the malay archipelago-1-第58章

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to　him。　None　can　stand　erect　in　his　presence；　and　when　he　sits　on　a　chair；　all　present　（Europeans　of　course　excepted）　squat　upon　the　ground。　The　highest　seat　is　literally；　with　these　people；　the　place　of　honour　and　the　sign　of　rank。　So　unbending　are　the　rules　in　this　respect；　that　when　an　English　carriage　which　the　Rajah　of　Lombock　bad　sent　for　arrived；　it　was　found　impossible　to　use　it　because　the　driver's　seat　was　the　highest；　and　it　had　to　be　kept　as　a　show　in　its　coach　house。　On　being　told　the　object　of　my　visit；　the　Rajah　at　once　said　that　he　would　order　a　house　to　be　emptied　for　me；　which　would　be　much　better　than　building　one；　as　that　would　take　a　good　deal　of　time。　Bad　coffee　and　sweetmeats　were　given　us　as　before。

Two　days　afterwards；　I　called　on　the　Rajah　to　ask　him　to　send　a　guide　with　me　to　show　me　the　house　I　was　to　occupy。　He　immediately　ordered　a　man　to　be　sent　for；　gave　him　instructions；　and　in　a　few　minutes　we　were　on　our　way。　My　conductor　could　speak　no　Malay；　so　we　walked　on　in　silence　for　an　hour；　when　we　turned　into　a　pretty　good　house　and　I　was　asked　to　sit　down。　The　head　man　of　the　district　lived　here；　and　in　about　half　an　hour　we　started　again；　and　another　hour's　walk　brought　us　to　the　village　where　I　was　to　be　lodged。　We　went　to　the　residence　of　the　village　chief；　who　conversed　with　my　conductor　for　some　time。

Getting　tired；　I　asked　to　be　shown　the　house　that　was　prepared　for　me；　but　the　only　reply　I　could　get　was；　〃Wait　a　little；〃　and　the　parties　went　on　talking　as　before。　So　I　told　them　I　could　not　wait；　as　I　wanted　to　see　the　house　and　then　to　go　shooting　in　the　forest。　This　seemed　to　puzzle　them；　and　at　length；　in　answer　to　questions；　very　poorly　explained　by　one　or　two　bystanders　who　knew　a　little　Malay；　it　came　out　that　no　house　was　ready；　and　no　one　seemed　to　have　the　least　idea　where　to　get　one。　As　I　did　not　want　to　trouble　the　Rajah　any　more；　I　thought　it　best　to　try　to　frighten　them　a　little；　so　I　told　them　that　if　they　did　not　immediately　find　me　a　house　as　the　Rajah　had　ordered；　I　should　go　back　and　complain　to　him；　but　that　if　a　house　was　found　me　I　would　pay　for　the　use　of　it。　This　had　the　desired　effect；　and　one　of　the　head　men　of　the　village　asked　me　to　go　with　him　and　look　for　a　house。　He　showed　me　one　or　two　of　the　most　miserable　and　ruinous　description；　which　I　at　once　rejected；　saying；　〃I　must　have　a　good　one；　and　near　to　the　forest。〃　The　next　he　showed　me　suited　very　well；　so　I　told　him　to　see　that　it　was　emptied　the　next　day；　for　that　the　day　after　I　should　come　and　occupy　it。

On　the　day　mentioned；　as　I　was　not　quite　ready　to　go；　I　sent　my　two　Macassar　boys　with　brooms　to　sweep　out　the　house　thoroughly。　They　returned　in　the　evening　and　told　me　that　when　they　got　there　the　house　was　inhabited；　and　not　a　single　article　removed。　However；　on　hearing　they　had　come　to　clean　and　take　possession；　the　occupants　made　a　move；　but　with　a　good　deal　of　grumbling；　which　made　me　feel　rather　uneasy　as　to　how　the　people　generally　might　take　my　intrusion　into　their　village。　The　next　morning　we　took　our　baggage　on　three　packhorses；　and；　after　a　few　break…　downs；　arrived　about　noon　at　our　destination。

After　getting　all　my　things　set　straight；　and　having　made　a　hasty　meal；　I　determined　if　possible　to　make　friends　with　the　people。　I　therefore　sent　for　the　owner　of　the　house　and　as　many　of　his　acquaintances　as　liked　to　come；　to　have　a　〃bitchara；〃　or　talk。　When　they　were　all　seated；　I　gave　them　a　little　tobacco　all　around；　and　having　my　boy　Baderoon　for　interpreter；　tried　to　explain　to　them　why　I　came　there；　that　I　was　very　sorry　to　turn　them　out　of　the　house；　but　that　the　Rajah　had　ordered　it　rather　than　build　a　new　one；　which　was　what　I　had　asked　for；　and　then　placed　five　silver　rupees　in　the　owner's　hand　as　one　month's　rent。　I　then　assured　them　that　my　being　there　would　be　a　benefit　to　them；　as　I　should　buy　their　eggs　and　fowls　and　fruit；　and　if　their　children　would　bring　me　shells　and　insects；　of　which　I　showed　them　specimens；　they　also　might　earn　a　good　many　coppers。　After　all　this　had　been　fully　explained　to　them；　with　a　long　talk　and　discussion　between　every　sentence；　I　could　see　that　I　had　made　a　favourable　impression；　and　that　very　afternoon；　as　if　to　test　my　promise　to　buy　even　miserable　little　snail…shells；　a　dozen　children　came　one　after　another；　bringing　me　a　few　specimens　each　of　a　small　Helix；　for　which　they　duly　received　〃coppers；〃　and　went　away　amazed　but　rejoicing。

