the malay archipelago-2-第42章

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ok　a　stroll　round　the　house　by　moonlight；　thinking　of　the　simple　people　and　the　strange　productions　of　Aru；　and　then　turned　in　under　my　mosquito　curtain；　to　sleep　with　a　sense　of　perfect　security　in　the　midst　of　these　good…natured　savages。

We　now　had　seven　or　eight　days　of　hot　and　dry　weather；　which　reduced　the　little　river　to　a　succession　of　shallow　pools　connected　by　the　smallest　possible　thread　of　trickling　water。　If　there　were　a　dry　season　like　that　of　Macassar；　the　Aru　Islands　would　be　uninhabitable；　as　there　is　no　part　of　them　much　above　a　hundred　feet　high；　and　the　whole　being　a　mass　of　porous　coralline　rock；　allows　the　surface　water　rapidly　to　escape。　The　only　dry　season　they　have　is　for　a　month　or　two　about　September　or　October；　and　there　is　then　an　excessive　scarcity　of　water；　so　that　sometimes　hundreds　of　birds　and　other　animals　die　of　drought。　The　natives　then　remove　to　houses　near　the　sources　of　the　small　streams；　where；　in　the　shady　depths　of　the　forest；　a　small　quantity　of　water　still　remains。　Even　then　many　of　them　have　to　go　miles　for　their　water；　which　they　keep　in　large　bamboos　and　use　very　sparingly。　They　assure　me　that　they　catch　and　kill　game　of　all　kinds；　by　watching　at　the　water　holes　or　setting　snares　around　them。　That　would　be　the　time　for　me　to　make　my　collections；　but　the　want　of　water　would　be　a　terrible　annoyance；　and　the　impossibility　of　getting　away　before　another　whole　year　had　passed　made　it　out　of　the　question。

Ever　since　leaving　Dobbo　I　had　suffered　terribly　from　insects；　who　seemed　here　bent　upon　revenging　my　long…continued　persecution　of　their　race。　At　our　first　stopping…place　sand…flies　were　very　abundant　at　night；　penetrating　to　every　part　of　the　body；　and　producing　a　more　lasting　irritation　than　mosquitoes。　My　feet　and　ankles　especially　suffered；　and　were　completely　covered　with　little　red　swollen　specks；　which　tormented　me　horribly。　On　arriving　here　we　were　delighted　to　find　the　house　free　from　sand…　flies　or　mosquitoes；　but　in　the　plantations　where　my　daily　walks　led　me；　the　day…biting　mosquitoes　swarmed；　and　seemed　especially　to　delight　in　attaching　my　poor　feet。　After　a　month's　incessant　punishment；　those　useful　members　rebelled　against　such　treatment　and　broke　into　open　insurrection；　throwing　out　numerous　inflamed　ulcers；　which　were　very　painful；　and　stopped　me　from　walking。　So　I　found　myself　confined　to　the　house；　and　with　no　immediate　prospect　of　leaving　it。　Wounds　or　sores　in　the　feet　are　especially　difficult　to　heal　in　hot　climates；　and　I　therefore　dreaded　them　more　than　any　other　illness。　The　confinement　was　very　annoying；　as　the　fine　hot　weather　was　excellent　for　insects；　of　which　I　had　every　promise　of　obtaining　a　fine　collection；　and　it　is　only　by　daily　and　unremitting　search　that　the　smaller　kinds；　and　the　rarer　and　more　interesting　specimens；　can　be　obtained。　When　I　crawled　down　to　the　river…side　to　bathe；　I　often　saw　the　blue…winged　Papilio　ulysses；　or　some　other　equally　rare　and　beautiful　insect；　but　there　was　nothing　for　it　but　patience；　and　to　return　quietly　to　my　bird…skinning；　or　whatever　other　work　I　had　indoors。　The　stings　and　bites　and　ceaseless　irritation　caused　by　these　pests　of　the　tropical　forests；　would　be　borne　uncomplainingly；　but　to　be　kept　prisoner　by　them　in　so　rich　and　unexplored　a　country　where　rare　and　beautiful　creatures　are　to　be　met　with　in　every　forest　ramblea　country　reached　by　such　a　long　and　tedious　voyage；　and　which　might　not　in　the　present　century　be　again　visited　for　the　same　purposeis　a　punishment　too　severe　for　a　naturalist　to　pass　over　in　silence。

I　had；　however；　some　consolation　in　the　birds　my　boys　brought　home　daily；　more　especially　the　Paradiseas；　which　they　at　length　obtained　in　full　plumage。　It　was　quite　a　relief　to　my　mind　to　get　these；　for　I　could　hardly　have　torn　myself　away　from　Aru　had　I　not　obtained　specimens。

