the malay archipelago-1-第21章

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e　valley　about　twenty　years　before；　and　had　not　yet　got　into　new　habits。　They　are　of　the　same　tribe　as　the　people　of　Menyerry　and　Sodos。　They　make　good　paths　and　bridges；　and　cultivate　much　mountain　land；　and　thus　give　a　more　pleasing　and　civilized　aspect　to　the　country　than　where　the　people　move　about　only　in　boats；　and　confine　their　cultivation　to　the　banks　of　the　streams。

After　some　trouble　I　hired　a　boat　from　a　Malay　trader；　and　found　three　Dyaks　who　had　been　several　times　with　Malays　to　Sarawak；　and　thought　they　could　manage　it　very　well。　They　turned　out　very　awkward；　constantly　running　aground；　striking　against　rocks；　and　losing　their　balance　so　as　almost　to　upset　themselves　and　the　boatoffering　a　striking　contrast　to　the　skill　of　the　Sea　Dyaks。　At　length　we　came　to　a　really　dangerous　rapid　where　boats　were　often　swamped；　and　my　men　were　afraid　to　pass　it。　Some　Malays　with　a　boatload　of　rice　here　overtook　us；　and　after　safely　passing　down　kindly　sent　back　one　of　their　men　to　assist　me。　As　it　was；　my　Dyaks　lost　their　balance　in　the　critical　part　of　the　passage；　and　had　they　been　alone　would　certainly　have　upset　the　boat。　The　river　now　became　exceedingly　picturesque；　the　ground　on　each　side　being　partially　cleared　for　ricefields；　affording　a　good　view　of　the　country。　Numerous　little　granaries　were　built　high　up　in　trees　overhanging　the　river；　and　having　a　bamboo　bridge　sloping　up　to　them　from　the　bank；　and　here　and　there　bamboo　suspension　bridge　crossed　the　stream；　where　overhanging　trees　favoured　their　construction。

I　slept　that　night　in　the　village　of　the　Sebungow　Dyaks；　and　the　next　day　reached　Sarawak；　passing　through　a　most　beautiful　country　where　limestone　mountains　with　their　fantastic　forms　and　white　precipices　slot　up　on　every　side；　draped　and　festooned　with　a　luxuriant　vegetation。　The　banks　of　the　Sarawak　River　are　everywhere　covered　with　fruit　trees；　which　supply　the　Dyaks　with　a　great　deal　of　their　food。　The　Mangosteen；　Lansat；　Rambutan；　Jack；　Jambou；　and　Blimbing；　are　all　abundant；　but　most　abundant　and　most　esteemed　is　the　Durian；　a　fruit　about　which　very　little　is　known　in　England；　but　which　both　by　natives　and　Europeans　in　the　Malay　Archipelago　is　reckoned　superior　to　all　others。　The　old　traveller　Linschott；　writing　in　1599；　says：　〃It　is　of　such　an　excellent　taste　that　it　surpasses　in　flavour　all　the　other　fruits　of　the　world；　according　to　those　who　have　tasted　it。〃　And　Doctor　Paludanus　adds：　〃This　fruit　is　of　a　hot　and　humid　nature。　To　those　not　used　to　it；　it　seems　at　first　to　smell　like　rotten　onions；　but　immediately　when　they　have　tasted　it；　they　prefer　it　to　all　other　food。　The　natives　give　it　honourable　titles；　exalt　it；　and　make　verses　on　it。〃　When　brought　into　a　house　the　smell　is　often　so　offensive　that　some　persons　can　never　bear　to　taste　it。　This　was　my　own　case　when　I　first　tried　it　in　Malacca；　but　in　Borneo　I　found　a　ripe　fruit　on　the　ground；　and；　eating　it　out　of　doors；　I　at　once　became　a　confirmed　Durian　eater。

The　Durian　grows　on　a　large　and　lofty　forest　tree；　somewhat　resembling　an　elm　in　its　general　character；　but　with　a　more　smooth　and　scaly　bark。　The　fruit　is　round　or　slightly　oval；　about　the　size　of　a　large　cocoanut；　of　a　green　colour；　and　covered　all　over　with　short　stout　spines　the　bases　of　which　touch　each　other；　and　are　consequently　somewhat　hexagonal；　while　the　points　are　very　strong　and　sharp。　It　is　so　completely　armed；　that　if　the　stalk　is　broken　off　it　is　a　difficult　matter　to　lift　one　from　the　ground。　The　outer　rind　is　so　thick　and　tough；　that　from　whatever　height　it　may　fall　it　is　never　broken。　From　the　base　to　the　apex　five　very　faint　lines　may　be　traced；　over　which　the　spines　arch　a　little；　these　are　the　sutures　of　the　carpels；　and　show　where　the　fruit　may　be　divided　with　a　heavy　knife　and　a　strong　hand。　The　five　cells　are　satiny　white　within；　and　are　each　filled　with　an　oval　mass　of　cream…coloured　pulp；　imbedded　in　which　are　two　or　three　seeds　about　the　size　of　chestnuts。　This　pulp　is　the　eatable　part；　and　its　consistency　and　flavour　are　indescribable。　A　rich　butter…like　custard　highly　flavoured　with　almonds　gives　the　best　general　idea　of　it；　but　intermingled　with　it　come　wafts　of　flavour　that　call　to　mind　cream…cheese；　onion…sauce；　brown　sherry；　and　other　incongruities。　Then　there　is　a　rich　glutinous　smoothness　in　the　pulp　which　nothing　else　possesses；　but　which　adds　to　its　delicacy。　It　is　neither　acid；　nor　sweet；　nor　juicy；　yet　one　feels　the　want　of　more　of　these　qualities；　for　it　is　perfect　as　it　is。　It　produces　no　nausea　or　other　bad　effect；　and　the　more　you　eat　of　it　the　less　you　feel　inclined　to　stop。　In　fact　to　eat　Durians　is　a　new　sensation；　worth　a　voyage　to　the　East　to　experience。

