the malay archipelago-2-第14章

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　and　coffee；　one　of　the　best　means　of　raising　the　condition　of　the　natives；　who　thus　obtain　work　at　fair　wages；　and　have　the　opportunity　of　acquiring　something　of　European　tastes　and　habits。

My　collections　here　did　not　progress　much　better　than　at　my　former　station；　except　that　butterflies　were　a　little　more　plentiful；　and　some　very　fine　species　were　to　be　found　in　the　morning　on　the　sea…beach；　sitting　so　quietly　on　the　wet　sand　that　they　could　be　caught　with　the　fingers。　In　this　way　I　had　many　fine　specimens　of　Papilios　brought　me　by　the　children。　Beetles；　however；　were　scarce；　and　birds　still　more　so；　and　I　began　to　think　that　the　handsome　species　which　I　had　so　often　heard　were　found　in　Ceram　must　be　entirely　confined　to　the　eastern　extremity　of　the　island。

A　few　miles　further　worth；　at　the　head　of　the　Bay　of　Amahay；　is　situated　the　village　of　Makariki；　from　whence　there　is　a　native　path　quite　across　the　island　to　the　north　coast。　My　friend　Mr。　Rosenberg；　whose　acquaintance　I　had　made　at　New　Guinea；　and　who　was　now　the　Government　superintendent　of　all　this　part　of　Ceram；　returned　from　Wahai；　on　the　north　coast；　after　I　had　been　three　weeks　at　Awaiya；　and　showed　me　some　fine　butterflies　he　had　obtained　on　the　mountain　streams　in　the　interior。　He　indicated　a　spot　about　the　centre　of　the　island　where　he　thought　I　might　advantageously　stay　a　few　days。　I　accordingly　visited　Makariki　with　him　the　next　day；　and　he　instructed　the　chief　of　the　village　to　furnish　me　with　men　to　carry　my　baggage；　and　accompany　me　on　my　excursion。　As　the　people　of　the　village　wanted　to　be　at　home　on　Christmas…day；　it　was　necessary　to　start　as　soon　as　possible；　so　we　agreed　that　the　men　should　be　ready　in　two　days；　and　I　returned　to　make　my　arrangements。

I　put　up　the　smallest　quantity　of　baggage　possible　for　a　six　days'　trip；　and　on　the　morning　of　December　18th　we　left　Makariki；　with　six　men　carrying　my　baggage　and　their　own　provisions；　and　a　lad　from　Awaiya；　who　was　accustomed　to　catch　butterflies　for　me。　My　two　Amboyna　hunters　I　left　behind　to　shoot　and　skin　what　birds　they　could　while　I　was　away。　Quitting　the　village；　we　first　walked　briskly　for　an　hour　through　a　dense　tangled　undergrowth；　dripping　wet　from　a　storm　of　the　previous　night；　and　full　of　mud　holes。　After　crossing　several　small　streams　we　reached　one　of　the　largest　rivers　in　Ceram；　called　Ruatan；　which　it　was　necessary　to　cross。　It　was　both　deep　and　rapid。　The　baggage　was　first　taken　over；　parcel　by　parcel；　on　the　men's　heads；　the　water　reaching　nearly　up　to　their　armpits；　and　then　two　men　returned　to　assist　me。　The　water　was　above　my　waist；　and　so　strong　that　I　should　certainly　have　been　carried　off　my　feet　had　I　attempted　to　cross　alone；　and　it　was　a　matter　of　astonishment　to　me　how　the　men　could　give　me　any　assistance；　since　I　found　the　greatest　difficulty　in　getting　my　foot　down　again　when　I　had　once　moved　it　off　the　bottom。　The　greater　strength　and　grasping　power　of　their　feet；　from　going　always　barefoot；　no　doubt　gave　them　a　surer　footing　in　the　rapid　water。

After　well　wringing　out　our　wet　clothes　and　putting　them　on；　we　again　proceeded　along　a　similar　narrow　forest　track　as　before；　choked　with　rotten　leaves　and　dead　trees；　and　in　the　more　open　parts　overgrown　with　tangled　vegetation。　Another　hour　brought　us　to　a　smaller　stream　flowing　in　a　wide　gravelly　bed；　up　which　our　road　lay。　Here　w　e　stayed　half　an　hour　to　breakfast；　and　then　went　on；　continually　crossing　the　stream；　or　walking　on　its　stony　and　gravelly　banks；　till　about　noon；　when　it　became　rocky　and　enclosed　by　low　hills。　A　little　further　we　entered　a　regular　mountain…gorge；　and　had　to　clamber　over　rocks；　and　every　moment　cross　and　recross　the　water；　or　take　short　cuts　through　the　forest。　This　was　fatiguing　work；　and　about　three　in　the　afternoon；　the　sky　being　overcast；　and　thunder　in　the　mountains　indicating　an　approaching　storm；　we　had　to　loon　out　for　a　camping　place；　and　soon　after　reached　one　of　Mr。　Rosenberg's　old　ones。　The　skeleton　of　his　little　sleeping…hut　remained；　and　my　men　cut　leaves　and　made　a　hasty　roof　just　as　the　rain　commenced。　The　baggage　was　covered　over　with　leaves；　and　the　men　sheltered　themselves　as　they　could　till　the　storm　was　over；　by　which　time　a　flood　came　down　the　river；　which　effectually　stopped　our　further　march；　even　had　we　wished　to　proceed。　We　then　lighted　fires；　I　made　some　coffee；　and　my　men　roasted　their　fish　and　plantains；　and　as　soon　as　it　was　dark；　we　made　ourselves　comfortable　for　the　night。

