the malay archipelago-1-第76章

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n　produce　nutmegs　so　cheaply　as　Banda；　but　the　profits　of　the　monopoly　world　have　gone　to　a　few　individuals　instead　of　to　the　nation。

As　an　illustration　of　how　a　state　monopoly　may　become　a　state　duty；　let　us　suppose　that　no　gold　existed　in　Australia；　but　that　it　had　been　found　in　immense　quantities　by　one　of　our　ships　in　some　small　and　barren　island。　In　this　case　it　would　plainly　become　the　duty　of　the　state　to　keep　and　work　the　mines　for　the　public　benefit；　since　by　doing　so；　the　gain　would　be　fairly　divided　among　the　whole　population　by　decrease　of　taxation；　whereas　by　leaving　it　open　to　free　trade　while　merely　keeping　the　government　of　the　island；　we　should　certainly　produce　enormous　evils　during　the　first　struggle　for　the　precious　metal；　and　should　ultimately　subside　into　the　monopoly　of　some　wealthy　individual　or　great　company；　whose　enormous　revenue　would　not　equally　benefit　the　community。　The　nutmegs　of　Banda　and　the　tin　of　Banca　are　to　some　extent　parallel　cases　to　this　supposititious　one；　and　I　believe　the　Dutch　Government　will　act　most　unwisely　if　they　give　up　their　monopoly。

Even　the　destruction　of　the　nutmeg　and　clove　trees　in　many　islands；　in　order　to　restrict　their　cultivation　to　one　or　two　where　the　monopoly　could　be　easily　guarded；　usually　made　the　theme　of　so　much　virtuous　indignation　against　the　Dutch；　may　be　defended　on　similar　principles；　and　is　certainly　not　nearly　so　bad　as　many　monopolies　we　ourselves　have　until　very　recently　maintained。　Nutmegs　and　cloves　arc　not　necessaries　of　life；　they　are　not　even　used　as　spices　by　the　natives　of　the　Moluccas；　and　no　one　was　materially　or　permanently　injured　by　the　destruction　of　the　trees；　since　there　are　a　hundred　other　products　that　can　be　grown　in　the　same　islands；　equally　valuable　and　far　more　beneficial　in　a　social　point　of　view。　It　is　a　case　exactly　parallel　to　our　prohibition　of　the　growth　of　tobacco　in　England；　for　fiscal　purposes；　and　is；　morally　and　economically；　neither　better　nor　worse。　The　salt　monopoly　which　we　so　long　maintained　in　India　was　in　much　worse。　As　long　as　we　keep　up　a　system　of　excise　and　customs　on　articles　of　daily　use；　which　requires　an　elaborate　array　of　officers　and　coastguards　to　carry　into　effect；　and　which　creates　a　number　of　purely　legal　crimes；　it　is　the　height　of　absurdity　for　us　to　affect　indignation　at　the　conduct　of　the　Dutch；　who　carried　out　a　much　more　justifiable；　less　hurtful；　and　more　profitable　system　in　their　Eastern　possessions。

I　challenge　objectors　to　point　out　any　physical　or　moral　evils　that　have　actually　resulted　from　the　action　of　the　Dutch　Government　in　this　matter；　whereas　such　evils　are　the　admitted　results　of　every　one　of　our　monopolies　and　restrictions。　The　conditions　of　the　two　experiments　are　totally　different。　The　true　〃political　economy〃　of　a　higher　race；　when　governing　a　lower　race；　has　never　yet　been　worked　out。　The　application　of　our　〃political　economy〃　to　such　cases　invariably　results　in　the　extinction　or　degradation　of　the　lower　race；　whence；　we　may　consider　it　probable　that　one　of　the　necessary　conditions　of　its　truth　is　the　approximate　mental　and　social　unity　of　the　society　in　which　it　is　applied。　I　shall　again　refer　to　this　subject　in　my　chapter　on　Ternate；　one　of　the　most　celebrated　of　the　old　spice…islands。

The　natives　of　Banda　are　very　much　mixed；　and　it　is　probable　that　at　least　three…fourths　of　the　population　are　mongrels；　in　various　degrees　of　Malay；　Papuan；　Arab；　Portuguese；　and　Dutch。　The　first　two　form　the　bases　of　the　larger　portion；　and　the　dark　skins；　pronounced　features；　and　more　or　less　frizzly　hair　of　the　Papuans　preponderates。　There　seems　little　doubt　that　the　aborigines　of　Banda　were　Papuans；　and　a　portion　of　them　still　exists　in　the　Ke　islands；　where　they　emigrated　when　the　Portuguese　first　took　possession　of　their　native　island。　It　is　such　people　as　these　that　are　often　looked　upon　as　transitional　forms　between　two　very　distinct　races；　like　the　Malays　and　Papuans；　whereas　they　are　only　examples　of　intermixture。

