clearing　in　flat　and　rather　swampy　forest；　about　twenty　acres　in　extent；　and　mostly　planted　with　cacao　and　tobacco。　Besides　a　small　cottage　occupied　by　the　workmen；　there　was　a　large　shed　for　tobacco　drying；　a　corner　of　which　was　offered　me；　and　thinking　from　the　look　of　the　place　that　I　should　find…　good　collecting　ground　here；　I　fitted　up　temporary　tables；　benches；　and　beds；　and　made　all　preparations　for　some　weeks'　stay。　A　few　days；　however；　served　to　show　that　I　should　be　disappointed。　Beetles　were　tolerably　abundant；　and　I　obtained　plenty　of　fine　long…horned　Anthribidae　and　pretty　Longicorns；　but　they　were　mostly　the　same　species　as　I　had　found　during　my　first　short　visit　to　Amboyna。　There　were　very　few　paths　in　the　forest；　which　seemed　poor　in　birds　and　butterflies；　and　day　after　day　my　men　brought　me　nothing　worth　notice。　I　was　therefore　soon　obliged　to　think　about　changing　my　locality；　as　I　could　evidently　obtain　no　proper　notion　of　the　productions　of　the　almost　entirely　unexplored　island　of　Ceram　by　staying　in　this　place。

I　rather　regretted　leaving；　because　my　host　was　one　of　the　most　remarkable　men　and　most　entertaining　companions　I　had　ever　met　with。　He　was　a　Fleeting　by　birth；　and；　like　so　many　of　his　countrymen；　had　a　wonderful　talent　for　languages。　When　quite　a　youth　he　had　accompanied　a　Government　official　who　was　sent　to　report　on　the　trade　and　commerce　of　the　Mediterranean；　and　had　acquired　the　colloquial　language　of　every　place　they　stayed　a　few　weeks　at。　He　had　afterwards　made　voyages　to　St。　Petersburg；　and　to　other　parts　of　Europe；　including　a　few　weeks　in　London；　and　had　then　come　out　to　the　past；　where　he　had　been　for　some　years　trading　and　speculating　in　the　various　islands。　He　now　spoke　Dutch；　French；　Malay；　and　Javanese；　all　equally　well；　English　with　a　very　slight　accent；　but　with　perfect　fluency；　axed　a　most　complete　knowledge　of　idiom；　in　which　I　often　tried　to　puzzle　him　in　vain。　German　and　Italian　were　also　quite　familiar　to　him；　and　his　acquaintance　with　European　languages　included　Modern　Greek；　Turkish；　Russian；　and　colloquial　Hebrew　and　Latin。　As　a　test　of　his　power；　I　may　mention　that　he　had　made　a　voyage　to　the　out…of…　the…way　island　of　Salibaboo；　and　had　stayed　there　trading　a　few　weeks。　As　I　was　collecting　vocabularies；　he　told　me　he　thought　he　could　remember　some　words；　and　dictated　considerable　number。　Some　time　after　I　met　with　a　short　list　of　words　taken　down　in　those　islands；　and　in　every　case　they　agreed　with　those　he　had　given　me。　He　used　to　sing　a　Hebrew　drinking…song；　which　he　had　learned　from　some　Jews　with　whom　he　had　once　travelled；　and　astonished　by　joining　in　their　conversation；　and　had　a　never…ending　fund　of　tale　and　anecdote　about　the　people　he　had　met　and　the　places　he　had　visited。

In　most　of　the　villages　of　this　part　of　Ceram　are　schools　and　native　schoolmasters；　and　the　inhabitants　have　been　long　converted　to　Christianity。　In　the　larger　villages　there　are　European　missionaries；　but　there　is　little　or　no　external　difference　between　the　Christian　and　Alfuro　villages；　nor；　as　far　as　I　have　seen；　in　their　inhabitants。　The　people　seem　more　decidedly　Papuan　than　those　of　Gilolo。　They　are　darker　in　colour；　and　a　number　of　them　have　the　frizzly　Papuan　hair；　their　features　also　are　harsh　and　prominent；　and　the　women　in　particular　are　far　less　engaging　than　those　of　the　Malay　race。　Captain　Van　der　Beck　was　never　tired　of　abusing　the　inhabitants　of　these　Christian　villages　as　thieves；　liars；　and　drunkards；　besides　being　incorrigibly　lazy。　In　the　city　of　Amboyna　my　friends　Doctors　Mohnike　and　Doleschall；　as　well　as　most　of　the　European　residents　and　traders；　made　exactly　the　same　complaint；　and　would　rather　have　Mahometans　for　servants；　even　if　convicts；　than　any　of　the　native　Christians。　One　great　cause　of　this　is　the　fact；　that　with　the　Mahometans　temperance　is　a　part　of　their　religion；　and　has　become　so　much　a　habit　that　practically　the　rule　is　never　transgressed。　One　fertile　source　of　want；　arid　one　great　incentive　to　idleness　and　crime；　is　thus　present　with　the　one　class；　but　absent　in　the　other；　but　besides　this　the　Christians　look　upon　themselves　as　nearly　the　equals　of　the　Europeans；　who　profess　the　same　religion；　and　as　far　superior　to　the　followers　of　Islam；　and　are　therefore　prone　to　despise　work；　and　to　endeavour　to　live　by　trade；　or　by　cultivating　their　own　land。　It　need　hardly　be　said　that　with　people　in　this　low　state　of　civilization　religion　is　almost　wholly　ceremonial；　and　that　neither　are　the　doctrines　of　Christianity　comprehended；　nor　its　moral　precepts　obeyed。　At　the　same　time；　as　far　as　my　own　experience　goes；　I　have　found　the　better　class　of　〃Orang　Sirani〃　as　civil；　obliging；　and　industrious　as　the　Malays；　and　only　inferior　to　them　from　their　tendency　to　get　intoxicated。

