the malay archipelago-1-第68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！


ns　before　I　could　get　to　the　forest；　and　as　soon　as　I　did　so　；it　came　on　to　rain　heavily　and　did　not　cease　until　night。　This　distance　to　walk　everyday　was　too　far　for　any　profitable　work；　especially　when　the　weather　was　so　uncertain。　I　therefore　decided　at　once　that　I　must　go　further　on；　until　I　found　someplace　close　to　or　in　a　forest　country。　In　the　afternoon　my　friend　Mr。　Bensneider　arrived；　together　with　the　Controlleur　of　the　next　district；　called　Belang；　from　whom　I　learned　that　six　miles　further　on　there　was　a　village　called　Panghu；　which　had　been　recently　formed　and　had　a　good　deal　of　forest　close　to　it；　and　he　promised　me　the　use　of　a　small　house　if　I　liked　to　go　there。

The　next　morning　I　went　to　see　the　hot…springs　and　mud　volcanoes；　for　which　this　place　is　celebrated。　A　picturesque　path　among　plantations　and　ravines　brought　us　to　a　beautiful　circular　basin　about　forty　feet　in　diameter；　bordered　by　a　calcareous　ledge；　so　uniform　and　truly　curved；　that　it　looked　like　a　work　of　art。　It　was　filled　with　clear　water　very　near　the　boiling　point；　and　emitted　clouds　of　steam　with　a　strong　sulphureous　odour。　It　overflows　at　one　point　and　forms　a　little　stream　of　hot　water；　which　at　a　hundred　yards'　distance　is　still　too　hot　to　hold　the　hand　in。　A　little　further　on；　in　a　piece　of　rough　wood；　were　two　other　springs　not　so　regular　in　outline；　but　appearing　to　be　much　hotter；　as　they　were　in　a　continual　state　of　active　ebullition。　At　intervals　of　a　few　minutes；　a　great　escape　of　steam　or　gas　took　place；　throwing　up　a　column　of　water　three　or　four　feet　high。

We　then　went　to　the　mud…springs；　which　are　about　a　mile　off；　and　are　still　more　curious。　On　a　sloping　tract　of　ground　in　a　slight　hollow　is　a　small　lake　of　liquid　mud；　with　patches　of　blue；　red；　or　white；　and　in　many　places　boiling　and　bubbling　most　furiously。　All　around　on　the　indurated　clay　are　small　wells　and　craters　full　of　boiling　mud。　These　seem　to　be　forming　continually；　a　small　hole　appearing　first；　which　emits　jets　of　steam　and　boiling　mud；　which　upon　hardening；　forms　a　little　cone　with　a　crater　in　the　middle。　The　ground　for　some　distance　is　very　unsafe；　as　it　is　evidently　liquid　at　a　small　depth；　and　bends　with　pressure　like　thin　ice。　At　one　of　the　smaller；　marginal　jets　which　I　managed　to　approach；　I　held　my　hand　to　see　if　it　was　really　as　hot　as　it　looked；　when　a　little　drop　of　mud　that　spurted　on　to　my　finger　scalded　like　boiling　water。

A　short　distance　off；　there　was　a　flat　bare　surface　of　rock　as　smooth　and　hot　as　an　oven　floor；　which　was　evidently　an　old　mud…pool；　dried　up　and　hardened。　For　hundreds　of　yards　around　where　there　were　banks　of　reddish　and　white　clay　used　for　whitewash；　it　was　still　so　hot　close　to　the　surface　that　the　hand　could　hardly　bear　to　be　held　in　cracks　a　few　inches　deep；　and　from　which　arose　a　strong　sulphureous　vapour。　I　was　informed　that　some　years　back　a　French　gentleman　who　visited　these　springs　ventured　too　near　the　liquid　mud；　when　the　crust　gave　way　and　he　was　engulfed　in　the　horrible　caldron。

This　evidence　of　intense　heat　so　near　the　surface　over　a　large　tract　of　country　was　very　impressive；　and　I　could　hardly　divest　myself　of　the　notion　that　some　terrible　catastrophe　might　at　any　moment　devastate　the　country。　Yet　it　is　probable　that　all　these　apertures　are　really　safety…valves；　and　that　the　inequalities　of　the　resistance　of　various　parts　of　the　earth's　crust　will　always　prevent　such　an　accumulation　of　force　as　would　be　required　to　upheave　and　overwhelm　any　extensive　area。　About　seven　miles　west　of　this　is　a　volcano　which　was　in　eruption　about　thirty　years　before　my　visit；　presenting　a　magnificent　appearance　and　covering　the　surrounding　country　with　showers　of　ashes。　The　plains　around　the　lake　formed　by　the　intermingling　and　decomposition　of　volcanic　products　are　of　amazing　fertility；　and　with　a　little　management　in　the　rotation　of　crops　might　be　kept　in　continual　cultivation。　Rice　is　now　grown　on　them　for　three　or　four　years　in　succession；　when　they　are　left　fallow　for　the　same　period；　after　which　rice　or　maize　can　be　again　grown。　Good　rice　produces　thirty…fold；　and　coffee　trees　continue　bearing　abundantly　for　ten　or　fifteen　years；　without　any　manure　and　with　scarcely　any　cultivation。

