the malay archipelago-1-第50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！


comers　which　not　unfrequently　proves　fatal。　To　avoid　this　malaria；　Captain　Hart　always　slept　at　his　plantation；　on　a　slight　elevation　about　two　miles　from　the　town；　where　Mr。　Geach　also　had　a　small　house；　which　he　kindly　invited　me　to　share。　We　rode　there　in　the　evening；　and　in　the　course　of　two　days　my　baggage　was　brought　up；　and　I　was　able　to　look　about　me　and　see　if　I　could　do　any　collecting。

For　the　first　few　weeks　I　was　very　unwell　and　could　not　go　far　from　the　house。　The　country　was　covered　with　low　spiny　shrubs　and　acacias；　except　in　a　little　valley　where　a　stream　came　down　from　the　hills；　where　some　fine　trees　and　bushes　shaded　the　water　and　formed　a　very　pleasant　place　to　ramble　up。　There　were　plenty　of　birds　about；　and　of　a　tolerable　variety　of　species；　but　very　few　of　them　were　gaily　coloured。　Indeed；　with　one　or　two　exceptions；　the　birds　of　this　tropical　island　were　hardly　so　ornamental　as　those　of　Great　Britain。　Beetles　were　so　scarce　that　a　collector　might　fairly　say　there　were　none；　as　the　few　obscure　or　uninteresting　species　would　not　repay　him　for　the　search。　The　only　insects　at　all　remarkable　or　interesting　were　the　butterflies；　which；　though　comparatively　few　in　species；　were　sufficiently　abundant；　and　comprised　a　large　proportion　of　new　or　rare　sorts。　The　banks　of　the　stream　formed　my　best　collecting…ground；　and　I　daily　wandered　up　and　down　its　shady　bed；　which　about　a　mile　up　became　rocky　and　precipitous。　Here　I　obtained　the　rare　and　beautiful　swallow…　tail　butterflies；　Papilio　aenomaus　and　P。　liris；　the　males　of　which　are　quite　unlike　each　other；　and　belong　in　fact　to　distinct　sections　of　the　genus；　while　the　females　are　so　much　alike　that　they　are　undistinguishable　on　the　wing；　and　to　an　uneducated　eye　equally　so　in　the　cabinet。　Several　other　beautiful　butterflies　rewarded　my　search　in　this　place；　among　which　I　may　especially　mention　the　Cethosia　leschenaultii；　whose　wings　of　the　deepest　purple　are　bordered　with　buff　in　such　a　manner　as　to　resemble　at　first　sight　our　own　Camberwell　beauty；　although　it　belongs　to　a　different　genus。　The　most　abundant　butterflies　were　the　whites　and　yellows　（Pieridae）；　several　of　which　I　had　already　found　at　Lombock　and　at　Coupang；　while　others　were　new　to　me。

Early　in　February　we　made　arrangements　to　stay　for　a　week　at　a　village　called　Baliba；　situated　about　four　miles　off　on　the　mountains；　at　an　elevation　of　2；000　feet。　We　took　our　baggage　and　a　supply　of　all　necessaries　on　packhorses；　and　though　the　distance　by　the　route　we　took　was　not　more　than　six　or　seven　miles；　we　were　half　a　day　getting　there。　The　roads　were　mere　tracks；　sometimes　up　steep　rocky　stairs；　sometimes　in　narrow　gullies　worn　by　the　horses'　feet；　and　where　it　was　necessary　to　tuck　up　our　legs　on　our　horses'　necks　to　avoid　having　them　crushed。　At　some　of　these　places　the　baggage　had　to　be　unloaded；　at　others　it　was　knocked　off。　Sometimes　the　ascent　or　descent　was　so　steep　that　it　was　easier　to　walk　than　to　cling　to　our　ponies'　backs；　and　thus　we　went　up　and　down　over　bare　hills　whose　surface　was　covered　with　small　pebbles　and　scattered　over　with　Eucalypti；　reminding　me　of　what　I　had　read　of　parts　of　the　interior　of　Australia　rather　than　of　the　Malay　Archipelago。

