the malay archipelago-1-第52章

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In　its　present　state　Timor　is　more　trouble　than　profit　to　its　Dutch　and　Portuguese　rulers；　and　it　will　continue　to　be　so　unless　a　different　system　is　pursued。　A　few　good　roads　into　the　elevated　districts　of　the　interior；　a　conciliatory　policy　and　strict　justice　towards　the　natives；　and　the　introduction　of　a　good　system　of　cultivation　as　in　Java　and　northern　Celebes；　might　yet　make　Timor　a　productive　and　valuable　island。　Rice　grows　well　on　the　marshy　flats；　which　often　fringe　the　coast；　and　maize　thrives　in　all　the　lowlands；　and　is　the　common　food　of　the　natives　as　it　was　when　Dampier　visited　the　island　in　1699。　The　small　quantity　of　coffee　now　grown　is　of　very　superior　quality；　and　it　might　be　increased　to　any　extent。　Sheep　thrive；　and　would　always　be　valuable　as　fresh　food　for　whalers　and　to　supply　the　adjacent　islands　with　mutton；　if　not　for　their　wool；　although　it　is　probable　that　on　the　mountains　this　product　might　soon　be　obtained　by　judicious　breeding。　Horses　thrive　amazingly；　and　enough　wheat　might　be　grown　to　supply　the　whole　Archipelago　if　there　were　sufficient　inducements　to　the　natives　to　extend　its　cultivation；　and　good　roads　by　which　it　could　be　cheaply　transported　to　the　coast。

Under　such　a　system　the　natives　would　soon　perceive　that　European　government　was　advantageous　to　them。　They　would　begin　to　save　money；　and　property　being　rendered　secure　they　would　rapidly　acquire　new　wants　and　new　tastes；　and　become　large　consumers　of　European　goods。　This　would　be　a　far　surer　source　of　profit　to　their　rulers　than　imposts　and　extortion；　and　would　be　at　the　same　time　more　likely　to　produce　peace　and　obedience　than　the　mock…military　rule　which　has　hitherto　proved　most　ineffective。　To　inaugurate　such　a　system　would　however　require　an　immediate　outlay　of　capital；　which　neither　Dutch　nor　Portuguese　seem　inclined　to　make；　and　a　number　of　honest　and　energetic　officials；　which　the　latter　nation　at　least　seems　unable　to　produce；　so　that　it　is　much　to　be　feared　that　Timor　will　for　many　years　to　come　remain　in　its　present　state　of　chronic　insurrection　and　misgovernment。

Morality　at　Delli　is　at　as　low　an　ebb　as　in　the　far　interior　of　Brazil；　and　crimes　are　connived　at　which　would　entail　infamy　and　criminal　prosecution　in　Europe。　While　I　was　there　it　was　generally　asserted　and　believed　in　the　place；　that　two　officers　had　poisoned　the　husbands　of　women　with　whom　they　were　carrying　on　intrigues；　and　with　whom　they　immediately　cohabited　on　the　death　of　their　rivals。　Yet　no　one　ever　thought　for　a　moment　of　showing　disapprobation　of　the　crime；　or　even　of　considering　it　a　crime　at　all；　the　husbands　in　question　being　low　half…castes；　who　of　course　ought　to　make　way　for　the　pleasures　of　their　superiors。

Judging　from　what　I　saw　myself　and　by　the　descriptions　of　Mr。　Geach；　the　indigenous　vegetation　of　Timor　is　poor　and　monotonous。　The　lower　ranges　of　the　hills　are　everywhere　covered　with　scrubby　Eucalypti；　which　only　occasionally　grow　into　lofty　forest　trees。　Mingled　with　these　in　smaller　quantities　are　acacias　and　the　fragrant　sandalwood；　while　the　higher　mountains；　which　rise　to　about　six　or　seven　thousand　feet；　are　either　covered　with　coarse　grass　or　are　altogether　barren。　In　the　lower　grounds　are　a　variety　of　weedy　bushes；　and　open　waste　places　are　covered　everywhere　with　a　nettle…like　wild　mint。　Here　is　found　the　beautiful　crown　lily；　Gloriosa　superba；　winding　among　the　bushes；　and　displaying　its　magnificent　blossoms　in　great　profusion。　A　wild　vine　also　occurs；　bearing　great　irregular　bunches　of　hairy　grapes　of　a　coarse　but　very　luscious　flavour。　In　some　of　the　valleys　where　the　vegetation　is　richer；　thorny　shrubs　and　climbers　are　so　abundant　as　to　make　the　thickets　quite　impenetrable。

