the malay archipelago-1-第49章

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　for　stores　and　water。　The　native　Timorese　preponderate；　and　a　very　little　examination　serves　to　show　that　they　have　nothing　in　common　with　Malays；　but　are　much　more　closely　allied　to　the　true　Papuans　of　the　Aru　Islands　and　New　Guinea。　They　are　tall；　have　pronounced　features；　large　somewhat　aquiline　noses；　and　frizzly　hair；　and　are　generally　of　a　dusky　brown　colour。　The　way　in　which　the　women　talk　to　each　other　and　to　the　men；　their　loud　voices　and　laughter；　and　general　character　of　self…　assertion；　would　enable　an　experienced　observer　to　decide；　even　without　seeing　them；　that　they　were　not　Malays。

Mr。　Arndt；　a　German　and　the　Government　doctor；　invited　me　to　stay　at　his　house　while　in　Coupang；　and　I　gladly　accepted　his　offer；　as　I　only　intended　making　a　short　visit。　We　at　first　began　speaking　French；　but　he　got　on　so　badly　that　we　soon　passed　insensibly　into　Malay；　and　we　afterwards　held　long　discussions　on　literary；　scientific；　and　philosophical　questions　in　that　semi…barbarous　language；　whose　deficiencies　we　made　up　by　the　free　use　of　French　or　Latin　words。

After　a　few　walks　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　town；　I　found　such　a　poverty　of　insects　and　birds　that　I　determined　to　go　for　a　few　days　to　the　island　of　Semao　at　the　western　extremity　of　Timor；　where　I　heard　that　there　was　forest　country　with　birds　not　found　at　Coupang。　With　some　difficulty　I　obtained　a　large　dugout　boat　with　outriggers；　to　take　me　over　a　distance　of　about　twenty　miles。　I　found　the　country　pretty　well　wooded；　but　covered　with　shrubs　and　thorny　bushes　rather　than　forest　trees；　and　everywhere　excessively　parched　and　dried　up　by　the　long…continued　dry　season。　I　stayed　at　the　village　of　Oeassa；　remarkable　for　its　soap　springs。　One　of　these　is　in　the　middle　of　the　village；　bubbling　out　from　a　little　cone　of　mud　to　which　the　ground　rises　all　round　like　a　volcano　in　miniature。　The　water　has　a　soapy　feel　and　produces　a　strong　lather　when　any　greasy　substance　is　washed　in　it。　It　contains　alkali　and　iodine；　in　such　quantities　as　to　destroy　all　vegetation　for　some　distance　around。　Close　by　the　village　is　one　of　the　finest　springs　I　have　ever　seen；　contained　in　several　rocky　basins　communicating　by　narrow　channels。　These　have　been　neatly　walled　where　required　and　partly　levelled；　and　form　fine　natural　baths。　The　water　is　well　tasted　and　clear　as　crystal；　and　the　basins　are　surrounded　by　a　grove　of　lofty　many…stemmed　banyan…trees；　which　keep　them　always　cool　and　shady；　and　add　greatly　to　the　picturesque　beauty　of　the　scene。

The　village　consists　of　curious　little　houses　very　different　from　any　I　have　seen　elsewhere。　They　are　of　an　oval　figure；　and　the　walls　are　made　of　sticks　about　four　feet　high　placed　close　together。　From　this　rises　a　high　conical　roof　thatched　with　grass。　The　only　opening　is　a　door　about　three　feet　high。　The　people　are　like　the　Timorese　with　frizzly　or　wavy　hair　and　of　a　coppery　brown　colour。　The　better　class　appear　to　have　a　mixture　of　some　superior　race　which　has　much　improved　their　features。　I　saw　in　Coupang　some　chiefs　from　the　island　of　Savu　further　west；　who　presented　characters　very　distinct　from　either　the　Malay　or　Papuan　races。　They　most　resembled　Hindus；　having　fine　well…　formed　features　and　straight　thin　noses　with　clear　brown　complexions。　As　the　Brahminical　religion　once　spread　over　all　Java；　and　even　now　exists　in　Bali　and　Lombock；　it　is　not　at　all　improbable　that　some　natives　of　India　should　have　reached　this　island；　either　by　accident　or　to　escape　persecution；　and　formed　a　permanent　settlement　there。