I　was　delayed　a　day　by　incessant　rain；　and　then　proceeded　to　Panghu；　which　I　reached　just　before　the　daily　rain　began　at　11　A。M。　After　leaving　the　summit　level　of　the　lake　basin；　the　road　is　carried　along　the　slope　of　a　fine　forest　ravine。　The　descent　is　a　long　one；　so　that　I　estimated　the　village　to　be　not　more　than　1；500　feet　above　the　sea；　yet　I　found　the　morning　temperature　often　69°；　the　same　as　at　Tondano　at　least　600　or　700　feet　higher。　I　was　pleased　with　the　appearance　of　the　place；　which　had　a　good　deal　of　forest　and　wild　country　around　it；　and　found　prepared　for　me　a　little　house　consisting　only　of　a　verandah　and　a　back　room。　This　was　only　intended　for　visitors　to　rest　in；　or　to　pass　a　night；　but　it　suited　me　very　well。　I　was　so　unfortunate；　however；　as　to　lose　both　my　hunters　just　at　this　time。　One　had　been　left　at　Tondano　with　fever　and　diarrhoea；　and　the　other　was　attacked　at　Langówan　with　inflammation　of　the　chest；　and　as　his　case　looked　rather　bad　I　had　him　sent　back　to　Menado。　The　people　here　were　all　so　busy　with　their　rice…harvest；　which　was　important　for　them　to　finish　owing　to　the　early　rains；　that　I　could　get　no　one　to　shoot　for　me。

During　the　three　weeks　that　I　stayed　at　Panghu　it　rained　nearly　everyday；　either　in　the　afternoon　only；　or　all　day　long；　but　there　were　generally　a　few　hours'　sunshine　in　the　morning；　and　I　took　advantage　of　these　to　explore　the　roads　and　paths；　the　rocks　and　ravines；　in　search　of　insects。　These　were　not　very　abundant；　yet　I　saw　enough　to　convince　me　that　the　locality　was　a　good　one；　had　I　been　there　at　the　beginning　instead　of　at　the　end　of　the　dry　season。　The　natives　brought　me　daily　a　few　insects　obtained　at　the　Sagueir　palms；　including　some　fine　Cetonias　and　stag…　beetles。　Two　little　boys　were　very　expert　with　the　blowpipe；　and

brought　me　a　good　many　small　birds；　which　they　shot　with　pellets　of　clay。　Among　these　was　a　pretty　little　flower…pecker　of　a　new　species　（Prionochilus　aureolimbatus）；　and　several　of　the　loveliest　honeysuckers　I　had　yet　seen。　My　general　collection　of　birds　was；　however；　almost　at　a　standstill；　for　though　I　at　length　obtained　a　man　to　shoot　for　me；　he　was　not　good　for　much；　and　seldom　brought　me　more　than　one　bird　a　day。　The　best　thing　he　shot　was　the　large　and　rare　fruit…pigeon　peculiar　to　Northern　Celebes　（Carpophaga　forsteni）；　which　I　had　long　been　seeking。

I　was　myself　very　successful　in　one　beautiful　group　of　insects；　the　tiger…beetles；　which　seem　more　abundant　and　varied　here　than　anywhere　else　in　the　Archipelago。　I　first　met　with　them　on　a　cutting　in　the　road；　where　a　hard　clayey　bank　was　partially　overgrown　with　mosses　and　small　ferns。　Here；　I　found　running　about；　a　small　olive…green　species　which　never　took　flight；　and　more　rarely；　a　fine　purplish　black　wingless　insect；　which　was　always　found　motionless　in　crevices；　and　was　therefore；　probably　nocturnal。　It　appeared　to　me　to　form　a　new　genus。　About　the　roads　in　the　forest；　I　found　the　large　and　handsome　Cicindela　heros；　which　I　had　before　obtained　sparingly　at　Macassar；　but　it　was　in　the　mountain　torrent　of　the　ravine　itself　that　I　got　my　finest　things。　0n　dead　trunks　overhanging　the　water　and　on　the　banks　and　foliage；　I　obtained　three　very　pretty　species　of　Cicindela；　quite　distinct　in　size；　form；　and　colour；　but　having　an　almost　identical　pattern　of　pale　spots。　I　also　found　a　single　specimen　of　a　most　curious　species　with　very　long　antennae。　But　my　finest　discovery　here　was　the　Cicindela　gloriosa；　which　I　found　on　mossy　stones　just　rising　above　the　water。　After　obtaining　my　first　specimen　of　this　elegant　insect；　I　used　to　walk　up　the　stream；　watching　carefully　every　moss…covered　rock　and　stone。　It　was　rather　shy；　and　would　often　lead　me　on　a　long　chase　from　stone　to　stone；　becoming　invisible　every　time　it　settled　on　the　damp　moss；　owing　to　its　rich　velvety　green　colour。　On　some　days　I　could　only　catch　a　few　glimpses　of　it；　on　others　I　got　a　single　specimen；　and　on　a　few　occasions　two；　but　never　wi