the malay archipelago-1-第65章

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rade　would　be。　There　are　also　large　rice…fields；　and　in　this　little　village　of　seventy　houses；　I　was　informed　that　a　hundred　pounds'　worth　of　rice　was　sold　annually。

I　had　a　small　house　at　the　very　end　of　the　village；　almost　hanging　over　the　precipitous　slope　down　to　the　stream；　and　with　a　splendid　view　from　the　verandah。　The　thermometer　in　the　morning　often　stood　at　62°　and　never　rose　so　high　as　80°；　so　that　with　the　thin　clothing　used　in　the　tropical　plains　we　were　always　cool　and　sometimes　positively　cold；　while　the　spout　of　water　where　I　went　daily　for　my　bath　had　quite　an　icy　feel。　Although　I　enjoyed　myself　very　much　among　these　fine　mountains　and　forests；　I　was　somewhat　disappointed　as　to　my　collections。　There　was　hardly　any　perceptible　difference　between　the　animal　life　in　this　temperate　region　and　in　the　torrid　plains　below；　and　what　difference　did　exist　was　in　most　respects　disadvantageous　to　me。　There　seemed　to　be　nothing　absolutely　peculiar　to　this　elevation。　Birds　and　quadrupeds　were　less　plentiful；　but　of　the　same　species。　In　insects　there　seemed　to　be　more　difference。　The　curious　beetles　of　the　family　Cleridae；　which　are　found　chiefly　on　bark　and　rotten　wood；　were　finer　than　I　have　seen　them　elsewhere。　The　beautiful　Longicorns　were　scarcer　than　usual；　and　the　few　butterflies　were　all　of　tropical　species。　One　of　these；　Papilio　blumei；　of　which　I　obtained　a　few　specimens　only；　is　among　the　most　magnificent　I　have　ever　seen。　It　is　a　green　and　gold　swallow…tail；　with　azure…blue　and　spoon…shaped　tails；　and　was　often　seen　flying　about　the　village　when　the　sun　shone；　but　in　a　very　shattered　condition。　The　great　amount　of　wet　and　cloudy　weather　was　a　great　drawback　all　the　time　I　was　at　Rurukan。

Even　in　the　vegetation　there　is　very　little　to　indicate　elevation。　The　trees　are　more　covered　with　lichens　and　mosses；　and　the　ferns　and　tree…ferns　are　finer　and　more　luxuriant　than　I　had　been　accustomed　to　seeing　on　the　low　grounds；　both　probably　attributable　to　the　almost　perpetual　moisture　that　here　prevails。　Abundance　of　a　tasteless　raspberry；　with　blue　and　yellow　composite；　have　somewhat　of　a　temperate　aspect；　and　minute　ferns　and　Orchideae；　with　dwarf　Begonias　on　the　rocks；　make　some　approach　to　a　sub…alpine　vegetation。　The　forest；　however；　is　most　luxuriant。　Noble　palms；　Pandani；　and　tree…ferns　are　abundant　in　it；　while　the　forest　trees　are　completely　festooned　with　Orchideae；　Bromeliae；　Araceae；　Lycopodiums；　and　mosses。　The　ordinary　stemless　ferns　abound；　some　with　gigantic　fronds　ten　or　twelve　feet　long；　others　barely　an　inch　high；　some　with　entire　and　massive　leaves；　others　elegantly　waving　their　finely…cut　foliage；　and　adding　endless　variety　and　interest　to　the　forest　paths。　The　cocoa…nut　palm　still　produces　fruit　abundantly；　but　is　said　to　be　deficient　in　oil。　Oranges　thrive　better　than　below；　producing　abundance　of　delicious　fruit；　but　the　shaddock　or　pumplemous　（Citrus　decumana）　requires　the　full　force　of　a　tropical　sun；　for　it　will　not　thrive　even　at　Tondano　a　thousand　feet　lower。　On　the　hilly　slopes　rice　is　cultivated　largely；　and　ripens　well；　although　the　temperature　rarely　or　never　rises　to　80°；　so　that　one　would　think　it　might　be　grown　even　in　England　in　fine　summers；　especially　if　the　young　plants　were　raised　under　glass。

The　mountains　have　an　unusual　quantity　of　earth　and　vegetable　mould　spread　over　them。　Even　on　the　steepest　slopes　there　is　everywhere　a　covering　of　clays　and　sands；　and　generally　a　good　thickness　of　vegetable　soil。　It　is　this　which　perhaps　contributes　to　the　uniform　luxuriance　of　the　forest；　and　delays　the　appearance　of　that　sub…alpine　vegetation　which　depends　almost　as　much　on　the　abundance　of　rocky　and　exposed　surfaces　as　on　difference　of　climate。　At　a　much　lower　elevation　on　Mount　Ophir　in　Malacca；　Dacrydiums　and　Rhododendrons　with　abundance　of　Nepenthes；　ferns；　and　terrestrial　orchids　suddenly　took　the　place　of　the　lofty　forest；　but　this　was　plainly　due　to　the　occurrence　of　an　extensive　slope　of　bare；　granitic　rock　at　an　elevation　of　less　than　3；000　feet。　The　quantity　of　vegetable　soil；　and　also　of　loose　sands　and　clays；　resting　on　steep　slopes；　hill…tops　and　the　sides　of　ravines；　is　a　curious　and　important　phenomenon。　It　may　be　due　in　part　to　constant；　slight　earthquake　shocks　facilitating　the　disintegration　of　rock；　but；　would　also　seem　to　indicate　that　the　country　has　been　long　exposed　to　gentle　atmospheric　action；　and　that　its　elevation　has　been　exceedingly　slow　and　continuous。