The　village　consisted　of　three　houses　only；　with　low　walls　raised　a　few　feet　on　posts；　and　very　high　roofs　thatched　with　brass　hanging　down　to　within　two　or　three　feet　of　the　ground。　A　house　which　was　unfinished　and　partly　open　at　the　back　was　given　for　our　use；　and　in　it　we　rigged　up　a　table；　some　benches；　and　a　screen；　while　an　inner　enclosed　portion　served　us　for　a　sleeping　apartment。　We　had　a　splendid　view　down　upon　Delli　and　the　sea　beyond。　The　country　around　was　undulating　and　open；　except　in　the　hollows；　where　there　were　some　patches　of　forest；　which　Mr。　Geach；　who　had　been　all　over　the　eastern　part　of　Timor；　assured　me　was　the　most　luxuriant　he　had　yet　seen　in　the　island。　I　was　in　hopes　of　finding　some　insects　here；　but　was　much　disappointed；　owing　perhaps　to　the　dampness　of　the　climate；　for　it　was　not　until　the　sun　was　pretty　high　that　the　mists　cleared　away；　and　by　noon　we　were　generally　clouded　up　again；　so　that　there　was　seldom　more　than　an　hour　or　two　of　fitful　sunshine。　We　searched　in　every　direction　for　birds　and　other　game；　but　they　were　very　scarce。　On　our　way　I　had　shot　the　find　white…headed　pigeon；　Ptilonopus　cinctus；　and　the　pretty　little　lorikeet；　Trichoglossus　euteles。　I　got　a　few　more　of　these　at　the　blossoms　of　the　Eucalypti；　and　also　the　allied　species　Trichoglossus　iris；　and　a　few　other　small　but　interesting　birds。　The　common　jungle…cock　of　India　（Gallus　bankiva）　was　found　here；　and　furnished　us　with　some　excellent　meals；　but　we　could　get　no　deer。　Potatoes　are　grown　higher　up　the　mountains　in　abundance；　and　are　very　good。　We　had　a　sheep　killed　every　other　day；　and　ate　our　mutton　with　much　appetite　in　the　cool　climate；　which　rendered　a　fire　always　agreeable。

Although　one…half　the　European　residents　in　Delli　are　continually　ill　from　fever；　and　the　Portuguese　have　occupied　the　place　for　three　centuries；　no　one　has　yet　built　a　house　on　these　fine　hills；　which；　if　a　tolerable　road　were　made；　would　be　only　an　hour's　ride　from　the　town；　and　almost　equally　good　situations　might　be　found　on　a　lower　level　at　half　an　hour's　distance。　The　fact　that　potatoes　and　wheat　of　excellent　quality　are　grown　in　abundance　at　from　3；000　to　3；500　feet　elevation；　shows　what　the　climate　and　soil　are　capable　of　if　properly　cultivated。　From　one　to　two　thousand　feet　high；　coffee　would　thrive；　and　there　are　hundreds　of　square　miles　of　country　over　which　all　the　varied　products　which　require　climates　between　those　of　coffee　and　wheat　would　flourish；　but　no　attempt　has　yet　been　made　to　form　a　single　mile　of　road；　or　a　single　acre　of　plantation！

There　must　be　something　very　unusual　in　the　climate　of　Timor　to　permit　wheat　being　grown　at　so　moderate　an　elevation。　The　grain　is　of　excellent　quality；　the　bread　made　from　it　being　equal　to　any　I　have　ever　tasted；　and　it　is　universally　acknowledged　to　be　unsurpassed　by　any　made　from　imported　European　or　American　flour。　The　fact　that　the　natives　have　（quite　of　their　own　accord）　taken　to　cultivating　such　foreign　articles　as　wheat　and　potatoes；　which　they　bring　in　small　quantities　on　the　backs　of　ponies　by　the　most　horrible　mountain　tracks；　and　sell　very　cheaply　at　the　seaside；　sufficiently　indicates　what　might　be　done　if　good　roads　were　made；　and　if　the　people　were　taught；　encouraged；　and　protected。　Sheep　also　do　well　on　the　mountains；　and　a　breed　of　hardy　ponies　in　much　repute　all　over　the　Archipelago；　runs　half…wild；　so　that　it　appears　as　if　this　island；　so　barren…looking　and　devoid　of　the　usual　features　of　tropical　vegetation；　were　yet　especially　adapted　to　supply　a　variety　of　products　essential　to　Europeans；　which　the　other　islands　will　not　produce；　and　which　they　accordingly　import　from　the　other　side　of　the　globe。

On　the　24th　of　February　my　friend　Mr。　Geach　left　Timor；　having　finally　reported　that　no　minerals　worth　working　were　to　be　found。　The　Portuguese　were　very　much　annoyed；　having　made　up　their　minds　that　copper　is　abundant；　and　still　believing　it　to　be　so。　It　appears　that　from　time　immemorial　pure　native　copper　has　been　found　at　a　place　on　the　coast　about　thirty　miles　east　of　Delli。

The　natives　say　they　find　it　in　the　bed　of　a　ravine；　and　many　years　ago　a　captain　of　a　vessel　is　said　to　have　got　some　hundreds…weight　of　it。　Now；　however；　it　is　evidently　very　scarce；　as　during　the　two　years　Mr。　Geach　resided　in　the　country；　none　was　found。　I　was　shown　one　piece　several　pounds'　weight；　having　much　the　appearance　of　one　of　the　larger　Australian　nuggets；　but　of　pure　copper　instead　of　gold。　The　natives　and　the　Portuguese　have　very　naturally　imagined　that　where　these　fragments　come　from　there　must　be　more；　and　they　have　a　report　or　tradition；　that　a　mountain　at　the　head　of　the　ravine　is　almost　pure　copper；　and　of　course　of　immense　value。

After　much　difficulty　a　company　was　at　length　formed　to　work　the　copper　mountain；　a　Portuguese　merchant　of　Singapore　supplying　most　of　the　capital。　So　confident　were　they　of　the　existence　of　the　copper；　that　they　thought　it　would　be　waste　of　time　and　money　to　have