the malay archipelago-1-第15章

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laying　them　back　across　each　other；　so　that　in　a　few　minutes　he　had　formed　a　compact　mass　of　foliage；　which　entirely　concealed　him　from　our　sight。　He　was　evidently　going　to　pass　the　night　here；　and　would　probably　get　away　early　the　next　morning；　if　not　wounded　too　severely。　I　therefore　fired　again　several　times；　in　hopes　of　making　him　leave　his　nest；　but；　though　I　felt　sure　I　had　hit　him；　as　at　each　shot　he　moved　a　little；　he　would　not　go　away。　At　length　he　raised　himself　up；　so　that　half　his　body　was　visible；　and　then　gradually　sank　down；　his　head　alone　remaining　on　the　edge　of　the　nest。　I　now　felt　sure　he　was　dead；　and　tried　to　persuade　the　Chinaman　and　his　companion　to　cut　down　the　tree；　but　it　was　a　very　large　one；　and　they　had　been　at　work　all　day；　and　nothing　would　induce　them　to　attempt　it。　The　next　morning；　at　daybreak；　I　came　to　the　place；　and　found　that　the　Mias　was　evidently　dead；　as　his　head　was　visible　in　exactly　the　same　position　as　before。　I　now　offered　four　Chinamen　a　day's　wages　each　to　cut　the　tree　down　at　once；　as　a　few　hours　of　sunshine　would　cause　decomposition　on　the　surface　of　the　skin；　but；　after　looking　at　it　and　trying　it；　they　determined　that　it　was　very　big　and　very　hard；　and　would　not　attempt　it。　Had　I　doubled　my　offer；　they　would　probably　have　accepted　it；　as　it　would　not　have　been　more　than　two　or　three　hours'　work；　and　had　I　been　on　a　short　visit　only；　I　would　have　done　so；　but　as　I　was　a　resident；　and　intended　remaining　several　months　longer；　it　would　not　have　answered　to　begin　paying　too　exorbitantly；　or　I　should　have　got　nothing　done　in　the　future　at　a　lower　rate。

For　some　weeks　after；　a　cloud　of　flies　could　be　seen　all　day；　hovering　over　the　body　of　the　dead　Mias；　but　in　about　a　month　all　was　quiet；　and　the　body　was　evidently　drying　up　under　the　influence　of　a　vertical　sun　alternating　with　tropical　rains。　Two　or　three　months　later　two　Malays；　on　the　offer　of　a　dollar；　climbed　the　tree　and　let　down　the　dried　remains。　The　skin　was　almost　entirely　enclosing　the　skeleton；　and　inside　were　millions　of　the　pupa…cases　of　flies　and　other　insects；　with　thousands　of　two　or　three　species　of　small　necrophagous　beetles。　The　skull　had　been　much　shattered　by　balls；　but　the　skeleton　was　perfect；　except　one　small　wristbone；　which　had　probably　dropped　out　and　been　carried　away　by　a　lizard。

Three　days　after　I　had　shot　this　one　and　lost　it；　Charles　found　three　small　Orangs　feeding　together。　We　had　a　long　chase　after　them；　and　had　a　good　opportunity　of　seeing　how　they　make　their　way　from　tree　to　tree　by　always　choosing　those　limbs　whose　branches　are　intermingled　with　those　of　some　other　tree；　and　then　grasping　several　of　the　small　twigs　together　before　they　venture　to　swing　themselves　across。　Yet　they　do　this　so　quickly　and　certainly；　that　they　make　way　among　the　trees　at　the　rate　of　full　five　or　six　miles　an　hour；　as　we　had　continually　to　run　to　keep　up　with　them。　One　of　these　we　shot　and　killed；　but　it　remained　high　up　in　the　fork　of　a　tree；　and；　as　young　animals　are　of　comparatively　little　interest；　I　did　not　have　the　tree　cut　down　to　get　it。

At　this　time　I　had　the　misfortune　to　slip　among　some　fallen　trees；　and　hurt　my　ankle；　and；　not　being　careful　enough　at　first；　it　became　a　severe　inflamed　ulcer；　which　would　not　heal；　and　kept　me　a　prisoner　in　the　house　the　whole　of　July　and　part　of　August。　When　I　could　get　out　again；　I　determined　to　take　a　trip　up　a　branch　of　the　Simunjon　River　to　Semabang；　where　there　was　said　to　be　a　large　Dyak　house；　a　mountain　with　abundance　of　fruit；　and　plenty　of　Orangs　and　fine　birds。　As　the　river　was　very　narrow；　and　I　was　obliged　to　go　in　a　very　small　boat　with　little　luggage；　I　only　took　with　me　a　Chinese　boy　as　a　servant。　I　carried　a　cask　of　medicated　arrack　to　put　Mias　skins　in；　and　stores　and　ammunition　for　a　fortnight。　After　a　few　miles；　the　stream　became　very　narrow　and　winding；　and　the　whole　country　on　each　side　was　flooded。　On　the　banks　were　an　abundance　of　monkeysthe　common　Macacus　cynomolgus；　a　black　Semnopithecus；　and　the　extraordinary　long…nosed　monkey　（Nasalis　larvatus）；　which　is　as　large　as　a　three…year　old　child；　has　a　very　long　tail；　and　a　fleshy　nose　longer　than　that　of　the　biggest…nosed　man。　The　further　we　went　on　the　narrower　and　more　winding　the　stream　became；　fallen　trees　sometimes　blocked　up　our　passage；　and　sometimes　tangled　branches　and　creepers　met　completely　across　it；　and　had　to　be　cut　away　before　we　could　get　on。　It　took　us　two　days　to　reach　Semabang；　and　we　hardly　saw　a　bit　of　dry　land　all　the　way。　In　the　latter　part　of　the　journey　I　could　touch　the　bushes　on　each　side　for　miles；　and　we　were　often　delayed　by　the　screw…pines　（Pandanus）；　which　grow　abundantly　in　the　water；　falling　across　the　stream。　In　other　places　dense　rafts　of　floating　grass　completely　filled　up　the　channel；　making　our　journey　a　constant　succession　of　difficulties。

