the malay archipelago-2-第39章

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e　word；　with　its　meaning　retained。　Again；　I　heard　the　word　〃jafui〃　often　repeated；　and　could　see；　without　inquiry；　that　its　meaning　was　〃he's　gone；〃　as　in　Portuguese。　〃Porco；〃　too；　seems　a　common　name；　though　the　people　have　no　idea　of　its　European　meaning。　This　cleared　up　the　difficulty。　I　at　once　understood　that　some　early　Portuguese　traders　had　penetrated　to　these　islands；　and　mixed　with　the　natives；　influencing　their　language；　and　leaving　in　their　descendants　for　many　generations　the　visible　characteristics　of　their　race。　If　to　this　we　add　the　occasional　mixture　of　Malay；　Dutch；　and　Chinese　with　the　indigenous　Papuans；　we　have　no　reason　to　wonder　at　the　curious　varieties　of　form　and　feature　occasionally　to　be　met　with　in　Aru。　In　this　very　house　there　was　a　Macassar　man；　with　an　Aru　wife　and　a　family　of　mixed　children。　In　Dobbo　I　saw　a　Javanese　and　an　Amboyna　man；　each　with　an　Aru　wife　and　family；　and　as　this　kind　of　mixture　has　been　going　on　for　at　least　three　hundred　years；　and　probably　much　longer；　it　has　produced　a　decided　effect　on　the　physical　characteristics　of　a　considerable　portion　of　the　population　of　the　islands；　more　especially　in　Dobbo　and　the　parts　nearest　to　it。

March　28th。The　〃Orang…kaya〃　being　very　ill　with　fever　had　begged　to　go　home；　and　had　arranged　with　one　of　the　men　of　the　house　to　go　on　with　me　as　his　substitute。　Now　that　I　wanted　to　move；　the　bugbear　of　the　pirates　was　brought　up；　and　it　was　pronounced　unsafe　to　go　further　than　the　next　small　river。　This　world　not　suit　me；　as　I　had　determined　to　traverse　the　channel　called　Watelai　to　the　〃blakang…tana；〃　but　my　guide　was　firm　in　his　dread　of　pirates；　of　which　I　knew　there　was　now　no　danger；　as　several　vessels　had　gone　in　search　of　them；　as　well　as　a　Dutch　gunboat　which　had　arrived　since　I　left　Dobbo。　I　had；　fortunately；　by　this　time　heard　that　the　Dutch　〃Commissie〃　had　really　arrived；　and　therefore　threatened　that　if　my　guide　did　not　go　with　me　immediately；　I　would　appeal　to　the　authorities；　and　he　would　certainly　be　obliged　to　gig　a　back　the　cloth　which　the　〃Orang…　kaya〃　had　transferred　to　him　in　prepayment。　This　had　the　desired　effect；　matters　were　soon　arranged；　and　we　started　the　next　morning。　The　wind；　however；　was　dead　against　us；　and　after　rowing　hard　till　midday　we　put　in　to　a　small　river　where　there　were　few　huts；　to　cook　our　dinners。　The　place　did　not　look　very　promising；　but　as　we　could　not　reach　our　destination；　the　Watelai　river；　owing　to　the　contrary　wind；　I　thought　we　might　as　well　wait　here　a　day　or　two。　I　therefore　paid　a　chopper　for　the　use　of　a　small　shed；　and　got　my　bed　and　some　boxes　on　shore。　In　the　evening；　after　dark；　we　were　suddenly　alarmed　by　the　cry　of　〃Bajak！　bajak！〃　（Pirates！）　The　men　all　seized　their　bows　and　spears；　and　rushed　down　to　the　beach；　we　got　hold　of　our　guns　and　prepared　for　action；　but　in　a　few　minutes　all　came　back　laughing　and　chattering；　for　it　had　proved　to　be　only　a　small　boat　and　some　of　their　own　comrades　returned　from　fishing。　When　all　was　quiet　again；　one　of　the　men；　who　could　speak　a　little　Malay；　came　to　me　and　begged　me　not　to　sleep　too　hard。　〃Why？〃　said　I。　〃Perhaps　the　pirates　may　really　come；〃　said　he　very　seriously；　which　made　me　laugh　and　assure　him　I　should　sleep　as　hard　as　I　could。

Two　days　were　spent　here；　but　the　place　was　unproductive　of　insects　or　birds　of　interest；　so　we　made　another　attempt　to　get　on。　As　soon　as　we　got　a　little　away　from　the　land　we　had　a　fair　wind；　and　in　six　hours'　sailing　reached　the　entrance　of　the　Watelai　channel；　which　divides　the　most　northerly　from　the　middle　portion　of　Aru。　At　its　mouth　this　was　about　half　a　mile　wide；　but　soon　narrowed；　and　a　mile　or　two　on　it　assumed　entirely　the　aspect　of　a　river　about　the　width　of　the　Thames　at　London；　winding　among　low　but　undulating　and　often　hilly　country。　The　scene　was　exactly　such　as　might　be　expected　in　the　interior　of　a　continent。　The　channel　continued　of　a　uniform　average　width；　with　reaches　and　sinuous　bends；　one　bank　being　often　precipitous；　or　even　forming　vertical　cliffs；　while　the　other　was　flat　and　apparently　alluvial；　and　it　was　only　the　pure　salt…water；　and　the　absence　of　any　stream　but　the　slight　flux　and　reflux　of　the　tide；　that　would　enable　a　person　to　tell　that　he　was　navigating　a　strait　and　not　a　river。　The　wind　was　fair；　and　carried　us　along；　with　occasional　assistance　from　our　oars；　till　about　three　in　the　afternoon；　when　we　landed　where　a　little　brook　formed　two　or　three　basins　in　the　coral　rock；　and　then　fell　in　a　miniature　cascade　into　the　salt　water　river。　Here　we　bathed　and　cooked　our　dinner；　and　enjoyed　ourselves　lazily　till　sunset；　when　we　pursued　our　way　for　two　hours　snore；　and　then　moored　our　little　vessel　to　an　overhanging　tree　for　the　night。