A　few　days'　exploration　made　me　well　acquainted　with　the　surrounding　country。　I　was　a　long　way　from　the　road　in　the　forest　which　I　had　first　visited；　and　for　some　distance　around　my　house　were　old　clearings　and　cottages。　I　found　a　few　good　butterflies；　but　beetles　were　very　scarce；　and　even　rotten　timber　and　newly…　felled　trees　（generally　so　productive）　here　produced　scarcely　anything。　This　convinced　me　that　there　was　not　a　sufficient　extent　of　forest　in　the　neighbourhood　to　make　the　place　worth　staying　at　long；　but　it　was　too　late　now　to　think　of　going　further；　as　in　about　a　month　the　wet　season　would　begin；　so　I　resolved　to　stay　here　and　get　what　was　to　be　had。　Unfortunately；　after　a　few　days　I　became　ill　with　a　low　fever　which　produced　excessive　lassitude　and　disinclination　to　all　exertion。　In　vain　I　endeavoured　to　shake　it　off；　all　I　could　do　was　to　stroll　quietly　each　day　for　an　hour　about　the　gardens　near；　and　to　the　well；　where　some　good　insects　were　occasionally　to　be　found；　and　the　rest　of　the　day　to　wait　quietly　at　home；　and　receive　what　beetles　and　shells　my　little　corps　of　collectors　brought　me　daily。　I　imputed　my　illness　chiefly　to　the　water；　which　was　procured　from　shallow　wells；　around　which　there　was　almost　always　a　stagnant　puddle　in　which　the　buffaloes　wallowed。　Close　to　my　house　was　an　enclosed　mudhole　where　three　buffaloes　were　shut　up　every　night；　and　the　effluvia　from　which　freely　entered　through　the　open　bamboo　floor。　My　Malay　boy　Ali　was　affected　with　the　same　illness；　and　as　he　was　my　chief　bird…skinner　I　got　on　but　slowly　with　my　collections。

The　occupations　and　mode　of　life　of　the　villagers　differed　but　little　from　those　of　all　other　Malay　races。　The　time　of　the　women　was　almost　wholly　occupied　in　pounding　and　cleaning　rice　for　daily　use；　in　bringing　home　firewood　and　water；　and　in　cleaning；　dyeing；　spinning；　and　weaving　the　native　cotton　into　sarongs。　The　weaving　is　done　in　the　simplest　kind　of　frame　stretched　on　the　floor；　and　is　a　very　slow　and　tedious　process。　To　form　the　checked　pattern　in　common　use；　each　patch　of　coloured　threads　has　to　be　pulled　up　separately　by　hand　and　the　shuttle　passed　between　them；　so　that　about　an　inch　a　day　is　the　usual　progress　in　stuff　a　yard　and　a　half　wide。　The　men　cultivate　a　little　sirih　（the　pungent　pepper　leaf　used　for　chewing　with　betel…nut）　and　a　few　vegetables；　and　once　a　year　rudely　plough　a　small　patch　of　ground　with　their　buffaloes　and　plant　rice；　which　then　requires　little　attention　until　harvest　time。　Now　and　then　they　have　to　see　to　the　repairs　of　their　houses；　and　make　mats；　baskets；　or　other　domestic　utensils；　but　a　large　part　of　their　time　is　passed　in　idleness。

Not　a　single　person　in　the　village　could　speak　more　than　a　few　words　of　Malay；　and　hardly　any　of　the　people　appeared　to　have　seen　a　European　before。　One　most　disagreeable　result　of　this　was　that　I　excited　terror　alike　in　man　and　beast。　Wherever　I　went；　dogs　barked；　children　screamed；　women　ran　away；　and　men　stared　as　though　I　were　some　strange　and　terrible　cannibal　or　monster。　Even　the　pack…horses　on　the　roads　and　paths　would　start　aside　when　I　appeared　and　rush　into　the　jungle；　and　as　to　those　horrid；　ugly　brutes；　the　buffaloes；　they　could　never　be　approached　by　me；　not　for　fear　of　my　own　but　of　others'　safety。　They　would　first　stick　out　their　necks　and　stare　at　me；　and　then　on　a　nearer　view　break　loose　from　their　halters　or　tethers；　and　rush　away　helter…skelter　as　if　a　demon　were　after　them；　without　any　regard　for　what　might　be　in　their　way。　Whenever　I　met　buffaloes　carrying　packs　along　a　pathway；　or　being　driven　home　to　the　village；　I　had　to　turn　aside　into　the　jungle　and　hide　myself　until　they　had　passed；　to　avoid　a　catastrophe　which　would　increase　the　dislike　with　which　I　w