Having　written　to　the　Assistant　Resident　of　Saparua　（who　has　jurisdiction　over　the　opposite　part　of　the　coast　of　Ceram）　for　a　boat　to　pursue　my　journey；　I　received　one　rather　larger　than　necessary　with　a　crew　of　twenty　men。　I　therefore　bade　adieu　to　my　kind　friend　Captain　Van　der　Beck；　and　left　on　the　evening　after　its　arrival　for　the　village　of　Elpiputi；　which　we　reached　in　two　days。　I　had　intended　to　stay　here；　but　not　liking　the　appearance　of　the　place；　which　seemed　to　have　no　virgin　forest　near　it；　I　determined　to　proceed　about　twelve　miles　further　up　the　bay　of　Amahay；　to　a　village　recently　formed；　and　inhabited　by　indigenes　from　the　interior；　and　where　some　extensive　cacao　plantations　were　being　made　by　some　gentlemen　of　Amboyna。　I　reached　the　place　（called　Awaiya）　the　same　afternoon；　and　with　the　assistance　of　Mr。　Peters　（the　manager　of　the　plantations）　and　the　native　chief；　obtained　a　small　house；　got　all　my　things　on　shore；　and　paid　and　discharged　my　twenty　boatmen；　two　of　whom　had　almost　driven　me　to　distraction　by　beating　tom…toms　the　whole　voyage。

I　found　the　people　here　very　nearly　in　a　state　of　nature；　and　going　almost　naked。　The　men　wear　their　frizzly　hair　gathered　into　a　flat　circular　knot　over　the　left　temple；　which　has　a　very　knowing　look；　and　in　their　ears　cylinders　of　wood　as　thick　as　one's　finger；　and　coloured　red　at　the　ends。　Armlets　and　anklets　of　woven　grass　or　of　silver；　with　necklaces　of　beads　or　of　small　fruits；　complete　their　attire。　The　women　wear　similar　ornaments；　but　have　their　hair　loose。　All　are　tall；　with　a　dark　brown　skin；　and　well　marked　Papuan　physiognomy。　There　is　an　Amboyna　schoolmaster　in　the　village；　and　a　good　number　of　children　attend　school　every　morning。　Such　of　the　inhabitants　as　have　become　Christians　may　be　known　by　their　wearing　their　hair　loose；　and　adopting　to　some　extent　the　native　Christian　dress…trousers　and　a　loose　shirt。　Very　few　speak　Malay；　all　these　coast　villages　having　been　recently　formed　by　inducing　natives　to　leave　the　inaccessible　interior。　In　all　the　central　part　of　Ceram　there　new　remains　only　one　populous　village　in　the　mountains。　Towards　the　east　and　the　extreme　west　are　a　few　others；　with　which　exceptions　all　the　inhabitants　of　Ceram　are　collected　on　the　coast。　In　the　northern　and　eastern　districts　they　are　mostly　Mahometans；　while　on　the　southwest　coast；　nearest　Amboyna；　they　are　nominal　Christians。　In　all　this　part　of　the　Archipelago　the　Dutch　make　very　praiseworthy　efforts　to　improve　the　condition　of　the　aborigines　by　establishing　schoolmasters　in　every　village　（who　are　mostly　natives　of　Amboyna　or　Saparua；　who　have；　been　instructed　by　the　resident　missionaries）；　and　by　employing　native　vaccinators　to　prevent　the　ravages　of　smallpox。　They　also　encourage　the　settlement　of　Europeans；　and　the　formation　of　new　plantations　of　cacao　and　coffee；　one　of　the　best　means　of　raising　the　condition　of　the　natives；　who　thus　obtain　work　at