The　soil　seems　very　poor；　consisting　chiefly　of　decomposing　clayey　shales；　and　the　bare　earth　and　rock　is　almost　everywhere　visible。　The　drought　of　the　hot　season　is　so　severe　that　most　of　the　streams　dry　up　in　the　plains　before　they　reach　the　sea；　everything　becomes　burned　up；　and　the　leaves　of　the　larger　trees　fall　as　completely　as　in　our　winter。　On　the　mountains　from　two　to　four　thousand　feet　elevation　there　is　a　much　moister　atmosphere；　so　that　potatoes　and　other　European　products　can　be　grown　all　the　year　round。　Besides　ponies；　almost　the　only　exports　of　Timor　are　sandalwood　and　beeswax。　The　sandalwood　（Santalum　sp。）　is　the　produce　of　a　small　tree；　which　grows　sparingly　in　the　mountains　of　Timor　and　many　of　the　other　islands　in　the　far　East。　The　wood　is　of　a　fine　yellow　colour；　and　possesses　a　well…known　delightful　fragrance　which　is　wonderfully　permanent。　It　is　brought　down　to　Delli　in　small　logs；　and　is　chiefly　exported　to　China；　where　it　is　largely　used　to　burn　in　the　temples；　and　in　the　houses　of　the　wealthy。

The　beeswax　is　a　still　more　important　and　valuable　product；　formed　by　the　wild　bees　（Apis　dorsata）；　which　build　huge　honeycombs；　suspended　in　the　open　air　from　the　underside　of　the　lofty　branches　of　the　highest　trees。　These　are　of　a　semicircular　form；　and　often　three　or　four　feet　in　diameter。　I　once　saw　the　natives　take　a　bees'　nest；　and　a　very　interesting　sight　it　was。　In　the　valley　where　I　used　to　collect　insects；　I　one　day　saw　three　or　four　Timorese　men　and　boys　under　a　high　tree；　and；　looking　up；　saw　on　a　very　lofty　horizontal　branch　three　large　bees'　combs。　The　tree　was　straight　and　smooth…　barked　and　without　a　branch；　until　at　seventy　or　eighty　feet　from　the　ground　it　gave　out　the　limb　which　the　bees　had　chosen　for　their　home。　As　the　men　were　evidently　looking　after　the　bees；　I　waited　to　watch　their　operations。　One　of　them　first　produced　a　long　piece　of　wood　apparently　the　stem　of　a　small　tree　or　creeper；　which　he　had　brought　with　him；　and　began　splitting　it　through　in　several　directions；　which　showed　that　it　was　very　tough　and　stringy。　He　then　wrapped　it　in　palm…　leaves；　which　were　secured　by　twisting　a　slender　creeper　round　them。　He　then　fastened　his　cloth　tightly　round　his　loins；　and　producing　another　cloth　wrapped　it　around　his　head；　neck；　and　body；　and　tied　it　firmly　around　his　neck；　leaving　his　face；　arms；　and　legs　completely　bare。　Slung　to　his　girdle　he　carried　a　long　thin　coil　of　cord；　and　while　he　had　been　making　these　preparations；　one　of　his　companions　had　cut　a　strong　creeper　or　bush…rope　eight　or　ten　yards　long；　to　one　end　of　which　the　wood…torch　was　fastened；　and　lighted　at　the　bottom；　emitting　a　steady　stream　of　smoke。　Just　above　the　torch　a　chopping…　knife　was　fastened　by　a　short　cord。

The　bee…hunter　now　took　hold　of　the　bush…rope　just　above　the　torch　and　passed　the　other　end　around　the　trunk　of　the　tree；　holding　one　end　in　each　hand。　Jerking　it　up　the　tree　a　little　above　his　head　he　set　his　foot　against　the　trunk；　and　leaning　back　began　walking　up　it。　It　was　wonderful　to　see　the　skill　with　which　he　took　advantage　of　the　slightest　irregularities　of　the　bark　or　obliquity　of　the　stem　to　aid　his　ascent；　jerking　the　stiff　creeper　a　few　feet　higher　when　he　had　found　a　firm　hold　for　his　bare　foot。　It　almost　made　me　giddy　to　look　at　him　as　he　rapidly　got　upthirty；　forty；　fifty　feet　above　the　ground；　and　I　kept　wondering　how　he　could　possibly　mount　the　next　few　feet　of　straight　smooth　trunk。　Still；　however；　he　kept　on　with　as　much　coolness　and　apparent　certainty　as　if　he　were　going　up　a　ladder；　until　he　got　within　ten　or　fifteen　feet　of　the　bees。　Then　he　stopped　a　moment；　and　took　care　to　swing　the　torch　（which　hung　just　at　his　feet）　a　little　towards　these　dangerous　insects；　so　as　to　send　up　the　stream　of　smoke　between　him　and　them。　Still　going　on；　in　a　minute　more　he　brought　himself　under　the　limb；　and；　in　a　manner　quite　unintelligible　to　me；　seeing　that　both　hands　were　occupied　in　supporting　himself　by　the　creeper；　managed　to　get　upon　it。

By　this　time　the　bees　began　to　be　alarmed；　and　formed　a　dense　buzzing　swarm　just　over　him；　but　he　brought　the　torch　up　closer　to　him；　and　coolly　brushed　away　those　that　settled　on　his　arms　or　legs。　Then　stretching　himself　along　the　limb；　he　crept　towards　the　nearest　comb　and　swung　the　torch　just　under　it。　The　moment　the　smoke　touched　it；　its　colour　changed　in　a　most　curious　manner　from　black　to　white；　the　myriads　of　bees　that　had　covered　it　flying　off　and　forming　a　dense　cloud　abo