the malay archipelago-1-第66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！


。　How　vast　the　forces　at　work　really　are　can　only　be　properly　appreciated　when；　after　feeling　their　effects；　we　look　abroad　over　the　wide　expanse　of　hill　and　valley；　plain　and　mountain；　and　thus　realize　in　a　slight　degree　the　immense　mass　of　matter　heaved　and　shaken。　The　sensation　produced　by　an　earthquake　is　never　to　be　forgotten。　We　feel　ourselves　in　the　grasp　of　a　power　to　which　the　wildest　fury　of　the　winds　and　waves　are　as　nothing；　yet　the　effect　is　more　a　thrill　of　awe　than　the　terror　which　the　more　boisterous　war　of　the　elements　produces。　There　is　a　mystery　and　an　uncertainty　as　to　the　amount　of　danger　we　incur；　which　gives　greater　play　to　the　imagination；　and　to　the　influences　of　hope　and　fear。　These　remarks　apply　only　to　a　moderate　earthquake。　A　severe　one　is　the　most　destructive　and　the　most　horrible　catastrophe　to　which　human　beings　can　be　exposed。

A　few　days　after　the　earthquake　I　took　a　walk　to　Tondano；　a　large　village　of　about　7；000　inhabitants；　situated　at　the　lower　end　of　the　lake　of　the　same　name。　I　dined　with　the　Controlleur；　Mr。　Bensneider；　who　had　been　my　guide　to　Tomohon。　He　had　a　fine　large　house；　in　which　he　often　received　visitors；　and　his　garden　was　the　best　for　flowers　which　I　had　seen　in　the　tropics；　although　there　was　no　great　variety。　It　was　he　who　introduced　the　rose　hedges　which　give　such　a　charming　appearance　to　the　villages；　and　to　him　is　chiefly　due　the　general　neatness　and　good　order　that　everywhere　prevail。　I　consulted　him　about　a　fresh　locality；　as　I　found　Rurúkan　too　much　in　the　clouds；　dreadfully　damp　and　gloomy；　and　with　a　general　stagnation　of　bird　and　insect　life。　He　recommended　me　a　village　some　distance　beyond　the　lake；　near　which　was　a　large　forest；　where　he　thought　I　should　find　plenty　of　birds。　As　he　was　going　himself　in　a　few　days；　I　decided　to　accompany　him。

After　dinner　I　asked　him　for　a　guide　to　the　celebrated　waterfall　on　the　outlet　stream　of　the　lake。　It　is　situated　about　a　mile　and　half　below　the　village；　where　a　slight　rising　ground　closes　in　the　basin；　and　evidently　once　formed；　the　shore　of　the　lake。　Here　the　river　enters　a　gorge；　very　narrow　and　tortuous；　along　which　it　rushes　furiously　for　a　short　distance　and　then　plunges　into　a　great　chasm；　forming　the　head　of　a　large　valley。　Just　above　the　fall　the　channel　is　not　more　than　ten　feet　wide；　and　here　a　few　planks　are　thrown　across；　whence；　half　hid　by　luxuriant　vegetation；　the　mad　waters　may　be　seen　rushing　beneath；　and　a　few　feet　farther　plunge　into　the　abyss。　Both　sight　and　sound　are　grand　and　impressive。　It　was　here　that；　four　years　before　my　visit；　the　Governor…General　of　the　Netherland　Indies　committed　suicide；　by　leaping　into　the　torrent。　This　at　least　is　the　general　opinion；　as　he　suffered　from　a　painful　disease　which　was　supposed　to　have　made　him　weary　of　his　life。　His　body　was　found　next　day　in　the　stream　below。

Unfortunately；　no　good　view　of　the　fall　could　now　be　obtained；　owing　to　the　quantity　of　wood　and　high　grass　that　lined　the　margins　of　the　precipices。　There　are　two　falls；　the　lower　being　the　most　lofty；　and　it　is　possible；　by　long　circuit；　to　descend　into　the　valley　and　see　them　from　below。　Were　the　best　points　of　view　searched　for　and　rendered　accessible；　these　falls　would　probably　be　found　to　be　the　finest　in　the　Archipelago。　The　chasm　seems　to　be　of　great　depth；　probably　500　or　600　feet。　Unfortunately；　I　had　no　time　to　explore　this　valley；　as　I　was　anxious　to　devote　every　fine　day　to　increasing　my　hitherto　scanty　collections。

Just　opposite　my　abode　in　Rurukan　was　the　schoolhouse。　The　schoolmaster　was　a　native；　educated　by　the　Missionary　at　Tomohón。　School　was　held　every　morning　for　about　three　hours；　and　twice　a　week　in　the　evening　there　was　catechising　and　preaching。　There　was　also　a　service　on　Sunday　morning。　The　children　were　all　taught　in　Malay；　and　I　often　heard　them　repeating　the　multiplication…table；　up　to　twenty　times　twenty；　very　glibly。　They　always　wound　up　with　singing；　and　it　was　very　pleasing　to　hear　many　of　our　old　psalm…tunes　in　these　remote　mountains；　sung　with　Malay　words。　Singing　is　one　of　the　real　blessings　which　Missionaries　introduce　among　savage　nations；　whose　native　chants　are　almost　always　monotonous　and　melancholy。

