the malay archipelago-2-第43章

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he　opposite　arm；　so　as　to　cross　each　other。　This　has　a　very　pretty　appearance；　in　part　due　to　the　contrast　of　the　white　beads　or　kangaroo　teeth　of　which　they　are　composed　with　the　dark　glossy　skin。　The　earrings　themselves　are　formed　of　a　bar　of　copper　or　silver；　twisted　so　that　the　ends　cross。　The　men；　as　usual　among　savages；　adorn　themselves　more　than　the　women。　They　wear　necklaces；　earrings；　and　finger　rings；　and　delight　in　a　band　of　plaited　grass　tight　round　the　arm　just　below　the　shoulder；　to　which　they　attach　a　bunch　of　hair　or　bright　coloured　feathers　by　way　of　ornament。　The　teeth　of　small　animals；　either　alone；　or　alternately　with　black　or　white　beads；　form　their　necklaces；　and　sometimes　bracelets　also。　For　these　latter；　however；　they　prefer　brass　wire；　or　the　black；　horny；　wing…spines　of　the　cassowary；　which　they　consider　a　charm。　Anklets　of　brass　or　shell；　and　tight　plaited　garters　below　the　knee；　complete　their　ordinary　decorations。

Some　natives　of　Kobror　from　further　south；　and　who　are　reckoned　the　worst　and　least　civilized　of　the　Aru　tribes；　came　one　day　to　visit　us。　They　have　a　rather　more　than　usually　savage　appearance；　owing　to　the　greater　amount　of　ornaments　they　usethe　most　conspicuous　being　a　large　horseshoe…shaped　comb　which　they　wear　over　the　forehead；　the　ends　resting　on　the　temples。　The　back　of　the　comb　is　fastened　into　a　piece　of　wood；　which　is　plated　with　tin　in　front；　and　above　is　attached　a　plume　of　feathers　from　a　cock's　tail。　In　other　respects　they　scarcely　differed　from　the　people　I　was　living　with。　They　brought　me　a　couple　of　birds；　some　shells　and　insects；　showing　that　the　report　of　the　white　man　and　his　doing　had　reached　their　country。　There　was　probably　hardly　a　man　in　Aru　who　had　not　by　this　time　heard　of　me。

Besides　the　domestic　utensils　already　mentioned；　the　moveable　property　of　a　native　is　very　scanty。　He　has　a　good　supply　of　spears　and　bows　and　arrows　for　hunting；　a　parang；　or　chopping…　knife；　and　an　axe…for　the　stone　age　has　passed　away　here；　owing　to　the　commercial　enterprise　of　the　Bugis　and　other　Malay　races。　Attached　to　a　belt；　or　hung　across　his　shoulder；　he　carrion　a　little　skin　pouch　and　an　ornamented　bamboo；　containing　betel…nut；　tobacco；　and　lime；　and　a　small　German　wooden…handled　knife　is　generally　stuck　between　his　waist…cloth　of　bark　and　his　bare　shin。　Each　man　also　possesses　a　°cadjan；〃　or　sleeping…mat；　made　of　the　broad　leaves　of　a　pandanus　neatly　sewn　together　in…　three　layers。　This　mat　is　abort　four　feet　square；　and　when　folded　has　one　end　sewn　up；　so　that　it　forms　a　kind　of　sack　open　at　one　side。　In　the　closed　corner　the　head　or　feet　can　be　placed；　or　by　carrying　it　on　the　head　in　a　shower　it　forms　both　coat　and　umbrella。　It　doubles　up　ix　a　small　compass　for　convenient　carriage；　and　then　forms　a　light　and　elastic　cushion；　so　that　on　a　journey　it　becomes　clothing；　house；　bedding；　and　furniture；　all　in　one。

The　only　ornaments　in　an　Aru　horse　are　trophies　of　the　chase　jaws　of　wild　pigs；　the　heads　and　backbones　of　cassowaries；　and　plumes　made　from　the　feathers　of　the　Bird　of　Paradise；　cassowary；　and　domestic　fowl。　The　spears；　shields；　knife…handles；　and　other　utensils　are　more　or　less　carved　in　fanciful　designs；　and　the　mats　and　leaf　boxes　are　painted　or　plaited　in　neat　patterns　of　red；　black；　and　yellow　colours。　I　must　not　forget　these　boxes；　which　are　most　ingeniously　made　of　the　pith　of　a　balm　leaf　pegged　together；　lined　inside　with　pandanus　leaves；　and　outside　with　the　same；　or　with　plaited　grass。　All　the　joints　and　angles　are　coffered　with　strips　of　split　rattan　sewn　neatly　on。　The　lid　is　covered　with　the　brown　leathery　spathe　of　the　Areca　palm；　which　is　impervious　to　water；　and　the　whole　box　is　neat；　strong；　and　well　finished。　They　are　made　from　a　few　inches　to　two　or　three　feet　long；　and　being　much　esteemed　by　the　Malay　as　clothes…boxes；　are　a　regular　article　of　export　from　Aru。　The　natives　use　the　smaller　ones　for　tobacco　or　betel…nut；　but　seldom　have　clothes　enough　to　require　the　larger　ones；　which　are　only　made　for　sale。