When　the　fruit　is　ripe　it　falls　of　itself；　and　the　only　way　to　eat　Durians　in　perfection　is　to　get　them　as　they　fall；　and　the　smell　is　then　less　overpowering。　When　unripe；　it　makes　a　very　good　vegetable　if　cooked；　and　it　is　also　eaten　by　the　Dyaks　raw。　In　a　good　fruit　season　large　quantities　are　preserved　salted；　in　jars　and　bamboos；　and　kept　the　year　round；　when　it　acquires　a　most　disgusting　odour　to　Europeans；　but　the　Dyaks　appreciate　it　highly　as　a　relish　with　their　rice。　There　are　in　the　forest　two　varieties　of　wild　Durians　with　much　smaller　fruits；　one　of　them　orange…coloured　inside；　and　these　are　probably　the　origin　of　the　large　and　fine　Durians；　which　are　never　found　wild。　It　would　not；　perhaps；　be　correct　to　say　that　the　Durian　is　the　best　of　all　fruits；　because　it　cannot　supply　the　place　of　the　subacid　juicy　kinds；　such　as　the　orange；　grape；　mango；　and　mangosteen；　whose　refreshing　and　cooling　qualities　are　so　wholesome　and　grateful；　but　as　producing　a　food　of　the　most　exquisite　flavour；　it　is　unsurpassed。　If　I　had　to　fix　on　two　only；　as　representing　the　perfection　of　the　two　classes；　I　should　certainly　choose　the　Durian　and　the　Orange　as　the　king　and　queen　of　fruits。

The　Durian　is；　however；　sometimes　dangerous。　When　the　fruit　begins　to　ripen　it　falls　daily　and　almost　hourly；　and　accidents　not　unfrequently　happen　to　persons　walking　or　working　under　the　trees。　When　a　Durian　strikes　a　man　in　its　fall；　it　produces　a　dreadful　wound；　the　strong　spines　tearing　open　the　flesh；　while　the　blow　itself　is　very　heavy；　but　from　this　very　circumstance　death　rarely　ensues；　the　copious　effusion　of　blood　preventing　the　inflammation　which　might　otherwise　take　place。　A　Dyak　chief　informed　me　that　he　had　been　struck　down　by　a　Durian　falling　on　his　head；　which　he　thought　would　certainly　have　caused　his　death；　yet　he　recovered　in　a　very　short　time。

Poets　and　moralists；　judging　from　our　English　trees　and　fruits；　have　thought　that　small　fruits　always　grew　on　lofty　trees；　so　that　their　fall　should　be　harmless　to　man；　while　the　large　ones　trailed　on　the　ground。　Two　of　the　largest　and　heaviest　fruits　known；　however；　the　Brazil…nut　fruit　（Bertholletia）　and　Durian；　grow　on　lofty　forest　trees；　from　which　they　fall　as　soon　as　they　are　ripe；　and　often　wound　or　kill　the　native　inhabitants。　From　this　we　may　learn　two　things：　first；　not　to　draw　general　conclusions　from　a　very　partial　view　of　nature；　and　secondly；　that　trees　and　fruits；　no　less　than　the　varied　productions　of　the　animal　kingdom；　do　not　appear　to　be　organized　with　exclusive　reference　to　the　use　and　convenience　of　man。

During　my　many　journeys　in　Borneo；　and　especially　during　my　various　residences　among　the　Dyaks；　I　first　came　to　appreciate　the　admirable　qualities　of　the　Bamboo。　In　those　parts　of　South　America　which　I　had　previously　visited；　these　gigantic　grasses　were　comparatively　scarce；　and　where　found　but　little　used；　their　place　being　taken　as　to　one　class　of　uses　by　the　great　variety　of　Palms；　and　as　to　another　by　calabashes　and　gourds。　Almost　all　tropical　countries　produce　Bamboos；　and　wherever　they　are　found　in　abundance　the　natives　apply　them　to　a　variety　of　uses。　Their　strength；　lightness；　smoothness；　straightness；　roundness　and　hollowness；　the　facility　and　regularity　with　which　they　can　be　split；　their　many　different　sizes；　the　varying　length　of　their　joints；　the　ease　with　which　they　can　be　cut　and　with　which　holes　can　be　made　through　them；　their　hardness　outside；　their　freedom　from　any　pronounced　taste　or　smell；　their　great　ab