On　catechising　evenings　the　schoolmaster　was　a　great　man；　preaching　and　teaching　for　three　hours　at　a　stretch　much　in　the　style　of　an　English　ranter。　This　was　pretty　cold　work　for　his　auditors；　however　warming　to　himself；　and　I　am　inclined　to　think　that　these　native　teachers；　having　acquired　facility　of　speaking　and　an　endless　supply　of　religious　platitudes　to　talk　about；　ride　their　hobby　rather　hard；　without　much　consideration　for　their　flock。　The　Missionaries；　however；　have　much　to　be　proud　of　in　this　country。　They　have　assisted　the　Government　in　changing　a　savage　into　a　civilized　community　in　a　wonderfully　short　space　of　time。　Forty　years　ago　the　country　was　a　wilderness；　the　people　naked　savages；　garnishing　their　rude　houses　with　human　heads。　Now　it　is　a　garden；　worthy　of　its　sweet　native　name　of　〃Minahasa。〃　Good　roads　and　paths　traverse　it　in　every　direction；　some　of　the　finest　coffee　plantations　in　the　world　surround　the　villages；　interspersed　with　extensive　rice…fields　more　than　sufficient　for　the　support　of　the　population。

The　people　are　now　the　most　industrious；　peaceable；　and　civilized　in　the　whole　Archipelago。　They　are　the　best　clothed；　the　best　housed；　the　best　fed；　and　the　best　educated；　and　they　have　made　some　progress　towards　a　higher　social　state。　I　believe　there　is　no　example　elsewhere　of　such　striking　results　being　produced　in　so　short　a　timeresults　which　are　entirely　due　to　the　system　of　government　now　adopted　by　the　Dutch　in　their　Eastern　possessions。　The　system　is　one　which　may　be　called　a　〃paternal　despotism。〃　Now　we　Englishmen　do　not　like　despotismwe　hate　the　name　and　the　thing；　and　we　would　rather　see　people　ignorant；　lazy；　and　vicious；　than　use　any　but　moral　force　to　make　them　wise；　industrious；　and　good。　And　we　are　right　when　we　are　dealing　with　men　of　our　own　race；　and　of　similar　ideas　and　equal　capacities　with　ourselves。　Example　and　precept；　the　force　of　public　opinion；　and　the　slow；　but　sure　spread　of　education；　will　do　every　thing　in　time；　without　engendering　any　of　those　bitter　feelings；　or　producing　any　of　that　servility；　hypocrisy；　and　dependence；　which　are　the　sure　results　of　despotic　government。　But　what　should　we　think　of　a　man　who　should　advocate　these　principles　of　perfect　freedom　in　a　family　or　a　school？　We　should　say　that　he　was　applying　a　good；　general　principle　to　a　case　in　which　the　conditions　rendered　it　inapplicablethe　case　in　which　the　governed　are　in　an　admitted　state　of　mental　inferiority　to　those　who　govern　them；　and　are　unable　to　decide　what　is　best　for　their　permanent　welfare。　Children　must　be　subjected　to　some　degree　of　authority；　and　guidance；　and　if　properly　managed　they　will　cheerfully　submit　to　it；　because　they　know　their　own　inferiority；　and　believe　their　elders　are　acting　solely　for　their　good。　They　learn　many　things　the　use　of　which　they　cannot　comprehend；　and　which　they　would　never　learn　without　some　moral　and　social；　if　not　physical；　pressure。　Habits　of　order；　of　industry；　of　cleanliness；　of　respect　and　obedience；　are　inculcated　by　similar　means。　Children　would　never　grow　up　into　well…behaved　and　well…educated　men；　if　the　same　absolute　freedom　of　action　that　is　allowed　to　men　were　allowed　to　them。　Ruder　the　best　aspect　of　education；　children　are　subjected　to　a　mild　despotism　for　the　good　of　themselves　and　of　society；　and　their　confidence　in　the　wisdom　and　goodness　of　those　who　ordain　and　apply　this　despotism；　neutralizes　the　bad　passions　and　degrading　feelings；　which　under　less　favourable　conditions　are　its　general　results。

Now；　there　is　not　merely　an　analogythere　is　in　many　respects　an　identity　of　relation　between　master　and　pupil　or　parent　and　child　on　the　one　hand；　and　an　uncivilized　race　and　its　civilized　rulers　on　the　other。　We　know　（or　think　we　know）　that　the　education　and　industry；　and　the　common　usages　of　civilized　man；　are　superior　to　those　of　savage　life；　and；　as　he　becomes　acquainted　with　them；　the　savage　himself　admits　this。　He　admires　the　superior　acquirements　of　the　civilized