The　animal　productions　of　Banda；　though　very　few；　are　interesting。　The　islands　have　perhaps　no　truly　indigenous　Mammalia　but　bats。　The　deer　of　the　Moluccas　and　the　pig　have　probably　been　introduced。　A　species　of　Cuscus　or　Eastern　opossum　is　also　found　at　Banda；　and　this　may　be　truly　indigenous　in　the　sense　of　not　having　been　introduced　by　man。　Of　birds；　during　my　three　visits　of　one　or　two　days　each；　I　collected　eight　kinds；　and　the　Dutch　collectors　have　added　a　few　others。　The　most　remarkable　is　a　fine　and　very　handsome　fruit…pigeon；　Carpophaga　concinna；　which　feeds　upon　the　nutmegs；　or　rather　on　the　mace；　and　whose　loud　booming　note　is　to　be　continually　heard。　This　bird　is　found　in　the　Ke　and　Matabello　islands　as　well　as　Banda；　but　not　in　Ceram　or　any　of　the　larger　islands；　which　are　inhabited　by　allied　but　very　distinct　species。　A　beautiful　small　fruit…dove；　Ptilonopus　diadematus；　is　also　peculiar　to　Banda。

CHAPTER　XX。

AMBOYNA

（DECEMBER　1857；　OCTOBER　1859；　FEBRUARY　1860。）

TWENTY　hours　from　Banda　brought　us　to　Amboyna；　the　capital　of　the　Moluccas；　and　one　of　the　oldest　European　settlements　in　the　East。　The　island　consists　of　two　peninsulas；　so　nearly　divided　by　inlets　of　the　sea；　as　to　leave　only　a　sandy　isthmus　about　a　mile　wide　near　their　eastern　extremity。　The　western　inlet　is　several　miles　long　and　forms　a　fine　harbour　on　the　southern　side　of　which　is　situated　the　town　of　Amboyna。　I　had　a　letter　of　introduction　to　Dr。　Mohnike；　the　chief　medical　officer　of　the　Moluccas；　a　German　and　a　naturalist。　I　found　that　he　could　write　and　read　English；　but　could　not　speak　it；　being　like　myself　a　bad　linguist；　so　we　had　to　use　French　as　a　medium　of　communication。　He　kindly　offered　me　a　room　during　my　stay　in　Amboyna；　and　introduced　me　to　his　junior；　Dr。　Doleschall；　a　Hungarian　and　also　an　entomolog？st。　He　was　an　intelligent　and　most　amiable　young　man　but　I　was　shocked　to　find　that　he　was　dying　of　consumption；　though　still　able　to　perform　the　duties　of　his　office。　In　the　evening　my　host　took　me　to　the　residence　of　the　Governor；　Mr。　Goldmann；　who　received　me　in　a　most　kind　and　cordial　manner；　and　offered　me　every　assistance。　The　town　of　Amboyna　consists　of　a　few　business　streets；　and　a　number　of　roads　set　out　at　right　angles　to　each　other；　bordered　by　hedges　of　flowering　shrubs；　and　enclosing　country　houses　and　huts　embossed　in　palms　and　fruit　trees。　Hills　and　mountains　form　the　background　in　almost　every　direction；　and　there　are　few　places　more　enjoyable　for　a　morning　or　evening　stroll　than　these　sandy　roads　and　shady　lanes　in　the　suburbs　of　the　ancient　city　of　Amboyna。

There　are　no　active　volcanoes　in　the　island；　nor　is　it　now　subject　to　frequent　earthquakes；　although　very　severe　ones　have　occurred　and　may　be　expected　again。　Mr。　William　Funnell；　in　his　voyage　with　Dampier　to　the　South　Seas　in　1705；　says：　〃Whilst　we　were　here；　（at　Amboyna）　we　had　a　great　earthquake；　which　continued　two　days；　in　which　time　it　did　a　great　deal　of　mischief；　for　the　ground　burst　open　in　many　places；　and　swallowed　up　several　houses　and　whole　families。　Several　of　the　people　were　dug　out　again；　but　most　of　them　dead；　and　many　had　their　legs　or　arms　broken　by　the　fall　of　the　houses。　The　castle　walls　were　rent　asunder　in　several　places；　and　we　thought　that　it　and　all　the　houses　would　have　fallen　down。　The　ground　where　we　were　swelled　like　a　wave　in　the　sea；　but　near　us　we　had　no　hurt　done。〃　There　are　also　numerous　records　of　eruptions　of　a　volcano　on　the　west　side　of　the　island。　In　1674　an　eruption　destroyed　a　village。　In　1694　there　was　another　eruption。　In　I797　much　vapour　and　heat　was　emitted。　Other　eruptions　occurred　in　1816　and　1820；　and　in　1824　a　new　crater　is　said　to　have　been　formed。　Yet　so　capricious　is　the　action　of　these　subterranean　fires；　that　since　the　last…named　epoch　all　eruptive　symptoms　have　so　completely　ceased；　that　I　was　assured　by　many　of　the　most　intelligent　European　inhabitants　of　Amboyna；　that　they　had　never　heard　of　any　such　thing　as　a　volcano　on　the　island。

During　the　few　days　that　elapsed　before　I　could　make　arrangements　　to　visit　the　interior；　I　enjoyed　myself　much　in　the　society　of　the　two　doctors；　both　amiable　and　well…educated　men；　and　both　enthu