the malay archipelago-1-第16章

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ir　of　the　Dyaks。　It　fell　when　dead；　but　caught　in　a　fork　of　the　tree　and　remained　fixed。　As　I　was　very　anxious　to　get　it；　I　tried　to　persuade　two　young　Dyaks　who　were　with　me　to　cut　down　the　tree；　which　was　tall；　perfectly　straight　and　smooth…barked；　and　without　a　branch　for　fifty　or　sixty　feet。　To　my　surprise；　they　said　they　would　prefer　climbing　up　it；　but　it　would　be　a　good　deal　of　trouble；　and；　after　a　little　talking　together；　they　said　they　would　try。　They　first　went　to　a　clump　of　bamboo　that　stood　near；　and　cut　down　one　of　the　largest　stems。　From　this　they　chopped　off　a　short　piece；　and　splitting　it；　made　a　couple　of　stout　pegs；　about　a　foot　long　and　sharp　at　one　end。　Then　cutting　a　thick　piece　of　wood　for　a　mallet；　they　drove　one　of　the　pegs　into　the　tree　and　hung　their　weight　upon　it。　It　held；　and　this　seemed　to　satisfy　them；　for　they　immediately　began　making　a　quantity　of　pegs　of　the　same　kind；　while　I　looked　on　with　great　interest；　wondering　how　they　could　possibly　ascend　such　a　lofty　tree　by　merely　driving　pegs　in　it；　the　failure　of　any　one　of　which　at　a　good　height　would　certainly　cause　their　death。　When　about　two　dozen　pegs　were　made；　one　of　them　began　cutting　some　very　long　and　slender　bamboo　from　another　clump；　and　also　prepared　some　cord　from　the　hark　of　a　small　tree。　They　now　drove　in　a　peg　very　firmly　at　about　three　feet　from　the　ground；　and　bringing　one　of　the　long　bamboos；　stood　it　upright　close　to　the　tree；　and　bound　it　firmly　to　the　two　first　pegs；　by　means　of　the　bark　cord　and　small　notches　near　the　head　of　each　peg。　One　of　the　Dyaks　now　stood　on　the　first　peg　and　drove　in　a　third；　about　level　with　his　face；　to　which　he　tied　the　bamboo　in　the　same　way；　and　then　mounted　another　step；　standing　on　one　foot；　and　holding　by　the　bamboo　at　the　peg　immediately　above　him；　while　he　drove　in　the　next　one。　In　this　manner　he　ascended　about　twenty　feet；　when　the　upright　bamboo　was　becoming　thin；　another　was　handed　up　by　his　companion；　and　this　was　joined　by　tying　both　bamboos　to　three　or　four　of　the　pegs。　When　this　was　also　nearly　ended；　a　third　was　added；　and　shortly　after；　the　lowest　branches　of　the　tree　were　reached；　along　which　the　young　Dyak　scrambled；　and　soon　sent　the　Mias　tumbling　down　headlong。　I　was　exceedingly　struck　by　the　ingenuity　of　this　mode　of　climbing；　and　the　admirable　manner　in　which　the　peculiar　properties　of　the　bamboo　were　made　available。　The　ladder　itself　was　perfectly　safe；　since　if　any　one　peg　were　loose　or　faulty；　and　gave　way；　the　strain　would　be　thrown　on　several　others　above　and　below　it。　I　now　understood　the　use　of　the　line　of　bamboo　pegs　sticking　in　trees；　which　I　had　often　seen；　and　wondered　for　what　purpose　they　could　have　been　put　there。　This　animal　was　almost　identical　in　size　and　appearance　with　the　one　I　had　obtained　at　Semabang；　and　was　the　only　other　male　specimen　of　the　Simia　morio　which　I　obtained。　It　is　now　in　the　Derby　Museum。

I　afterwards　shot　two　adult　females　and　two　young　ones　of　different　ages；　all　of　which　I　preserved。　One　of　the　females；　with　several　young　ones；　was　feeding　on　a　Durian　tree　with　unripe　fruit；　and　as　soon　as　she　saw　us　she　began　breaking　off　branches　and　the　great　spiny　fruits　with　every　appearance　of　rage；　causing　such　a　shower　of　missiles　as　effectually　kept　us　from　approaching　too　near　the　tree。　This　habit　of　throwing　down　branches　when　irritated　has　been　doubted；　but　I　have；　as　here　narrated；　observed　it　myself　on　at　least　three　separate　occasions。　It　was　however　always　the　female　Arias　who　behaved　in　this　way；　and　it　may　be　that　the　male；　trusting　more　to　his　great　strength　and　his　powerful　canine　teeth；　is　not　afraid　of　any　other　animal；　and　does　not　want　to　drive　them　away；　while　the　parental　instinct　of　the　female　leads　her　to　adopt　this　mode　of　defending　herself　and　her　young　ones。

