the malay archipelago-1-第60章

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l　dark　shed　to　digest　their　meal；　whence　they　gave　forth　occasionally　a　melancholy　quack。　Every　night　a　watch　was　set；　principally　for　the　sake　of　the　horses　the　people　of　Goa；　only　two　miles　off；　being　notorious　thieves；　and　horses　offering　the　easiest　and　most　valuable　spoil。　This　enabled　me　to　sleep　in　security；　although　many　people　in　Macassar　thought　I　was　running　a　great　risk；　living　alone　in　such　a　solitary　place　and　with　such　bad　neighbours。

My　house　was　surrounded　by　a　kind　of　straggling　hedge　of　roses；　jessamines；　and　other　flowers；　and　every　morning　one　of　the　women　gathered　a　basketful　of　the　blossoms　for　Mr。　Mesman's　family。　I　generally　took　a　couple　for　my　own　breakfast　table；　and　the　supply　never　failed　during　my　stay；　and　I　suppose　never　does。　Almost　every　Sunday　Mr。　M。　made　a　shooting　excursion　with　his　eldest　son；　a　lad　of　fifteen；　and　I　generally　accompanied　him；　for　though　the　Dutch　are　Protestants；　they　do　not　observe　Sunday　in　the　rigid　manner　practised　in　England　and　English　colonies。　The　Governor　of　the　place　has　his　public　reception　every　Sunday　evening；　when　card…playing　is　the　regular　amusement。

On　December　13th　I　went　on　board　a　prau　bound　for　the　Aru　Islands；　a　journey　which　will　be　described　in　the　latter　part　of　this　work。

On　my　return；　after　a　seven　months'　absence；　I　visited　another　district　to　the　north　of　Macassar；　which　will　form　the　subject　of　the　next　chapter。

CHAPTER　XVI。

CELEBES。

（MACASSAR。　JULY　TO　NOVEMBER；　1857。）

I　REACHED　Macassar　again　on　the　11th　of　July；　and　established　myself　in　my　old　quarters　at　Mamajam；　to　sort；　arrange；　clean；　and　pack　up　my　Aru　collections。　This　occupied　me　a　month；　and　having　shipped　them　off　for　Singapore；　had　my　guns　repaired；　and　received　a　new　one　from　England；　together　with　a　stock　of　pins；　arsenic；　and　other　collecting　requisites。　I　began　to　feel　eager　for　work　again；　and　had　to　consider　where　I　should　spend　my　time　until　the　end　of　the　year；　I　had　left　Macassar　seven　months　before；　a　flooded　marsh　being　ploughed　up　for　the　rice…sowing。　The　rains　had　continued　for　five　months；　yet　now　all　the　rice　was　cut；　and　dry　and　dusty　stubble　covered　the　country　just　as　when　I　had　first　arrived　there。

After　much　inquiry　I　determined　to　visit　the　district　of　Maros；　about　thirty　miles　north　of　Macassar；　where　Mr。　Jacob　Mesman；　a　brother　of　my　friend；　resided；　who　had　kindly　offered　to　find　me　house…room　and　give　me　assistance　should　I　feel　inclined　to　visit　him。　I　accordingly　obtained　a　pass　from　the　Resident；　and　having　hired　a　boat　set　off　one　evening　for　Maros。　My　boy　Ali　was　so　ill　with　fever　that　I　was　obliged　to　leave　him　in　the　hospital；　under　the　care　of　my　friend　the　German　doctor；　and　I　had　to　make　shift　with　two　new　servants　utterly　ignorant　of　everything。　We　coasted　along　during　the　night；　and　at　daybreak　entered　the　Maros　river；　and　by　three　in　the　afternoon　reached　the　village。　I　immediately　visited　the　Assistant　Resident；　and　applied　for　ten　men　to　carry　my　baggage；　and　a　horse　for　myself。　These　were　promised　to　be　ready　that　night；　so　that　I　could　start　as　soon　as　I　liked　in　the　morning。　After　having　taken　a　cup　of　tea　I　took　my　leave；　and　slept　in　the　boat。　Some　of　the　men　came　at　night　as　promised；　but　others　did　not　arrive　until　the　next　morning。　It　took　some　time　to　divide　my　baggage　fairly　among　them；　as　they　all　wanted　to　shirk　the　heavy　boxes；　and　would　seize　hold　of　some　light　article　and　march　off　with　it；　until　made　to　come　back　and　wait　until　the　whole　had　been　fairly　apportioned。　At　length　about　eight　o'clock　all　was　arranged；　and　we　started　for　our　walk　to　Mr。　M。's　farm。

The　country　was　at　first　a　uniform　plain　of　burned…up　rice…　grounds；　but　at　a　few　miles'　distance　precipitous　hills　appeared；　backed　by　the　lofty　central　range　of　the　peninsula。　Towards　these　our　path　lay；　and　after　having　gone　six　or　eight　miles　the　hills　began　to　advance　into　the　plain　right　and　left　of　us；　and　the　ground　became　pierced　here　and　there　with　blocks　and　pillars　of　limestone　rock；　while　a　few　abrupt　conical　hills　and　peaks　rose　like　islands。　Passing　over　an　elevated　tract　forming　the　shoulder　of　one　of　the　hills；　a　picturesque　scene　lay　before　us。　We　looked　down　into　a　little　valley　almost　entirely　surrounded　by　mountains；　rising　abruptly　in　huge　precipices；　and　forming　a　succession　of　knolls　and　peaks　aid　domes　of　the　most　varied　and　fantastic　shapes。　In　the　very　centre　of　the　valley　was　a　large　bamboo　house；　while　scattered　around　were　a　dozen　cottages　of　the　same　material。