Among　the　domestic　animals　which　may　generally　be　seen　in　native　houses；　are　gaudy　parrots；　green；　red；　and　blue；　a　few　domestic　fowls；　which　have　baskets　hung　for　them　to　lay　in　under　the　eaves；　and　who　sleep　on　the　ridge；　and　several　half…starved　wolfish…baking　dogs。　Instead　of　rats　and　mice　there　are　curious　little　marsupial　animals　about　the　same　size；　which　run　about　at　night　and　nibble　anything　eatable　that　may　be　left　uncovered。　Four　or　five　different　kinds　of　ants　attack　everything　not　isolated　by　water；　and　one　kind　even　swims　across　that；　great　spiders　lurk　in　baskets　and　boxes；　or　hide　in　the　folds　of　my　mosquito　curtain；　centipedes　and　millepedes　are　found　everywhere。　I　have　caught　them　under　my　pillow　and　on　my　bead；　while　in　every　box；　and　under　every　hoard　which　has　lain　for　some　days　undisturbed；　little　scorpions　are　sure　to　be　found　snugly　ensconced；　with　their　formidable　tails　quickly　turned　up　ready　for　attack　or　defence。　Such　companions　seem　very　alarming　and　dangerous；　but　all　combined　are　not　so　bad　as　the　irritation　of　mosquitoes；　or　of　the　insect　pests　often　found　at　home。　These　latter　are　a　constant　and　unceasing　source　of　torment　and　disgust；　whereas　you　may　live　a　long　time　among　scorpions；　spiders；　and　centipedes；　ugly　and　venomous　though　they　are；　and　get　no　harm　from　them。　After　living　twelve　years　in　the　tropics；　I　have　never　yet　been　bitten　or　stung　by　either。

The　lean　and　hungry　dogs　before　mentioned　were　my　greatest　enemies；　and　kept　me　constantly　on　the　watch。　If　my　boys　left　the　bird　they　were　skinning　for　an　instant；　it　was　sure　to　be　carried　off。　Everything　eatable　had　to　be　hung　up　to　the　roof；　to　be　out　of　their　reach。　Ali　had　just　finished　skinning　a　fine　King　Bird　of　Paradise　one　day；　when　he　dropped　the　skin。　Before　he　could　stoop　to　pick　it　up；　one　of　this　famished　race　had　seized　upon　it；　and　he　only　succeeded　in　rescuing　it　from　its　fangs　after　it　was　torn　to　tatters。　Two　skins　of　the　large　Paradisea；　which　were　quite　dry　and　ready　to　pack　away；　were　incautiously　left　on　my　table　for　the　night；　wrapped　up　in　paper。　The　next　morning　they　were　gone；　and　only　a　few　scattered　feathers　indicated　their　fate。　My　hanging　shelf　was　out　of　their　reach；　but　having　stupidly　left　a　box　which　served　as　a　step；　a　full…plumaged　Paradise　bird　was　next　morning　missing；　and　a　dog　below　the　house　was　to　be　seen　still　mumbling　over　the　fragments；　with　the　fine　golden　plumes　all　trampled　in　the　mud。　Every　night；　as　soon　as　I　was　in　bed；　I　could　hear　them　searching　about　for　what　they　could　devour；　under　my　table；　and　all　about　my　boxes　and　baskets；　keeping　me　in　a　state　of　suspense　till　morning；　lest　something　of　value　might　incautiously　have　been　left　within　their　read。　They　would　drink　the　oil　of　my　floating　lamp　and　eat　the　wick；　and　upset　or　break　my　crockery　if　my　lazy　boys　had　neglected　to　wash　away　even　the　smell　of　anything　eatable。　Bad；　however；　as　they　are　here；　they　were　worse　in　a　Dyak's　house　in　Borneo　where　I　was　once　staying；　for　there　they　gnawed　off　the　tops　of　my　waterproof　boots；　ate　a　large　piece　out　of　an　old　leather　game…bag；　besides　devouring　a　portion　of　my　mosquito　curtain！

April　28th。Last　evening　we　had　a　grand　consultation；　which　had　evidently　been　arranged　and　discussed　beforehand。　A　number　of　the　natives　gathered　round　me；　and　said　they　wanted　to　talk。　Two　of　the　best　Malay　scholars　helped　each　other；　the　rest　putting　in　hints　and　ideas　in　their　own　language。　They　told　me　a　long　rambling　story；　but；　partly　owing　to　their　imperfect　knowledge　of　Malay；　partly　through　my　ignorance　of　local　terms；　and　partly　through　the　incoherence　of　their　narrative；　I　could　not　make　it　out　very　clearly。　It　was；　however；　a　tradition；　and　I　was　glad　to　find　they　had　anything　of　the　kind。　A　long　time　ago；　they　said；　some　strangers　came　to　Aru；　and　came　here　to　Wanumbai；　and　the　chief　of　the　Wanumbai　people　did　not　like　them；　and　wanted　them　to　go　away；　but　they　would　not　go；　and　so　it　came　to　fighting；　and　many　Aru　men　were　killed；　and　some；　along　with　the　chief；　were　taken　prisoners；　and　carried　away　by　the　strangers。　Some　of　the　speakers；　however；　said　that　he　was　not　carried　away；　but　went　away　in　his　ow