During　my　stay　at　Rurukan；　my　curiosity　was　satisfied　by　experiencing　a　pretty　sharp　earthquake…shock。　On　the　evening　of　June　29th；　at　a　quarter　after　eight；　as　I　was　sitting　reading；　the　house　began　shaking　with　a　very　gentle；　but　rapidly　increasing　motion。　I　sat　still　enjoying　the　novel　sensation　for　some　seconds；　but　in　less　than　half　a　minute　it　became　strong　enough　to　shake　me　in　my　chair；　and　to　make　the　house　visibly　rock　about；　and　creak　and　crack　as　if　it　would　fall　to　pieces。　Then　began　a　cry　throughout　the　village　of　〃Tana　goyang！　tana　goyang！　〃（Earthquake！　earthquake！）　Everybody　rushed　out　of　their　houseswomen　screamed　and　children　criedand　I　thought　it　prudent　to　go　out　too。　On　getting　up；　I　found　my　head　giddy　and　my　steps　unsteady；　and　could　hardly　walk　without　falling。　The　shock　continued　about　a　minute；　during　which　time　I　felt　as　if　I　had　been　turned　round　and　round；　and　was　almost　seasick。　Going　into　the　house　again；　I　found　a　lamp　and　a　bottle　of　arrack　upset。　The　tumbler　which　formed　the　lamp　had　been　thrown　out　of　the　saucer　in　which　it　had　stood。　The　shock　appeared　to　be　nearly　vertical；　rapid；　vibratory；　and　jerking。　It　was　sufficient；　I　have　no　doubt；　to　have　thrown　down　brick；　chimneys；　walls；　and　church　towers；　but　as　the　houses　here　are　all　low；　and　strongly　framed　of　timber；　it　is　impossible　for　them　to　be　much　injured；　except　by　a　shock　that　would　utterly　destroy　a　European　city。　The　people　told　me　it　was　ten　years　since　they　had　had　a　stronger　shock　than　this；　at　which　time　many　houses　were　thrown　down　and　some　people　killed。

At　intervals　of　ten　minutes　to　half　an　hour；　slight　shocks　and　tremors　were　felt；　sometimes　strong　enough　to　send　us　all　out　again。　There　was　a　strange　mixture　of　the　terrible　and　the　ludicrous　in　our　situation。　We　might　at　any　moment　have　a　much　stronger　shock；　which　would　bring　down　the　house　over　us；　or　what　I　feared　morecause　a　landslip；　and　send　us　down　into　the　deep　ravine　on　the　very　edge　of　which　the　village　is　built；　yet　I　could　not　help　laughing　each　time　we　ran　out　at　a　slight　shock；　and　then　in　a　few　moments　ran　in　again。　The　sublime　and　the　ridiculous　were　here　literally　but　a　step　apart。　On　the　one　hand；　the　most　terrible　and　destructive　of　natural　phenomena　was　in　action　around　usthe　rocks；　the　mountains；　the　solid　earth　were　trembling　and　convulsed；　and　we　were　utterly　impotent　to　guard　against　the　danger　that　might　at　any　moment　overwhelm　us。　On　the　other　hand　was　the　spectacle　of　a　number　of　men；　women；　and　children　running　in　and　out　of　their　houses；　on　what　each　time　proved　a　very　unnecessary　alarm；　as　each　shock　ceased　just　as　it　became　strong　enough　to　frighten　us。　It　seemed　really　very　much　like　〃playing　at　earthquakes；〃　and　made　many　of　the　people　join　me　in　a　hearty　laugh；　even　while　reminding　each　other　that　it　really　might　be　no　laughing　matter。

At　length　the　evening　got　very　cold；　and　I　became　very　sleepy；　and　determined　to　turn　in；　leaving　orders　to　my　boys；　who　slept　nearer　the　door；　to　wake　me　in　case　the　house　was　in　danger　of　falling。　But　I　miscalculated　my　apathy；　for　I　could　not　sleep　much。　The　shocks　continued　at　intervals　of　half　an　hour　or　an　hour　all　night；　just　strong　enough　to　wake　me　thoroughly　each　time　and　keep　me　on　the　alert；　ready　to　jump　up　in　case　of　danger。　I　was　therefore　very　glad　when　morning　came。　Most　of　the　inhabitants　had　not　been　to　bed　at　all；　and　some　had　stayed　out　of　doors　all　night。　For　the　next　two　days　and　nights　shocks　still　continued　at　short　intervals；　and　several　times　a　day　for　a　week；　showing　that　there　was　some　very　extensive　disturbance　beneath　our　portion　of　the　earth's　crust。　How　vast　the　forces　at　work　really　are　can　only　be　properly　appreciated　when；　after　feeling　their