I　stayed　at　Oeassa　four　days；　when；　not　finding　any　insects　and　very　few　new　birds；　I　returned　to　Coupang　to　await　the　next　mail　steamer。　On　the　way　I　had　a　narrow　escape　of　being　swamped。　The　deep　coffin…　like　boat　was　filled　up　with　my　baggage；　and　with　vegetables；　cocoa…　nut　and　other　fruit　for　Coupang　market；　and　when　we　had　got　some　way　across　into　a　rather　rough　sea；　we　found　that　a　quantity　of　water　was　coming　in　which　we　had　no　means　of　baling　out。　This　caused　us　to　sink　deeper　in　the　water；　and　then　we　shipped　seas　over　our　sides；　and　the　rowers；　who　had　before　declared　it　was　nothing；　now　became　alarmed　and　turned　the　boat　round　to　get　back　to　the　coast　of　Semao；　which　was　not　far　off。　By　clearing　away　some　of　the　baggage　a　little　of　the　water　could　be　baled　out；　but　hardly　so　fast　as　it　came　in；　and　when　we　neared　the　coast　we　found　nothing　but　vertical　walls　of　rock　against　which　the　sea　was　violently　beating。　We　coasted　along　some　distance　until　we　found　a　little　cove；　into　which　we　ran　the　boat；　hauled　it　on　shore；　and　emptying　it　found　a　large　hole　in　the　bottom；　which　had　been　temporarily　stopped　up　with　a　plug　of　cocoa…nut　which　had　come　out。　Had　we　been　a　quarter　of　a　mile　further　off　before　we　discovered　the　leak；　we　should　certainly　have　been　obliged　to　throw　most　of　our　baggage　overboard；　and　might　easily　have　lost　our　lives。　After　we　had　put　all　straight　and　secure　we　again　started；　and　when　we　were　halfway　across　got　into　such　a　strong　current　and　high　cross　sea　that　we　were　very　nearly　being　swamped　a　second　time；　which　made　me　vow　never　to　trust　myself　again　in　such　small　and　miserable　vessels。

The　mail　steamer　did　not　arrive　for　a　week；　and　I　occupied　myself　in　getting　as　many　of　the　birds　as　I　could；　and　found　some　which　were　very　interesting。　Among　them　were　five　species　of　pigeons　of　as　many　distinct　genera；　and　most　of　then　peculiar　to　the　island；　two　parrotsthe　fine　red…winged　broad…tail　（Platycercus　vulneratus）；　allied　to　an　Australian　species；　and　a　green　species　of　the　genus　Geoffroyus。　The　Tropidorhynchus　timorensis　was　as　ubiquitous　and　as　noisy　as　I　had　found　it　at　Lombock；　and　the　Sphaecothera　viridis；　a　curious　green　oriole　with　bare　red　orbits；　was　a　great　acquisition。　There　were　several　pretty　finches；　warblers；　and　flycatchers；　and　among　them　I　obtained　the　elegant　blue　and　red　Cyornis　hyacinthina；　but　I　cannot　recognise　among　my　collections　the　species　mentioned　by　Dampier；　who　seems　to　have　been　much　struck　by　the　number　of　small　songbirds　in　Timor。　He　says：　〃One　sort　of　these　pretty　little　birds　my　men　called　the　ringing　bird；　because　it　had　six　notes；　and　always　repeated　all　his　notes　twice；　one　after　the　other；　beginning　high　and　shrill　and　ending　low。　The　bird　was　about　the　bigness　of　a　lark；　having　a　small；　sharp；　black　bill　and　blue　wings；　the　head　and　breast　were　of　a　pale　red；　and　there　was　a　blue　streak　about　its　neck。〃　In　Semao；　monkeys　are　abundant。　They　are　the　common　bare…lipped　monkey　（Macacus　cynomolgus）；　which　is　found　all　over　the　western　islands　of　the　Archipelago；　and　may　have　been　introduced　by　natives；　who　often　carry　it　about　captive。　There　are　also　some　deer；　but　it　is　not　quite　certain　whether　they　are　of　the　same　species　as　are　found　in　Java。

I　arrived　at　Delli；　the　capital　of　the　Portuguese　possessions　in　Timor；　on　January　12；　1861；　and　was　kindly　received　by　Captain　Hart；　an　Englishman　and　an　old　resident；　who　trades　in　the　produce　of　the　country　and　cultivates　coffee　on　an　estate　at　the　foot　of　the　hills。　With　him　I　was　introduced　to　Mr。　Geach；　a　mining…engineer　who　had　been　for　two　years　endeavouring　to　discover　copper　in　sufficient　quantity　to　be　worth　working。

Delli　is　a　most　miserable　place　compared　with　even　the　poorest　of　the　Dutch　towns。　The　houses　are　all　of　mud　and　thatch；　the　fort　is　only　a　mud　enclosure；　and　the　custom…house　and　church　are　built　of　the　same　mean　materials；　with　no　attempt　at　decoration　or　even　neatness。　The　whole　aspect　of　the　place　is　that　of　a　poor　native　town；　and　there　is　no　sign　of　cultivation　or　civilization　round　about　it。　His　Excellency　the　Governor's　house　is　the　only　one　that　makes　any　pretensions　to　appearance；　and　that　is　merely　a　low　whitewashed　cottage　or　bungalow。　Yet　there　is　one　thing　in　which　civilization　exhibits　itself　officials　in　black　and　white　European　costume；　and　officers　in　gorgeous　uniforms　abound　in　a　degree　quite　disproportionate　to　the　size　or　appearance　of　the　place。

The　town　being　surrounded　for　some　distance　by　swamps　and　mudflats　is　very　unhealthy；　and　a　single　night　often　gives　a　fever　to　newcomers　which　not　unfrequently　proves　fatal。　To　avoid　this　malaria；　Captain　Hart　always　slept　at　his