the malay archipelago-2-第15章

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n　Ceram　I　had　suffered　much　from　the　irritating　bites　of　an　invisible　acarus；　which　is　worse　than　mosquitoes；　ants；　and　every　other　pest；　because　it　is　impossible　to　guard　against　them。　This　last　journey　in　the　forest　left　me　covered　from　head　to　foot　with　inflamed　lumps；　which；　after　my　return　to　Amboyna；　produced　a　serious　disease；　confining　me　to　the　house　for　nearly　two　months；　a　not　very　pleasant　memento　of　my　first　visit　to　Ceram；　which　terminated　with　the　year　1859。

It　was　not　till　the　24th　of　February；　1860；　that　I　started　again；　intending　to　pass　from　village　to　village　along　the　coast；　staying　where　I　found　a　suitable　locality。　I　had　a　letter　from　the　Governor　of　the　Moluccas；　requesting　all　the　chiefs　to　supply　me　with　boats　and　men　to　carry　me　on　my　journey。　The　first　boat　took　me　in　two　days　to　Amahay；　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　bay　to　Awaiya。　The　chief　here；　wonderful　to　relate；　did　not　make　any　excuses　for　delay；　but　immediately　ordered　out　the　boat　which　was　to　carry　me　on；　put　my　baggage　on　hoard；　set　up　mast　and　sails　after　dark；　and　had　the　men　ready　that　nigh；　so　that　we　were　actually　on　our　way　at　five　the　next　morning；a　display　of　energy　and　activity　I　scarcely　ever　saw　before　in　a　native　chief　on　such　an　occasion。　We　touched　at　Cepa；　and　stayed　for　the　night　at　Tamilan；　the　first　two　Mahometan　villages　on　the　south　coast　of　Ceram。　The　next　day；　about　noon；　we　reached　Hoya；　which　was　as　Far　as　my　present　boat　and　crew　were　going　to　take　me。　The　anchorage　is　about　a　mile　east　of　the　village；　which　is　faced　by　coral　reefs；　and　we　had　to　wait　for　the　evening　tide　to　move　up　and　unload　the　boat　into　the　strange　rotten　wooden　pavilion　kept　for　visitors。

There　was　no　boat　here　large　enough　to　take　my　baggage；　and　although　two　would　have　done　very　well；　the　Rajah　insisted　upon　sending　four。　The　reason　of　this　I　found　was；　that　there　were　four　small　villages　under　his　rule；　and　by　sending　a　boat　from　each　he　would　avoid　the　difficult　task　of　choosing　two　and　letting　off　the　others。　I　was　told　that　at　the　next　village　of　Teluti　there　were　plenty　of　Alfuros；　and　that　I　could　get　abundance　of　Tories　and　other　birds。　The　Rajah　declared　that　black　and　yellow　Tories　and　black　cockatoos　were　found　there；　but　I　am　inclined　to　think　he　knew　very　well　he　was　telling　me　lies；　and　that　it　was　only　a　scheme　to　satisfy　me　with　his　plan　of　taking　me　to　that　village；　instead　of　a　day's　journey　further　on；　as　I　desired。　Here；　as　at　most　of　the　villages；　I　was　asked　for　spirits；　the　people　being　mere　nominal　Mahometans；　who　confine　their　religion　almost　entirely　to　a　disgust　at　pork；　and　a　few　other　forbidden　articles　of　food。　The　next　morning；　after　much　trouble；　we　got　our　cargoes　loaded；　and　had　a　delightful　row　across　the　deep　bay　of　Teluti；　with　a　view　of　the　grand　central　mountain…range　of　Ceram。　Our　four　boats　were　rowed　by　sixty　men；　with　flags　flying　and　tom…toms　beating；　as　well　as　very　vigorous　shouting　and　singing　to　keep　up　their　spirits。　The　sea　way　smooth；　the　morning　bright；　and　the　whole　scene　very　exhilarating。　On　landing；　the　Orang…kaya　and　several　of　the　chief　men；　in　gorgeous　silk　jackets；　were　waiting　to　receive　us；　and　conducted　me　to　a　house　prepared　for　my　reception；　where　I　determined　to　stay　a　few　days；　and　see　if　the　country　round　produced　anything　new。

My　first　inquiries　were　about　the　lories；　but　I　could　get　very　little　satisfactory　information。　The　only　kinds　known　were　the　ring…necked　lory　and　the　common　red　and　green　lorikeet；　both　common　at　Amboyna。　Black　Tories　and　cockatoos　were　quite　unknown。　The　Alfuros　resided　in　the　mountains　five　or　six　days'　journey　away；　and　there　were　only　one　or　two　live　birds　to　be　found　in　the　village；　and　these　were　worthless。　My　hunters　could　get　nothing　but　a　few　common　birds；　and　notwithstanding　fine　mountains；　luxuriant　forests；　and　a　locality　a　hundred　miles　eastward；　I　could　find　no　new　insects；　and　extremely　few　even　of　the　common　species　of　Amboyna　and　West　Ceram。　It　was　evidently　no　use　stopping　at　such　a　place；　and　I　was　determined　to　move　on　as　soon　as　possible。

