the malay archipelago-1-第69章

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ch　a　few　glimpses　of　it；　on　others　I　got　a　single　specimen；　and　on　a　few　occasions　two；　but　never　without　a　more　or　less　active　pursuit。　This　and　several　other　species　I　never　saw　but　in　this　one　ravine。

Among　the　people　here　I　saw　specimens　of　several　types；　which；　with　the　peculiarities　of　the　languages；　gives　me　some　notion　of　their　probable　origin。　A　striking　illustration　of　the　low　state　of　civilization　of　these　people；　until　quite　recently；　is　to　be　found　in　the　great　diversity　of　their　languages。　Villages　three　or　four　miles　apart　have　separate　dialects；　and　each　group　of　three　or　four　such　villages　has　a　distinct　language　quite　unintelligible　to　all　the　rest；　so　that；　until　the　recent　introduction　of　Malay　by　the　Missionaries；　there　must　have　been　a　bar　to　all　free　communication。　These　languages　offer　many　peculiarities。　They　contain　a　Celebes…Malay　element　and　a　Papuan　element；　along　with　some　radical　peculiarities　found　also　in　the　languages　of　the　Siau　and　Sanguir　islands　further　north；　and　therefore；　probably　derived　from　the　Philippine　Islands。　Physical　characteristics　correspond。　There　are　some　of　the　less　civilized　tribes　which　have　semi…Papuan　features　and　hair；　while　in　some　villages　the　true　Celebes　or　Bugis　physiognomy　prevails。　The　plateau　of　Tondano　is　chiefly　inhabited　by　people　nearly　as　white　as　the　Chinese；　and　with　very　pleasing　semi…European　features。　The　people　of　Siau　and　Sanguir　much　resemble　these；　and　I　believe　them　to　be　perhaps　immigrants　from　some　of　the　islands　of　North　Polynesia。　The　Papuan　type　will　represent　the　remnant　of　the　aborigines；　while　those　of　the　Bugis　character　show　the　extension　northward　of　the　superior　Malay　races。

As　I　was　wasting　valuable　time　at　Panghu；　owing　to　the　bad　weather　and　the　illness　of　my　hunters；　I　returned　to　Menado　after　a　stay　of　three　weeks。　Here　I　had　a　little　touch　of　fever；　and　what　with　drying　and　packing　all　of　my　collections　and　getting　fresh　servants；　it　was　a　fortnight　before　I　was　again　ready　to　start。　I　now　went　eastward　over　an　undulating　country　skirting　the　great　volcano　of　Klabat；　to　a　village　called　Lempias；　situated　close　to　the　extensive　forest　that　covers　the　lower　slopes　of　that　mountain。　My　baggage　was　carried　from　village　to　village　by　relays　of　men；　and　as　each　change　involved　some　delay；　I　did　not　reach　my　destination　（a　distance　of　eighteen　miles）　until　sunset。　I　was　wet　through；　and　had　to　wait　for　an　hour　in　an　uncomfortable　state　until　the　first　installment　of　my　baggage　arrived；　which　luckily　contained　my　clothes；　while　the　rest　did　not　come　in　until　midnight。

This　being　the　district　inhabited　by　that　singular　annual　the　Babirusa　（Hog…deer）；　I　inquired　about　skulls　and　soon　obtained　several　in　tolerable　condition；　as　well　as　a　fine　one　of　the　rare　and　curious　〃Sapiutan〃　（Anoa　depressicornis。　Of　this　animal　I　had　seen　two　living　specimens　at　Menado；　and　was　surprised　at　their　great　resemblance　to　small　cattle；　or　still　more　to　the　Eland　of　South　Africa。　Their　Malay　name　signifies　〃forest　ox；〃　and　they　differ　from　very　small　highbred　oxen　principally　by　the　low…　hanging　dewlap；　and　straight；　pointed　horns　which　slope　back　over　the　neck。　I　did　not　find　the　forest　here　so　rich　in　insects　as　I　had　expected；　and　my　hunters　got　me　very　few　birds；　but　what　they　did　obtain　were　very　interesting。　Among　these　were　the　rare　forest　Kingfisher　（Cittura　cyanotis）；　a　small　new　species　of　Megapodius；　and　one　specimen　of　the　large　and　interesting　Maleo　（Megacephalon　rubripes）；　to　obtain　which　was　one　of　my　chief　reasons　for　visiting　this　district。　Getting　no　more；　however；　after　ten　days'　search；　I　removed　to　Licoupang；　at　the　extremity　of　the　peninsula；　a　place　celebrated　for　these　birds；　as　well　as　for　the　Babirusa　and　Sapiutan。　I　found　here　Mr。　Goldmann；　the　eldest　son　of　the　Governor　of　the　Moluccas；　who　was　superintending　the　establishment　of　some　Government　salt…works。　This　was　a　better　locality；　and　I　obtained　some　fine　butterflies　and　very　good　birds；　among　which　was　one　more　specimen　of　the　rare　ground　dove　（Phlegaenas　tristigmata）；　which　I　had　first　obtained　near　the　Maros　waterfall　in　South　Celebes。

