the malay archipelago-2-第53章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


l　with　foot　wounds　in　this　climate；　it　turned　into　an　obstinate　ulcer；　keeping　me　in　the　house　for　several　days。　When　it　healed　up　it　was　followed　by　an　internal　inflammation　of　the　foot；　which　by　the　doctor's　advice　I　poulticed　incessantly　for　four　or　five　days；　bringing　out　a　severe　inflamed　swelling　on　the　tendon　above　the　heel。　This　had　to　be　leeched；　and　lanced；　and　doctored　with　ointments　and　poultices　for　several　weeks；　till　I　was　almost　driven　to　despair；for　the　weather　was　at　length　fine；　and　I　was　tantalized　by　seeing　grand　butterflies　flying　past　my　door；　and　thinking　of　the　twenty　or　thirty　new　species　of　insects　that　I　ought　to　be　getting　every　day。　And　this；　too；　in　New　Guineaa　country　which　I　might　never　visit　again；a　country　which　no　naturalist　had　ever　resided　in　before；a　country　which　contained　more　strange　and　new　and　beautiful　natural　objects　than　any　other　part　of　the　globe。　The　naturalist　will　be　able　to　appreciate　my　feelings；　sitting　from　morning　to　night　in　my　little　hut；　unable　to　move　without　a　crutch；　and　my　only　solace　the　birds　my　hunters　brought　in　every　afternoon；　and　the　few　insects　caught　by　my　Ternate　man；　Lahagi；　who　now　went　out　daily　in　my　place；　but　who　of　course　did　not　get　a　fourth　part　of　what　I　should　have　obtained。　To　add　to　my　troubles　all　my　men　were　more　or　less　ill；　some　with　fever；　others　with　dysentery　or　ague；　at　one　time　there　were　three　of　them　besides　myself　all　helpless；　the　coon　alone　being　well；　and　having　enough　to　do　to　wait　upon　us。　The　Prince　of　Tidore　and　the　Resident　of　Panda　were　both　on　board　the　steamer；　and　were　seeking　Birds　of　Paradise；　sending　men　round　in　every　direction；　so　that　there　was　no　chance　of　my　getting　even　native　skins　of　the　rarer　kinds；　and　any　birds；　insects；　or　animals　the　Dorey　people　had　to　sell　were　taken　on　board　the　steamer；　where　purchasers　were　found　for　everything；　and　where　a　larger　variety　of　articles　were　offered　in　exchange　than　I　had　to　show。

After　a　month's　close　confinement　in　the　house　I　was　at　length　able　to　go　out　a　little；　and　about　the　same　time　I　succeeded　in　getting　a　boat　and　six　natives　to　take　Ali　and　Lahagi　to　Amberbaki；　and　to　bring　them　back　at　the　end　of　a　month。　Ali　was　charged　to　buy　all　the　Birds　of　Paradise　he　could　get；　and　to　shoot　and　skin　all　other　rare　or　new　birds；　and　Lahagi　was　to　collect　insects；　which　I　hoped　might　be　more　abundant　than　at　Dorey。　When　I　recommenced　my　daily　walks　in　search　of　insects；　I　found　a　great　change　in　the　neighbourhood；　and　one　very　agreeable　to　me。　All　the　time　I　had　been　laid　up　the　ship's　crew　and　the　Javanese　soldiers　who　had　been　brought　in　a　tender　（a　sailing　ship　which　had　arrived　soon　after　the　Etna）；　had　been　employed　cutting　down；　sawing；　and　splitting　large　trees　for　firewood；　to　enable　the　steamer　to　get　back　to　Amboyna　if　the　coal…ship　did　not　return；　and　they　had　also　cleared　a　number　of　wide；　straight　paths　through　the　forest　in　various　directions；　greatly　to　the　astonishment　of　the　natives；　who　could　not　make　out　what　it　all　meant。　I　had　now　a　variety　of　walks；　and　a　good　deal　of　dead　wood　on　which　to　search　for　insects；　but　notwithstanding　these　advantages；　they　were　not　nearly　so　plentiful　as　I　had　found　them　at　Sarawak；　or　Amboyna；　or　Batchian；　confirming　my　opinion　that　Dorey　was　not　a　good　locality。　It　is　quite　probable；　however；　that　at　a　station　a　few　miles　in　the　interior；　away　from　the　recently　elevated　coralline　rocks　and　the　influence　of　the　sea　air；　a　much　more　abundant　harvest　might　be　obtained。

