the malay archipelago-2-第31章

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stone　of　which　it　is　entirely　composed。　In　all　the　little　swampy　inlets　and　valleys　sago　trees　abound；　and　these　supply　the　main　subsistence　of　the　natives；　who　grow　no　rice；　and　have　scarcely　any　other　cultivated　products　but　cocoa…nuts；　plantains；　and　yams。　From　the　cocoa…nuts；　which　surround　every　hut；　and　which　thrive　exceedingly　on　the　porous　limestone　soil　and　under　the　influence　of　salt　breezes；　oil　is　made　which　is　sold　at　a　good　price　to　the　Aru　traders；　who　all　touch　here　to　lay　in　their　stuck　of　this　article；　as　well　as　to　purchase　boats　and　native　crockery。　Wooden　bowls；　pans；　and　trays　are　also　largely　made　here；　hewn　out　of　solid　blocks　of　wood　with　knife　and　adze；　and　these　are　carried　to　all　parts　of　the　Moluccas。　But　the　art　in　which　the　natives　of　Ke　pre…eminently　excel　is　that　of　boat　building。　Their　forests　supply　abundance　of　fine　timber；　though；　probably　not　more　so　than　many　other　islands；　and　from　some　unknown　causes　these　remote　savages　have　come　to　excel　in　what　seems　a　very　difficult　art。　Their　small　canoes　are　beautifully　formed；　broad　and　low　in　the　centre；　but　rising　at　each　end；　where　they　terminate　in　high…pointed　beaks　more　or　less　carved；　and　ornamented　with　a　plume　of　feathers。　They　are　not　hollowed　out　of　a　tree；　but　are　regularly　built　of　planks　running　from　ego　to　end；　and　so　accurately　fitted　that　it　is　often　difficult　to　find　a　place　where　a　knife…blade　can　be　inserted　between　the　joints。　The　larger　ones　are　from　20　to　30　tons　burthen；　and　are　finished　ready　for　sea　without　a　nail　or　particle　of　iron　being　used；　and　with　no　other　tools　than　axe；　adze；　and　auger。　These　vessels　are　handsome　to　look　at；　good　sailers；　and　admirable　sea…boats；　and　will　make　long　voyages　with　perfect　safety；　traversing　the　whole　Archipelago　from　New　Guinea　to　Singapore　in　seas　which；　as　every　one　who　has　sailed　much　in　them　can　testify；　are　not　so　smooth　and　tempest…free　as　word…　painting　travellers　love　to　represent　them。

The　forests　of　Ke　produce　magnificent　timber；　tall；　straight；　and　durable；　of　various　qualities；　some　of　which　are　said　to　be　superior　to　the　best　Indian　teak。　To　make　each　pair　of　planks　used　in　the　construction　of　the　larger　boats　an　entire　tree　is　consumed。　It　is　felled；　often　miles　away　from　the　shore；　cut　across　to　the　proper　length；　and　then　hewn　longitudinally　into　two　equal　portions。　Each　of　these　forms　a　plank　by　cutting　down　with　the　axe　to　a　uniform　thickness　of　three　or　four　inches；　leaving　at　first　a　solid　block　at　each　end　to　prevent　splitting。　Along　the　centre　of　each　plank　a　series　of　projecting　pieces　are　left；　standing　up　three　or　four　inches；　about　the　same　width；　and　a　foot　long；　these　are　of　great　importance　in　the　construction　of　the　vessel。　When　a　sufficient　number　of　planks　have　been　made；　they　are　laboriously　dragged　through　the　forest　by　three　or　four　men　each　to　the　beach；　where　the　boat　is　to　be　built。　A　foundation　piece；　broad　in　the　middle　and　rising　considerably　at　each　end；　is　first　laid　on　blocks　and　properly　shored　up。　The　edges　of　this　are　worked　true　and　smooth　with　the　adze；　and　a　plank；　properly　curved　and　tapering　at　each　end；　is　held　firmly　up　against　it；　while　a　line　is　struck　along　it　which　allows　it　to　be　cut　so　as　to　fit　exactly。　A　series　of　auger　holes；　about　as　large　as　one's　finger；　are　then　bored　along　the　opposite　edges；　and　pins　of　very　hard　wood　are　fitted　to　these；　so　that　the　two　planks　are　held　firmly；　and　can　be　driven　into　the　closest　contact；　and　difficult　as　this　seems　to　do　without　any　other　aid　than　rude　practical　skill　in　forming　each　edge　to　the　true　corresponding　curves；　and　in　poring　the　holes　so　as　exactly　to　match　both　in　position　and　direction；　yet　so　well　is　it　done　that　the　best　European　shipwright　cannot　produce　sounder　or　closer…　fitting　joints。　The　boat　is　built　up　in　this　way　by　fitting　plank　to　plank　till　the　proper　height　and　width　are　obtained。　We　have　now　a　skin　held　together　entirely　by　the　hardwood　pins　connecting　the　edges　of　the　planks；　very　strong　and　elastic；　but　having　nothing　but　the　adhesion　of　these　pins　to　prevent　the　planks　gaping。　In　the　smaller　boats　seats；　in　the　larger　ones　cross…　beams；　are　now　fixed。　They　are　sprung　into　slight　notches　cut　to　receive　them；　and　are　further　secured　to　the　projecting　pieces　of　the　plank　below　by　a　strong　lashing　of　rattan。　Ribs　are　now　formed　of　single　pieces　of　tough　wood　chosen　and　trimmed　so　as　exactly　to　fit　on　to　the　projections　from　each　plank；　being　slightly　notched　to　receive　them；　and　securely　bound　to　them　by　rattans　passed　through　a　hole　in　each　projecting　piece　close　to　the　surface　of　the　plank。　The　ends　are　closed　against　the　vertical　prow　and　stern　posts；　and　further　secured　with　pegs　and　rattans；　and　then　the　boat　is　complete；　and　when　fitted　with　rudders；　masts；　and　thatched　covering；　is　ready　to　do　battle　with；　the　waves。　A　careful　consideration　of　the　principle　of　this　mode　of　construction；　and　allowing　for　the　strength　and　binding　qualities　of　rattan　（which　resembles　in　these　respects　wire　rather　than　cordage）；　makes　me　believe　that　a　vessel　carefully　built　in　this　manner　is　actually　stronger　and　safer　than　one　fastened　in　the　ordinary　way　with　nails。