In　preparing　the　skins　and　skeletons　of　these　animals；　I　was　much　troubled　by　the　Dyak　dogs；　which；　being　always　kept　in　a　state　of　semi…starvation；　are　ravenous　for　animal　food。　I　had　a　great　iron　pan；　in　which　I　boiled　the　bones　to　make　skeletons；　and　at　night　I　covered　this　over　with　boards；　and　put　heavy　stones　upon　it；　but　the　dogs　managed　to　remove　these　and　carried　away　the　greater　part　of　one　of　my　specimens。　On　another　occasion　they　gnawed　away　a　good　deal　of　the　upper　leather　of　my　strong　boots；　and　even　ate　a　piece　of　my　mosquito…curtain；　where　some　lamp…oil　had　been　spilt　over　it　some　weeks　before。

On　our　return　down　the　stream；　we　had　the　fortune　to　fall　in　with　a　very　old　male　Mias；　feeding　on　some　low　trees　growing　in　the　water。　The　country　was　flooded　for　a　long　distance；　but　so　full　of　trees　and　stumps　that　the　laden　boat　could　not　be　got　in　among　them；　and　if　it　could　have　been　we　should　only　have　frightened　the　Mias　away。　I　therefore　got　into　the　water；　which　was　nearly　up　to　my　waist；　and　waded　on　until　I　was　near　enough　for　a　shot。　The　difficulty　then　was　to　load　my　gun　again；　for　I　was　so　deep　in　the　water　that　I　could　not　hold　the　gun　sloping　enough　to　pour　the　powder　in。　I　therefore　had　to　search　for　a　shallow　place；　and　after　several　shots　under　these　trying　circumstances；　I　was　delighted　to　see　the　monstrous　animal　roll　over　into　the　water。　I　now　towed　him　after　me　to　the　stream；　but　the　Malays　objected　to　having　the　animal　put　into　the　boat；　and　he　was　so　heavy　that　I　could　not　do　it　without　their　help。　I　looked　about　for　a　place　to　skin　him；　but　not　a　bit　of　dry　ground　was　to　be　seen；　until　at　last　I　found　a　clump　of　two　or　three　old　trees　and　stumps；　between　which　a　few　feet　of　soil　had　collected　just　above　the　water；　which　was　just　large　enough　for　us　to　drag　the　animal　upon　it。　I　first　measured　him；　and　found　him　to　be　by　far　the　largest　I　had　yet　seen；　for；　though　the　standing　height　was　the　same　as　the　others　（4　feet　2　inches）；　the　outstretched　arms　were　7　feet　9　inches；　which　was　six　inches　more　than　the　previous　one；　and　the　immense　broad　face　was　13　1/2　inches　wide；　whereas　the　widest　I　had　hitherto　seen　was　only　11　1/2　inches。　The　girth　of　the　body　was　3　feet　7　1/2　inches。　I　am　inclined　to　believe；　therefore；　that　the　length　and　strength　of　the　arms；　and　the　width　of　the　face　continues　increasing　to　a　very　great　age；　while　the　standing　height；　from　the　sole　of　the　foot　to　the　crown　of　the　head；　rarely　if　ever　exceeds　4　feet　2　inches。

As　this　was　the　last　Mias　I　shot；　and　the　last　time　I　saw　an　adult　living　animal；　I　will　give　a　sketch　of　its　general　habits；　and　any　other　facts　connected　with　it。　The　Orangutan　is　known　to　inhabit　Sumatra　and　Borneo；　and　there　is　every　reason　to　believe　that　it　is　confined　to　these　two　great　islands；　in　the　former　of　which；　however；　it　seems　to　be　much　more　rare。　In　Borneo　it　has　a　wide　range；　inhabiting　many　districts　on　the　southwest；　southeast；　northeast；　and　northwest　coasts；　but　appears　to　be　chiefly　confined　to　the　low　and　swampy　forests。　It　seems；　at　first　sight；　very　inexplicable　that　the　Mias　should　be　quite　unknown　in　the　Sarawak　valley；　while　it　is　abundant　in　Sambas；　on　the　west；　and　Sadong；　on　the　east。　But　when　we　know　the　habits　and　mode　of　life　of　the　animal；　we　see　a　sufficient　reason　for　this　apparent　anomaly　in　the　physical　features　of　the　Sarawak　district。　In　the　Sadong；　where　I　observed　it；　the　Mias　is　only　found　when　the　country　is　low　level　and　swampy；　and　at　the　same　time　covered　with　a　lofty　virgin　forest。　From　these　swamps　rise　many　isolated　mountains；　on　some　of　which　the　Dyaks　have　settled　and　covered　with　plantations　of　fruit　trees。　These　are　a　great　attraction　to　the　Mias；　which　comes　to　feed　on　the　unripe　fruits；　but　always　retires　to　the　swamp　at　night。　Where　the　country　becomes　slightly　elevated；　and　the　soil　dry；　the　Mias　is　no　longer　to　be　found。　For　example；　in　all　the　lower　part　of　the　Sadong　valley　it　abounds；　but　as　soon　as　we　ascend　above　the　limits　of　the　tides；　where　the　country；　though　still　flat；　is　high　enough　to　be　dry；　it　disappears。　Now　the　Sarawak　valley　has　this　peculiaritythe　lower　portion　though　swampy；　is　not　covered　with　a　continuous　lofty　forest；　but　is　principally　occupied　by　the　Nipa　palm；　and　near　the　town　of　Sarawak　where　the　country　becomes　dry；　it　is　greatly　undulated　in　many　parts；　and　covered　with　small　patches　of　virgin　forest；　and