Starting　at　six　the　next　morning；　we　had　three　hours　of　the　same　kind　of　walking；　during　which　we　crossed　the　river　at　least　thirty　or　forty　times；　the　water　being　generally　knee…deep。　This　brought　us　to　a　place　where　the　road　left　the　stream；　and　here　we　stopped　to　breakfast。　We　then　had　a　long　walk　over　the　mountain；　by　a　tolerable　path；　which　reached　an　elevation　of　about　fifteen　hundred　feet　above　the　sea。　Here　I　noticed　one　of　the　smallest　and　most　elegant　tree　ferns　I　had　ever　seen；　the　stem　being　scarcely　thicker　than　my　thumb；　yet　reaching　a　height　of　fifteen　or　twenty　feet。　I　also　caught　a　new　butterfly　of　the　genus　Pieris；　and　a　magnificent　female　specimen　of　Papilio　gambrisius；　of　which　I　had　hitherto　only　found　the　males；　which　are　smaller　and　very　different　in　colour。　Descending　the　other　side　of　the　ridge；　by　a　very　steep　path；　we　reached　another　river　at　a　spot　which　is　about　the　centre　of　the　island；　and　which　was　to　be　our　resting　place　for　two　or　three　days。　In　a　couple　of　hour　my　men　had　built　a　little　sleeping…shed　for　me；　about　eight　feet　by　four；　with　a　bench　of　split　poles；　they　themselves　occupying　two　or　three　smaller　ones；　which　had　been　put　up　by　former　passengers。

The　river　here　was　about　twenty　yards　wide；　running　over　a　pebbly　and　sometimes　a　rocky　bed；　and　bordered　by　steep　hills　with　occasionally　flat　swampy　spots　between　their　base　and　the　stream。　The　whole　country　was　one　dense；　Unbroken；　and　very　damp　and　gloomy　virgin　forest。　Just　at　our　resting…place　there　was　a　little　bush…covered　island　in　the　middle　of　the　channel；　so　that　the　opening　in　the　forest　made　by　the　river　was　wider　than　usual；　and　allowed　a　few　gleams　of　sunshine　to　penetrate。　Here　there　were　several　handsome　butterflies　flying　about；　the　finest　of　which；　however；　escaped　me；　and　I　never　saw　it　again　during　my　stay。　In　the　two　days　and　a　half　which　we　remained　here；　I　wandered　almost　all　day　up　and　down　the　stream；　searching　after　butterflies；　of　which　I　got；　in　all；　fifty　or　sixty　specimens；　with　several　species　quite　new　to　me。　There　were　many　others　which　I　saw　only　once；　and　did　not　capture；　causing　me　to　regret　that　there　was　no　village　in　these　interior　valleys　where　I　could　stay　a　month。　In　the　early　part　of　each　morning　I　went　out　with　my　gun　in　search　of　birds；　and　two　of　my　men　were　out　almost　all　day　after　deer；　but　we　were　all　equally　unsuccessful；　getting　absolutely　nothing　the　whole　time　we　were　in　the　forest。　The　only　good　bird　seen　was　the　fine　Amboyna　lory；　but　these　were　always　too　high　to　shoot；　besides　this；　the　great　Moluccan　hornbill；　which　I　did　not　want；　was　almost　the　only　bird　met　with。　I　saw　not　a　single　ground…thrush；　or　kingfisher；　or　pigeon；　and；　in　fact；　have　never　been　in　a　forest　so　utterly　desert　of　animal　life　as　this　appeared　to　be。　Even　in　all　other　groups　of　insects；　except　butterflies；　there　was　the　same　poverty。　I　bad　hoped　to　find　some　rare　tiger　beetles；　as　I　had　done　in　similar　situations　in　Celebes；　but；　though　I　searched　closely　in　forest；　river…bed；　and　mountain…brook；　I　could　find　nothing　but　the　two　common　Amboyna　species。　Other　beetles　there　were　absolutely　none。

The　constant　walking　in　water；　and　over　rocks　and　pebbles；　quite　destroyed　the　two　pair　of　shoes　I　brought　with　me；　so　that；　on　my　return；　they　actually　fell　to　pieces；　and　the　last　day　I　had　to　walk　in　my　stockings　very　painfully；　and　reached　home　quite　lame。　On　our　way　back　from　Makariki；　as　on　our　way　there；　we　had　storm　and　rain　at　sea；　and　we　arrived　at　Awaiya　late　in　the　evening；　with　all　our　baggage　drenched；　and　ourselves　thoroughly　uncomfortable。　All　the　time　I　had　been　in　Ceram　I　had　suffered　much　from　the　irritating　bites　of　an　invisible　acarus；　which　is　worse　than　mo