The　village　of　Teluti　is　populous；　but　straggling　and　very　dirty。　Sago　trees　here　cover　the　mountain　side；　instead　of　growing　as　usual　in　low　swamps；　but　a　closer　examination　shows　that　they　grow　in　swampy　patches；　which　have　formed　among　the　loose　rocks　that　cover　the　ground；　and　which　are　kept　constantly　full　of　moisture　by　the　rains；　and　by　the　abundance　of　rills　which　trickle　down　among　them。　This　sago　forms　almost　the　whole　subsistence　of　the　inhabitants；　who　appear　to　cultivate　nothing　but　a　few　small　patches　of　maize　and　sweet　potatoes。　Hence；　as　before　explained；　the　scarcity　of　insects。　The　Orang…kaya　has　fine　clothes；　handsome　lamps；　and　other　expensive　European　goods；　yet　lives　every　day　on　sago　and　fish　as　miserably　as　the　rest。

After　three　days　in　this　barren　place　I　left　on　the　morning　of　March　6th；　in　two　boats　of　the　same　size　as　those　which　had　brought　me　to　Teluti。　With　some　difficulty　I　had　obtained　permission　to　take　these　boats　on　to　Tobo；　where　I　intended　to　stay　a　while；　and　therefore　got　on　pretty　quickly；　changing　men　at　the　village　of　Laiemu；　and　arriving　in　a　heavy　rain　at　Ahtiago。　As　there　was　a　good　deal　of　surf　here；　and　likely　to　be　more　if　the　wind　blew　hard　during　the　night；　our　boats　were　pulled　up　on　the　beach；　and　after　supping　at　the　Orang…kaya's　house；　and　writing　down　a　vocabulary　of　the　language　of　the　Alfuros；　who　live　in　the　mountains　inland；　I　returned　to　sleep　in　the　boat。　Next　morning　we　proceeded；　changing　men　at　Warenama；　and　again　at　Hatometen；　at　both　of　which　places　there　was　much　surf　and　no　harbour；　so　that　the　men　had　to　go　on　shore　and　come　on　board　by　swimming。　Arriving　in　the　evening　of　March　7th　at　Batuassa；　the　first　village　belonging　to　the　Rajah　of　Tobo；　and　under　the　government　of　Banda；　the　surf　was　very　heavy；　owing　to　a　strong　westward　swell。　We　therefore　rounded　the　rocky　point　on　which　the　village　was　situated；　but　found　it　very　little　better　on　the　other　side。　We　were　obliged；　however；　to　go　on　shore　here；　and　waiting　till　the　people　on　the　beach　had　made　preparations；　by　placing　a　row　of　logs　from　the　water's　edge　on　which　to　pull　up　our　boats；　we　rowed　as　quickly　as　we　could　straight　on　to　them；　after　watching　till　the　heaviest　surfs　had　passed。　The　moment　we　touched　ground　our　men　all　jumped　out；　and；　assisted　by　those　on　shore；　attempted　to　haul　up　the　boat　high　and　dry；　but　not　having　sufficient　hands；　the　surf　repeatedly　broke　into　the　stern。　The　steepness　of　the　beach；　however；　prevented　any　damage　being　done；　and　the　other　boat　having　both　crews　to　haul　at　it；　was　got　up　without　difficulty。

The　next　morning；　the　water　being　low；　the　breakers　were　at　some　distance　from　shore；　and　we　had　to　watch　for　a　smooth　moment　after　bringing　the　boats　to　the　water's　edge；　and　so　got　safely　out　to　sea。　At　the　two　next　villages；　Tobo　and　Ossong；　we　also　took　in　fresh　men；　who　came　swimming　through　the　surf；　and　at　the　latter　place　the　Rajah　came　on　board　and　accompanied　me　to　Kissalaut；　where　he　has　a　house　which　he　lent　me　during　my　stay。　Here　again　was　a　heavy　surf；　and　it　was　with　great　difficulty　we　got　the　boats　safely　hauled　up。　At　Amboyna　I　had　been　promised　at　this　season　a　calm　sea　and　the　wind　off　shore；　but　in　this　case；　as　in　every　other；　I　had　been　unable　to　obtain　any　reliable　information　as　to　the　winds　and　seasons　of　places　distant　two　or　three　days'　journey。　It　appears；　however；　that　owing　to　the　general　direction　of　the　island　of　Ceram　（E。S。E。　and　W。N。W。）；　there　is　a　heavy　surf　and　scarcely　any　shelter　on　the　south　coast　during　the　west　monsoon；　when　alone　a　journey　to　the　eastward　can　be　safely　made；　while　during　the　east　monsoon；　when　I　proposed　to　return　along　the　north　coast　to　Wahai；　I　should　probably　find　that　equally　exposed　and　dangerous。　But　although　the　general　direction　of　the　west　monsoon　in　the　Banda　sea　causes　a　heavy　swell；　with　bad　surf　on　the　coast；　yet　we　had　little　advantage　of　the　wind；　for；　owing　I　suppose　to　the　numerous　bays　and　headlands；　we　had　contrary　south…east　or　even　due　east　winds　all　the　way；　and　had　to　make　almost　the　whole　distance　from　Amboyna　by　force　of　rowing。　We　had　theref