I　was　kindly　received　by　Mr。　Jacob　Mesman　in　an　airy　saloon　detached　from　the　house；　and　entirely　built　of　bamboo　and　thatched　with　grass。　After　breakfast　he　took　me　to　his　foreman's　house；　about　a　hundred　yards　off；　half　of　which　was　given　up　to　me　until　I　should　decide　where　to　have　a　cottage　built　for　my　own　use。　I　soon　found　that　this　spot　was　too　much　exposed　to　the　wind　and　dust；　which　rendered　it　very　difficult　to　work　with　papers　or　insects。　It　was　also　dreadfully　hot　in　the　afternoon；　and　after　a　few　days　I　got　a　sharp　attack　of　fever；　which　determined　me　to　move。　I　accordingly　fixed　on　a　place　about　a　mile　off；　at　the　foot　of　a　forest…covered　hill；　where　in　a　few　days　Mr。　M。　built　for　me　a　nice　little　house；　consisting　of　a　good…sized　enclosed　verandah　or　open　room；　and　a　small　inner　sleeping…room；　with　a　little　cookhouse　outside。　As　soon　as　it　was　finished　I　moved　into　it；　and　found　the　change　most　agreeable。

The　forest　which　surrounded　me　was　open　and　free　from　underwood；　consisting　of　large　trees；　widely　scattered　with　a　great　quantity　of　palm…trees　（Arenga　saccharifera）；　from　which　palm　wine　and　sugar　are　made。　There　were　also　great　numbers　of　a　wild　Jack…　fruit　tree　（Artocarpus）；　which　bore　abundance　of　large　reticulated　fruit；　serving　as　an　excellent　vegetable。　The　ground　was　as　thickly　covered　with　dry　leaves　as　it　is　in　an　English　wood　in　November；　the　little　rocky　streams　were　all　dry；　and　scarcely　a　drop　of　water　or　even　a　damp　place　was　anywhere　to　be　seen。　About　fifty　yards　below　my　house；　at　the　foot　of　the　hill；　was　a　deep　hole　in　a　watercourse　where　good　water　was　to　be　had；　and　where　I　went　daily　to　bathe　by　having　buckets　of　water　taken　out　and　pouring　it　over　my　body。

My　host　Mr。　M。　enjoyed　a　thoroughly　country　life；　depending　almost　entirely　on　his　gun　and　dogs　to　supply　his　table。　Wild　pigs　of　large　size　were　very　plentiful　and　he　generally　got　one　or　two　a　week；　besides　deer　occasionally；　and　abundance　of　jungle…fowl；　hornbills；　and　great　fruit　pigeons。　His　buffaloes　supplied　plenty　of　milk　from　which　he　made　his　own　butter；　he　grew　his　own　rice　and　coffee；　and　had　ducks；　fowls；　and　their　eggs；　in　profusion。　His　palm…trees　supplied　him　all　the　year　round　with　〃sagueir；〃　which　takes　the　place　of　beer；　and　the　sugar　made　from　them　is　an　excellent　sweetmeat。　All　the　fine　tropical　vegetables　and　fruits　were　abundant　in　their　season；　and　his　cigars　were　made　from　tobacco　of　his　own　raising。　He　kindly　sent　me　a　bamboo　of　buffalo…milk　every　morning；　it　was　as　thick　as　cream；　and　required　diluting　with　water　to　keep　it　fluid　during　the　day。　It　mixes　very　well　with　tea　and　coffee；　although　it　has　a　slight　peculiar　flavour；　which　after　a　time　is　not　disagreeable。　I　also　got　as　much　sweet　〃sagueir　〃as　I　liked　to　drink；　and　Mr。　M。　always　sent　me　a　piece　of　each　pig　he　killed；　which　with　fowls；　eggs；　and　the　birds　we　shot　ourselves；　and　buffalo　beef　about　once　a　fortnight；　kept　my　larder　sufficiently　well　supplied。

Every　bit　of　flatland　was　cleared　and　used　as　rice…fields；　and　on　the　lower　slopes　of　many　of　the　hills　tobacco　and　vegetables　were　grown。　Most　of　the　slopes　are　covered　with　huge　blocks　of　rock；　very　fatiguing　to　scramble　over；　while　a　number　of　the　hills　are　so　precipitous　as　to　be　quite　inaccessible。　These　circumstances；　combined　with　the　excessive　drought；　were　very　unfavourable　for　lily　pursuits。　Birds　were　scarce；　and　I　got　but　few　new　to　me。　Insects　were　tolerably　plentiful；　but　unequal。　Beetles；　usually　so　numerous　and　interesting；　were　exceedingly　scarce；　some　of　the　families　being　quite　absent　and　others　only　represented　by　very　minute　species。　The　Flies　and　Bees；　on　the　other　hand；　were　abundant；　and　of　these　I　da