Hearing　what　I　was　particularly　in　search　of；　Mr。　Goldmann　kindly　offered　to　make　a　hunting…party　to　the　place　where　the　〃Maleos〃　are　most　abundant；　a　remote　and　uninhabited　sea…beach　about　twenty　miles　distant。　The　climate　here　was　quite　different　from　that　on　the　mountains；　not　a　drop　of　rain　having　fallen　for　four　months；　so　I　made　arrangements　to　stay　on　the　beach　a　week；　in　order　to　secure　a　good　number　of　specimens。　We　went　partly　by　boat　and　partly　through　the　forest；　accompanied　by　the　Major　or　head…man　of　Licoupang；　with　a　dozen　natives　and　about　twenty　dogs。　On　the　way　they　caught　a　young　Sapi…utan　and　five　wild　pigs。　Of　the　former　I　preserved　the　head。　This　animal　is　entirely　confined　to　the　remote　mountain　forests　of　Celebes　and　one　or　two　adjacent　islands　which　form　part　of　the　same　group。　In　the　adults　the　head　is　black；　with　a　white　mark　over　each　eye；　one　on　each　cheek　and　another　on　the　throat。　The　horns　are　very　smooth　and　sharp　when　young；　but　become　thicker　and　ridged　at　the　bottom　with　age。　Most　naturalists　consider　this　curious　animal　to　be　a　small　ox；　but　from　the　character　of　the　horns；　the　fine　coat　of　hair　and　the　descending　dewlap；　it　seemed　closely　to　approach　the　antelopes。

Arrived　at　our　destination；　we　built　a　but　and　prepared　for　a　stay　of　some　daysI　to　shoot　and　skin　〃Maleos〃；　and　Mr。　Goldmann　and　the　Major　to　hunt　wild　pigs；　Babirusa；　and　Sapi…utan。　The　place　is　situated　in　the　large　bay　between　the　islands　of　Limbe　and　Banca；　and　consists　of　steep　beach　more　than　a　mile　in　length；　of　deep　loose　and　coarse　black　volcanic　sand　（or　rather　gravel）；　very　fatiguing　to　walk　over。　It　is　bounded　at　each　extremity　by　a　small　river　with　hilly　ground　beyond；　while　the　forest　behind　the　beach　itself　is　tolerably　level　and　its　growth　stunted。　We　probably　have　here　an　ancient　lava　stream　from　the　Klabat　volcano；　which　has　flowed　down　a　valley　into　the　sea；　and　the　decomposition　of　which　has　formed　the　loose　black　sand。　In　confirmation　of　this　view；　it　may　be　mentioned　that　the　beaches　beyond　the　small　rivers　in　both　directions　are　of　white　sand。

It　is　in　this　loose；　hot；　black　sand　that　those　singular　birds；　the　〃Maleos〃　deposit　their　eggs。　In　the　months　of　August　and　September；　when　there　is　little　or　no　rain；　they　come　down　in　pairs　from　the　interior　to　this　or　to　one　or　two　other　favourite　spots；　and　scratch　holes　three　or　four　feet　deep；　just　above　high…water　mark；　where　the　female　deposits　a　single　large　egg；　which　she　covers　over　with　about　a　foot　of　sandand　then　returns　to　the　forest。　At　the　end　of　ten　or　twelve　days　she　comes　again　to　the　same　spot　to　lay　another　egg；　and　each　female　bird　is　supposed　to　lay　six　or　eight　eggs　during　the　season。　The　male　assists　the　female　in　making　the　hole；　coming　down　and　returning　with　her。　The　appearance　of　the　bird　when　walking　on　the　beach　is　very　handsome。　The　glossy　black　and　rosy　white　of　the　plumage；　the　helmeted　head　and　elevated　tail；　like　that　of　the　common　fowl；　give　a　striking　character；　which　their　stately　and　somewhat　sedate　walk　renders　still　more　remarkable。　There　is　hardly　any　difference　between　the　sexes；　except　that　the　casque　or　bonnet　at　the　back　of　the　head　and　the　tubercles　at　the　nostrils　are　a　little　larger；　and　the　beautiful　rosy　salmon　colour　a　little　deeper　in　the　male　bird；　but　the　difference　is　so　slight　that　it　is　not　always　possible　to　tell　a　male　from　a　female　without　dissection。　They　run　quickly；　but　when　shot　at　or　suddenly　disturbed；　take　wing　with　a　heavy　noisy　flight　to　some　neighbouring　tree；　where　they　settle　on　a　low　branch；　and；　they　probably　roost　at　night　in　a　similar　situation。　Many　birds　lay　in　the　same　hole；　for　a　dozen　eggs　are　often　found　together；　and　these　are　so　large　that　it　is　not　possible　for　the　body　of　the　bird　to　contain　more　than　one　fully…developed　egg　at　the　same　time。　In　all　the　female　birds　which　I　shot；　none　of　the　eggs　besides　the　one　large　one　exceeded　the　size　of　peas；　and　there　were　only　eight　or　nine　of　these；　which　is　probably　the　extreme　number　a　bird　can　lay　in　one　season。

Every　year　the　nativ