the malay archipelago-2-第46章

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articles　with　which　w　e　supply　them　were　double　or　treble　their　present　prices。　If　at　the　same　time　the　difference　of　cost；　or　a　large　portion　of　it；　could　find　its　way　into　the　pockets　of　the　manufacturing　workmen；　thousands　would　be　raised　from　want　to　comfort；　from　starvation　to　health；　and　would　be　removed　from　one　of　the　chief　incentives　to　crime。　It　is　difficult　for　an　Englishman　to　avoid　contemplating　with　pride　our　gigantic　and　ever…increasing　manufactures　and　commerce；　and　thinking　everything　good　that　renders　their　progress　still　more　rapid；　either　by　lowering　the　price　at　which　the　articles　can　be　produced；　or　by　discovering　new　markets　to　which　they　may　be　sent。　If；　however；　the　question　that　is　so　frequently　asked　of　the　votaries　of　the　less　popular　sciences　were　put　here〃Cui　bono？〃it　would　be　found　more　difficult　to　answer　than　had　been　imagined。　The　advantages；　even　to　the　few　who　reap　them；　would　be　seen　to　be　mostly　physical；　while　the　wide…spread　moral　and　intellectual　evils　resulting　from　unceasing　labour；　low　wages；　crowded　dwellings；　and　monotonous　occupations；　to　perhaps　as　large　a　number　as　those　who　gain　any　real　advantage；　might　be　held　to　show　a　balance　of　evil　so　great；　as　to　lead　the　greatest　admirers　of　our　manufactures　and　commerce　to　doubt　the　advisability　of　their　further　development。　It　will　be　said：　〃We　cannot　stop　it；　　capital　must　be　employed；　our　population　must　be　kept　at　work；　if　we　hesitate　a　moment；　other　nations　now　hard　pressing　us　will　get　ahead；　and　national　ruin　will　follow。〃　Some　of　this　is　true；　some　fallacious。　It　is　undoubtedly　a　difficult　problem　which　we　have　to　solve；　and　I　am　inclined　to　think　it　is　this　difficulty　that　makes　men　conclude　that　what　seems　a　necessary　and　unalterable　state　of　things　must　be　good…that　its　benefits　must　he　greater　than　its　evils。　This　was　the　feeling　of　the　American　advocates　of　slavery；　they　could　not　see　an　easy；　comfortable　way　out　of　it。　In　our　own　case；　however；　it　is　to　be　hoped；　that　if　a　fair　consideration　of　the　matter　in　all　its　hearings　shows　that　a　preponderance　of　evil　arises　from　the　immensity　of　our　manufactures　and　commerce…evil　which　must　go　on　increasing　with　their　increase…there　is　enough　both　of　political　wisdom　and　true　philanthropy　in　Englishmen；　to　induce　them　to　turn　their　superabundant　wealth　into　other　channels。　The　fact　that　has　led　to　these　remarks　is　surely　a　striking　one：　that　in　one　of　the　most　remote　corners　of　the　earth　savages　can　buy　clothing　cheaper　than　the　people　of　the　country　where　it　is　made；　that　the　weaver's　child　should　shiver　in　the　wintry　wind；　unable　to　purchase　articles　attainable　by　the　wild　natives　of　a　tropical　climate；　where　clothing　is　mere　ornament　or　luxury；　should　make　us　pause　ere　we　regard　with　unmixed　admiration　the　system　which　has　led　to　such　a　result；　and　cause　us　to　look　with　some　suspicion　on　the　further　extension　of　that　system。　It　must　be　remembered　too　that　our　commerce　is　not　a　purely　natural　growth。　It　has　been　ever　fostered　by　the　legislature；　and　forced　to　an　unnatural　luxuriance　by　the　protection　of　our　fleets　and　armies。　The　wisdom　and　the　justice　of　this　policy　have　been　already　doubted。　So　soon；　therefore；　as　it　is　seen　that　the　further　extension　of　our　manufactures　and　commerce　would　be　an　evil；　the　remedy　is　not　far　to　seek。