At　five　the　next　morning　we　started　again；　and　in　an　hour　overtook　four　large　praus　containing　the　〃Commissie；〃　who　had　come　from　Dobbo　to　make　their　official　tour　round　the　islands；　and　had　passed　us　in　the　eight。　I　paid　a　visit　to　the　Dutchmen；　one　of　whom　spoke　a　little　English；　but　we　found　that　we　could　get　on　much　better　with　Malay。　They　told　me　that　they　had　been　delayed　going　after　the　pirates　to　one　of　the　northern　islands；　and　had　seen　three　of　their　vessels　but　could　not　catch　them；　because　on　being　pursued　they　rowed　out　in　the　wind's　eye；　which　they　are　enabled　to　do　by　having　about　fifty　oars　to　each　boat。　Having　had　some　tea　with　thorn；　I　bade　them　adieu；　and　turned　up　a　narrow　channel　which　our　pilot　said　would　take　us　to　the　village　of　Watelai；　on　the　west　side…　of　Are。　After　going　some　miles　we　found　the　channel　nearly　blocked　up　with　coral；　so　that　our　boat　grated　along　the　bottom；　crunching　what　may　truly　be　called　the　living　rock。　Sometimes　all　hands　had　to　get　out　and　wade；　to　lighten　the　vessel　and　lift　it　over　the　shallowest　places；　but　at　length　we　overcame　all　obstacles　and　reached　a　wide　bay　or　estuary　studded　with　little　rocks　and　islets；　and　opening　to　the　western　sea　and　the　numerous　islands　of　the　〃blakang…tuna。〃　I　now　found　that　the　village　we　were　going　to　was　miles　away；　that　we　should　have　to　go　out　to　sea；　and　round　a　rocky　point。　A　squall　seemed　coming　on；　and　as　I　have　a　horror　of　small　boats　at　sea；　and　from　all　I　could　learn　Watelai　village　was　not　a　place　to　stop　at　（no　birds　of　Paradise　being　found　there）；　I　determined　to　return　and　go　to　a　village　I　had　heard　of　up　a　tributary　of　the　Watelai　river；　and　situated　nearly　in　the　centre　of　the　mainland　of　Aru。　The　people　there　were　said　to　be　good；　and　to　be　accustomed　to　hunting　and　bird…catching；　being　too　far　inland　to　get　any　part　of　their　food　from　the　sea。　While　I　was　deciding　this　point　the　squall　burst　upon　us；　and　soon　raised　a　rolling　sea　in　the　shallow　water；　which　upset　an　oil　bottle　and　a　lamp；　broke　some　of　my　crockery；　and　threw　us　all　into　confusion。　Rowing　hard　we　managed　to　get　back　into　the　main　river　by　dusk；　and　looked　out　for　a　place　to　cook　our　suppers。　It　happened　to　be　high　water；　and　a　very　high　tide；　so　that　every　piece　of　sand　or　beach　was　covered；　and　it　was　with　the　greatest　difficulty；　and　after　much　groping　in　the　dark；　that　we　discovered　a　little　sloping　piece　of　rock　about　two　feet　square　on　which　to　make　a　fire　and　cook　some　rice。　The　next　day　we　continued　our　way　back；　and　on　the　following　day　entered　a　stream　on　the　south　side　of　the　Watelai　river；　and　ascending　to　where　navigation　ceased　found　the　little　village　of　Wanumbai；　consisting　of　two　large　houses　surrounded　by　plantations；　amid　the　virgin　forests　of　Aru。

As　I　liked　the　look　of　the　place；　and　was　desirous　of　staying　some　time；　I　sent　my　pilot　to　try　and　make　a　bargain　for　house　accommodation。　The　owner　and　chief　man　of　the　place　made　many　excuses。　First；　be　was　afraid　I　would　not　like　his　house；　and　then　was　doubtful　whether　his　son；　who　was　away；　would　like　his　admitting　me。　I　had　a　long　talk　with　him　myself；　and　tried　to　explain　what　I　was　doing；　and　how　many　things　I　would　buy　of　them；　and　showed　him　my　stock　of　heads；　and　knives；　and　cloth；　and　tobacco；　all　of　which　I　would　spend　with　his　family　and　friends　if　he　would　give　me　house…room。　He　seemed　a　little　staggered　at　this；　and　said　he；　would　talk　to　his　wife；　and　in　the　meantime　I　went　for　a　little　walk　to