During　our　stay　here　we　were　all　very　busy。　Our　captain　was　daily　superintending　the　completion　of　his　two　small　praus。　All　day　long　native　boats　were　coming　with　fish；　cocoa…nuts；　parrots　and　lories；　earthen　pans；　sirip　leaf；　wooden　bowls；　and　trays；　&c。　&e。；　which　every　one　of　the　fifty　inhabitants　of　our　prau　seemed　to　be　buying　on　his　own　account；　till　all　available　and　most　unavailable　space　of　our　vessel　was　occupied　with　these　miscellaneous　articles：　for　every　man　on　board　a　prau　considers　himself　at　liberty　to　trade；　and　to　carry　with　him　whatever　he　can　afford　to　buy。

Money　is　unknown　and　valueless　hereknives；　cloth；　and　arrack　forming　the　only　medium　of　exchange；　with　tobacco　for　small　coin。　Every　transaction　is　the　subject　of　a　special　bargain；　and　the　cause　of　much　talking。　It　is　absolutely　necessary　to　offer　very　little；　as　the　natives　are　never　satisfied　till　you　add　a　little　more。　They　are　then　far　better　pleased　than　if　you　had　given　them　twice　the　amount　at　first　and　refused　to　increase　it。

I；　too；　was　doing　a　little　business；　having　persuaded　some　of　the　natives　to　collect　insects　for　me；　and　when　they　really　found　that　I　gave　them　most　fragrant　tobacco　for　worthless　black　and　green　beetles；　I　soon　had　scores　of　visitors；　men；　women；　and　children；　bringing　bamboos　full　of　creeping　things；　which；　alas！　too　frequently　had　eaten　each　other　into　fragments　during　the　tedium　of　a　day's　confinement。　Of　one　grand　new　beetle；　glittering　with　ruby　and　emerald　tints；　I　got　a　large　quantity；　having　first　detected　one　of　its　wing…cases　ornamenting　the　outside　of　a　native's　tobacco　pouch。　It　was　quite　a　new　species；　and　had　not　been　found　elsewhere　than　on　this　little　island。　It　is　one　of　the　Buprestidae；　and　has　been　named　Cyphogastra　calepyga。

Each　morning　after　an　early　breakfast　I　wandered　by　myself　into　the　forest；　where　I　found　delightful　occupation　in　capturing　the　large　and　handsome　butterflies；　which　were　tolerably　abundant；　and　most　of　them　new　to　me；　for　I　was　now　upon　the　confines　of　the　Moluccas　and　New　Guinea；a　region　the　productions　of　which　were　then　among　the　most　precious　and　rare　in　the　cabinets　of　Europe。　Here　my　eyes　were　feasted　for　the　first　time　with　splendid　scarlet　lories　on　the　wing；　as　well　as　by　the　sight　of　that　most　imperial　butterfly；　the　〃Priamus　〃of　collectors；　or　a　closely　allied　species；　but　flying　so　high　that　I　did　not　succeed　in　capturing　a　specimen。　One　of　them　was　brought　me　in　a　bamboo；　bored　up　with　a　lot　of　beetles；　and　of　course　torn　to　pieces。　The　principal　drawback　of　the　place　for　a　collector　is　the　want　of　good　paths；　and　the　dreadfully　rugged　character　of　the　surface；　requiring　the　attention　to　be　so　continually　directed　to　securing　a　footing；　as　to　make　it　very　difficult　to　capture　active　winged　things；　who　pass　out　of　reach　while　one　is　glancing　to　see　that　the　next　step　may　not　plunge　one　into　a　chasm　or　over　a　precipice。　Another　inconvenience　is　that　there　are　no　running　streams；　the　rock　being　of　so　porous　a　nature　that　the　surface…　wate