But　what　I　valued　almost　as　much　as　the　birds　themselves　was　the　knowledge　of　their　habits；　which　I　was　daily　obtaining　both　from　the　accounts　of　my　hunters；　and　from　the　conversation　of　the　natives。　The　birds　had　now　commenced　what　the　people　here　call　their　〃sacaleli；〃　or　dancing…parties；　in　certain　trees　in　the　forest；　which　are　not　fruit　trees　as　I　at　first　imagined；　but　which　have　an　immense　tread　of　spreading　branches　and　large　but　scattered　leaves；　giving　a　clear　space　for　the　birds　to　play　and　exhibit　their　plumes。　On　one　of　these　trees　a　dozen　or　twenty　full…plumaged　male　birds　assemble　together；　raise　up　their　wings；　stretch　out　their　necks；　and　elevate　their　exquisite　plumes；　keeping　them　in　a　continual　vibration。　Between　whiles　they　fly　across　from　branch　to　branch　in　great　excitement；　so　that　the　whole　tree　is　filled　with　waving　plumes　in　every　variety　of　attitude　and　motion。　（See　Frontispiece。）　The　bird　itself　is　nearly　as　large　as　a　crow；　and　is　of　a　rich　coffee　brown　colour。　The　head　and　neck　is　of　a　pure　straw　yellow　above　and　rich　metallic　green　beneath。　The　long　plumy　tufts　of　golden　orange　feathers　spring　from　the　sides　beneath　each　wing；　and　when　the　bird　is　in　repose　are　partly　concealed　by　them。　At　the　time　of　its　excitement；　however；　the　wings　are　raised　vertically　over　tile　back；　the　head　is　bent　down　and　stretched　out；　and　the　long　plumes　are　raised　up　and　expanded　till　they　form　two　magnificent　golden　fans；　striped　with　deep　red　at　the　base；　and　fading　off　into　the　pale　brown　tint　of　the　finely　divided　and　softly　waving　points。　The　whole　bird　is　then　overshadowed　by　them；　the　crouching　body；　yellow　head；　and　emerald　green　throat　forming　but　the　foundation　and　setting　to　the　golden　glory　which　waves　above。　When　seen　in　this　attitude；　the　Bird　of　Paradise　really　deserves　its　name；　and　must　be　ranked　as　one　of　the　most　beautiful　and　most　wonderful　of　living　things。　I　continued　also　to　get　specimens　of　the　lovely　little　king…bird　occasionally；　as　well　as　numbers　of　brilliant　pigeons；　sweet　little　parroquets；　and　many　curious　small　birds；　most　nearly　resembling　those　of　Australia　and　New　Guinea。

Here；　as　among　most　savage　people　I　have　dwelt　among；　I　was　delighted　with　the　beauty　of　the　human　form…a　beauty　of　which　stay…at…home　civilized　people　can　scarcely　have　any　conception。　What　are　the　finest　Grecian　statues　to　the　living；　moving；　breathing　men　I　saw　daily　around　me？　The　unrestrained　grace　of　the　naked　savage　as　he　goes　about　his　daily　occupations；　or　lounges　at　his　ease；　must　be　seen　to　be　understood；　and　a　youth　bending　his　bow　is　the　perfection　of　manly　beauty。　The　women；　however；　except　in　extreme　youth；　are　by　no　means　so　pleasant　to　look　at　as　the　men。　Their　strongly…marked　features　are　very　unfeminine；　and　hard　work；　privations；　and　very　early　marriages　soon　destroy　whatever　of　beauty　or　grace　they　may　for　a　short　time　possess。　Their　toilet　is　very　simple；　but　also；　I　am　sorry　to　say；　very　coarse；　and　disgusting。　It　consists　solely　of　a　mat　of　plaited　strips　of　palm　leaves；　worn　tight　round　the　body；　and　reaching　from　the　hips　to　the　knees。　It　seems　not　to　be　changed　till　worn　out；　is　seldom　washed；　and　is　generally　very　dirty。　This　is　the　universal　dress；　except　in　a　few　cases　where　Malay　〃sarongs〃　have　come　into　use。　Their　frizzly　hair　is　tied　in　a　bench　at　the　back　of　the　head。　They　delight　in　combing；　or　rather　forking　it；　using　for　that　purpose　a　large　wooden　fork　with　four　diverging　prongs；　which　answers　the　purpose　of　separating　and　arranging　the　long　tangled；　frizzly　mass　of　cranial　vegetation　much　better　than　any　comb　could　do。　The　only　ornaments　of　the　women　are　earrings　and　necklaces；　which　they　arrange　in　various　tasteful　ways。　The　ends　of　a　necklace　are　often　attached　to　the　earrings；　and　then　looped　on　to　the　hair…knot　behind。　This　has　really　an　elegant　appearance；　the　beads　hanging　gracefully　on　each　side　of　the　head；　and　by　establishing　a　connexion　with　the　earrings　give　an　appearance　of　utility　to　those　barbarous　ornaments。　We　recommend　this　style　to　the　consideration　of　those　of　the　fair　sex　who　still　bore　holes　in　their　ears　and　hang　rings　thereto。　Another　style　of　necklace　among　these　Papuan　belles　is　to　wear　two；　each　hanging　on　one　side　of　the　neck　and　under　the　opposite　arm；　so　as　to　cross　each　other。　This　has　a　very　pretty　appearance；　in　part　due　to　the　co