Near　the　landing…place　we　found　a　fine　house；　250　feet　long；　raised　high　above　the　ground　on　posts；　with　a　wide　verandah　and　still　wider　platform　of　bamboo　in　front　of　it。　Almost　all　the　people；　however；　were　away　on　some　excursion　after　edible　birds'…　nests　or　bees'…wax；　and　there　only　remained　in　the　house　two　or　three　old　men　and　women　with　a　lot　of　children。　The　mountain　or　hill　was　close　by；　covered　with　a　complete　forest　of　fruit…trees；　among　which　the　Durian　and　Mangusteen　were　very　abundant；　but　the　fruit　was　not　yet　quite　ripe；　except　a　little　here　and　there。　I　spent　a　week　at　this　place；　going　out　everyday　in　various　directions　about　the　mountain；　accompanied　by　a　Malay；　who　had　stayed　with　me　while　the　other　boatmen　returned。　For　three　days　we　found　no　Orangs；　but　shot　a　deer　and　several　monkeys。　On　the　fourth　day；　however；　we　found　a　Mias　feeding　on　a　very　lofty　Durian　tree；　and　succeeded　in　killing　it；　after　eight　shots。　Unfortunately　it　remained　in　the　tree；　hanging　by　its　hands；　and　we　were　obliged　to　leave　it　and　return　home；　as　it　was　several　miles　off。　As　I　felt　pretty　sure　it　would　fall　during　the　night；　I　returned　to　the　place　early　the　next　morning；　and　found　it　on　the　ground　beneath　the　tree。　To　my　astonishment　and　pleasure；　it　appeared　to　be　a　different　kind　from　any　I　had　yet　seen；　for　although　a　full…grown　male；　by　its　fully　developed　teeth　and　very　large　canines；　it　had　no　sign　of　the　lateral　protuberance　on　the　face；　and　was　about　one…tenth　smaller　in　all　its　dimensions　than　the　other　adult　males。　The　upper　incisors；　however；　appeared　to　be　broader　than　in　the　larger　species；　a　character　distinguishing　the　Simia　morio　of　Professor　Owen；　which　he　had　described　from　the　cranium　of　a　female　specimen。　As　it　was　too　far　to　carry　the　animal　home；　I　set　to　work　and　skinned　the　body　on　the　spot；　leaving　the　head；　hands；　and　feet　attached；　to　be　finished　at　home。　This　specimen　is　now　in　the　British　Museum。

At　the　end　of　a　week；　finding　no　more　Orangs；　I　returned　home；　and；　taking　in　a　few　fresh　stores；　and　this　time　accompanied　by　Charles；　went　up　another　branch　of　the　river；　very　similar　in　character；　to　a　place　called　Menyille；　where　there　were　several　small　Dyak　houses　and　one　large　one。　Here　the　landing　place　was　a　bridge　of　rickety　poles；　over　a　considerable　distance　of　water；　and　I　thought　it　safer　to　leave　my　cask　of　arrack　securely　placed　in　the　fork　of　a　tree。　To　prevent　the　natives　from　drinking　it；　I　let　several　of　them　see　me　put　in　a　number　of　snakes　and　lizards；　but　I　rather　think　this　did　not　prevent　them　from　tasting　it。　We　were　accommodated　here　in　the　verandah　of　the　large　house；　in　which　were　several　great　baskets　of　dried　human　heads；　the　trophies　of　past　generations　of　head…hunters。　Here　also　there　was　a　little　mountain　covered　with　fruit…trees；　and　there　were　some　magnificent　Durian　trees　close　by　the　house；　the　fruit　of　which　was　ripe；　and　as　the　Dyaks　looked　upon　me　as　a　benefactor　in　killing　the　Mias；　which　destroys　a　great　deal　of　their　fruit；　they　let　us　eat　as　much　as　we　liked；　we　revelled　in　this　emperor　of　fruits　in　its　greatest　perfection。

The　very　day　after　my　arrival　in　this　place；　I　was　so　fortunate　as　to　shoot　another　adult　male　of　the　small　Orang；　the　Mias…　kassir　of　the　Dyaks。　It　fell　when　dead；　but　caught　in　a　fork　of　the　tree　and　remained　fixed。　As　I　was　ve