One　afternoon　I　went　on　board　the　steamer　to　return　the　captain's　visit；　and　was　shown　some　very　nice　sketches　（by　one　of　the　lieutenants）；　made　on　the　south　coast；　and　also　at　the　Arfak　mountain；　to　which　they　had　made　an　excursion。　From　these　and　the　captain's　description；　it　appeared　that　the　people　of　Arfak　were　similar　to　those　of　Dorey；　and　I　could　hear　nothing　of　the　straight…haired　race　which　Lesson　says　inhabits　the　interior；　but　which　no　one　has　ever　seen；　and　the　account　of　which　I　suspect　has　originated　in　some　mistake。　The　captain　told　me　he　had　made　a　detailed　survey　of　part　of　the　south　coast；　and　if　the　coal　arrived　should　go　away　at　once　to　Humboldt　Pay；　in　longitude　141°　east；　which　is　the　line　up　to　which　the　Dutch　claim　New　Guinea。　On　board　the　tender　I　found　a　brother　naturalist；　a　German　named　Rosenberg；　who　was　draughtsman　to　the　surveying　staff。　He　had　brought　two　men　with　him　to　shoot　and　skin　birds；　and　had　been　able　to　purchase　a　few　rare　skins　from　the　natives。　Among　these　was　a　pair　of　the　superb　Paradise　Pie　（Astrapia　nigra）　in　tolerable　preservation。　They　were　brought　from　the　island　of　Jobie；　which　may　be　its　native　country；　as　it　certainly　is　of　the　rarer　species　of　crown　pigeon　（Goura　steursii）；　one　of　which　was　brought　alive　and　sold　on　board。　Jobie；　however；　is　a　very　dangerous　place；　and　sailors　are　often　murdered　there　when　on　shore；　sometimes　the　vessels　themselves　being　attacked。　Wandammen；　on　the　mainland　opposite　Jobie；　inhere　there　are　said　to　be　plenty　of　birds；　is　even　worse；　and　at　either　of　these　places　my　life　would　not　have　been　worth　a　week's　purchase　had　I　ventured　to　live　alone　and　unprotected　as　at　Dorey。　On　board　the　steamer　they　had　a　pair　of　tree　kangaroos　alive。　They　differ　chiefly　from　the　ground…kangaroo　in　having　a　more　hairy　tail；　not　thickened　at　the　base；　and　not　used　as　a　prop；　and　by　the　powerful　claws　on　the　fore…feet；　by　which　they　grasp　the　bark　and　branches；　and　seize　the　leaves　on　which　they　feed。　They　move　along　by　short　jumps　on　their　hind…feet；　which　do　not　seem　particularly　well　adapted　for　climbing　trees。　It　has　been　supposed　that　these　tree…kangaroos　are　a　special　adaptation　to　the　swampy；　half…drowned　forests　of；　New　Guinea；　in　place　of　the　usual　form　of　the　group；　which　is　adapted　only　to　dry　ground。　Mr。　Windsor　Earl　makes　much　of　this　theory；　but；　unfortunately　for　it；　the　tree…kangaroos　are　chiefly　found　in　the　northern　peninsula　of　New　Guinea；　which　is　entirely　composed　of　hills　and　mountains　with　very　little　flat　land；　while　the　kangaroo　of　the　low　flat　Aru　Islands　（Dorcopsis　asiaticus）　is　a　ground　species。　A　more　probable　supposition　seems　to　lie；　that　the　tree…kangaroo　has　been　modified　to　enable　it　to　feed　on　foliage　in　the　vast　forests　of　New　Guinea；　as　these　form　the　great　natural　feature　which　distinguishes　that　country　from　Australia。

On　June　5th；　the　coal…ship　arrived；　having　been　sent　back　from　Amboyna；　with　the　addition　of　some　fresh　stores　for　the　steamer。　The　wood；　which　had　been　almost　all　taken　on　board；　was　now　unladen　again；　the　coal　taken　in；　and　on　the　17th　both　steamer　and　tender　left　for　Humboldt　Bay。　We　were　then　a　little　quiet　again；　and　got　something　to　eat；　for　while　the　vessels　were　here　every　bit　of　fish　or　vegetable　was　taken　on　board；　and　I　had　often　to　make　a　small　parroquet　serve　for　two　meals。　My　men　now　returned　from　Amberbaki；　but；　alas　brought　me　almost　nothing。　They　had　visited　several　villages；　and　even　went　two　days'　journey　into　the　interior；　but　could　find　no　skins　of　Birds　of　Paradise　to　purchase；　except　the　common　kind；　and　very　few　even　of　those。　The　birds　found　were　the　same　as　at　Dorey；　but　were　still　scarcer。　None　of　the　natives　anywhere　near　the　coast　shoot　or　prepare　Birds　of　Paradise；　which　come　from　far　in　the　interior　over　two　or　three　ranges　of　mountains；　passing　by　barter　from　village　to　village　till　they　reach　the　sea。　There　the　natives　of　Dorey　buy　them；　and　on　their　return　home　sell　them　。to　the　Bugis　or　Ternate　traders。　It　is　therefore　hopeless　for　a　traveller　to　go　to　any　particular　place　on　the　coast　of　New　Guinea　where　rare　Paradise　birds　may　have　been　bought；　in　hopes　of　obtaining　freshly　killed　specimens　from　the　natives；　and　it　also　shows　the　scarcity　of　these　birds　in　any　one　locality；　since　from　the　Amberbaki　district；　a　celebrated　place；　where　at　least　five　or　six　species　have　been　procured；　not　one　of　the　rarer　ones　has　been　obtained　this　year。　The　Prince　of　Tidore；　who　would　certainly　have　got　them　if　any　were　to　be　had；　was　obliged　to　put　up　with　a　few　of　the　common　yellow　ones。　I　think　it　probable　that　a　longer　residence　at　Dorey；　a　little　farther　in　the　interior；　might　show　that　several　of　the　rarer　kin