After　six　weeks'　confinement　to　the　house　I　was　at　length　well；　and　could　resume　my　daily　walks　in　the　forest。　I　did　not；　however；　find　it　so　productive　as　when　I　had　first　arrived　at　Dobbo。　There　was　a　damp　stagnation　about　the　paths；　and　insects　were　very　scarce。　In　some　of　my　best　collecting　places　I　now　found　a　mass　of　rotting　wood；　mingled　with　young　shoots；　and　overgrown　with　climbers；　yet　I　always　managed　to　add　something　daily　to　my　extensive　collections。　I　one　day　met　with　a　curious　example　of　failure　of　instinct；　which；　by　showing　it　to　be　fallible；　renders　it　very　doubtful　whether　it　is　anything　more　than　hereditary　habit；　dependent　on　delicate　modifications　of　sensation。　Some　sailors　cut　down　a　good…sized　tree；　and；　as　is　always　my　practice；　I　visited　it　daily　for　some　time　in　search　of　insects。　Among　other　beetles　came　swarms　of　the　little　cylindrical　woodborers　（Platypus；　Tesserocerus；　&c。）；　and　commenced　making　holes　in　the　bark。　After　a　day　or　two　I　was　surprised　to　find　hundreds　of　them　sticking　in　the　holes　they　had　bored；　and　on　examination　discovered　that　the　milky　sap　of　the　tree　was　of　the　nature　of　gutta…percha；　hardening　rapidly　on　exposure　to　the　air；　and　glueing　the　little　animals　in　self…dug　graves。　The　habit　of　boring　holes　in　trees　in　which　to　deposit　their　eggs；　was　not　accompanied　by　a　sufficient　instinctive　knowledge　of　which　trees　were　suitable；　and　which　destructive　to　them。　If；　as　is　very　probable；　these　trees　have　an　attractive　odour　to　certain　species　of　borers；　it　might　very　likely　lead　to　their　becoming　extinct；　while　other　species；　to　whom　the　same　odour　was　disagreeable；　and　who　therefore　avoided　the　dangerous　trees；　would　survive；　and　would　be　credited　by　us　with　an　instinct；　whereas　they　would　really　be　guided　by　a　simple　sensation。

Those　curious　little　beetles；　the　Brenthidae；　were　very　abundant　in　Aru。　The　females　have　a　pointed　rostrum；　with　which　they　bore　deep　holes　in　the　bark　of　dead　trees；　often　burying　the　rostrum　up　to　the　eyes；　and　in　these　holes　deposit　their　eggs。　The　males　are　larger；　and　have　the　rostrum　dilated　at　the　end；　and　sometimes　terminating　in　a　good…sized　pair　of　jaws。　I　once　saw　two　males　fighting　together；　each　had　a　fore…leg　laid　across　the　neck　of　the　other；　and　the　rostrum　bent　quite　in　an　attitude　of　defiance；　and　looking　most　ridiculous。　Another　time；　two　were　fighting　for　a　female；　who　stood　close　by　busy　at　her　boring。　They　pushed　at　each　other　with　their　rostra；　and　clawed　and　thumped；　apparently　in　the　greatest　rage；　although　their　coats　of　mail　must　have　saved　both　from　injury。　The　small　one；　however；　soon　ran　away；　acknowledging　himself　vanquished。　In　most　Coleoptera　the　female　is　larger　than　the　male；　and　it　is　therefore　interesting；　as　bearing　on　the　question　of　sexual　selection；　that　in　this　case；　as　in　the　stag…beetles　where　the　males　fight　together；　they　should　be　not　only　better　armed；　but　also　much　larger　than　the　females。　Just　as　we　were　going　away；　a　handsome　tree；　allied　to　Erythrina；　was　in　blossom；　showing　its　masses　of　large　crimson　flowers　scattered　here　and　there　about　the　forest。　Could　it　have　been　seen　from　an　elevation；　it　would　have　had　a　fine　effect；　from　below　I　could　only　catch　sight　of　masses　of　gorgeous　colour　in　clusters　and　festoons　overhead；　about　which　flocks　of　blue　and　orange　lories　were　fluttering　and　screaming。

A　good　many　people　died　at　Dobbo　this　season；　I　believe　about　twenty。　They　were　buried　in　a　little　grove　of　Casuarinas　behind　my　house。　Among　the　traders　was　a。　Mahometan　priest；　who　superintended　the　funerals；　which　were　very　simple。　The　body　was　wrapped　up　in　new　white　cotton　cloth；　and　was　carried　on　a　bier　to　the　grave。　All　the　spectators　sat　down　on　the　ground；　and　the　priest　chanted　some　verses　from　the　Koran。　The　graves　were　fenced　round　with　a　slight　bamboo　railing；　and　a　little　carved　wooden　head…post　was　put　to　mark　the　spot。　There　was　also　in　the　village　a　small　mosque；　where　every　Friday　the　faithful　went　to　pray。　This　is　probably　more　remote　from　Mecca　than　any　other　mosque　in　the　world；　and　marks　the　farthest　eastern　extension　of　the　Mahometan　religion。　The　Chinese　here；　as　elsewhere；　showed　their　superior　wealth　and　civilization　by　tombstones　of　solid　granite　brought　from　Singapore；　with　deeply…cut　inscriptions；　the　characters　of　which　are　painted　in　red；　blue；　and　gold。　No　people　have　more　respect　for　the　graves　of　their　relations　and　friends　than　this　strange；　ubiquitous；　money…getting　people。

Soon　after　we　had　returned　to　Dobbo；　my　Macassar　boy；　Baderoon；　took　his　wages　and　left　me；　because　I　scolded　him　for　laziness。　He　then　occupied　himself　in　gambling；　and　at　first　had　some　luck；　and　bought　ornaments；　and　had　plenty　of　money。　Then　his　luck　turned；　he　lost　everything；　borrowed　money　and　lost　that；　and　was　obliged　to　become　the　slave　of　his　creditor　till　he　had　worked　out　the　debt。　He　was　a　quick　and　active