第 3 节
作者:无边的寒冷      更新:2021-03-11 18:28      字数:9322
  are the elephant; the one…horned rhinoceros; the Malayan tapir; and the
  wild hog; the last held in abomination by the Malays; but constituting
  the chief animal food of some of the wild tribes。
  A small bear with a wistful face represents the Plantigrade family。 The
  Quadrumana are very numerous。 There are nine monkeys; one; if not two
  apes; and a lemur or sloth; which screens its eyes from the light。
  Of the Digitigrada there are the otter or water…dog; the musang and
  climbing musang; the civet cat; the royal tiger; the spotted black
  tiger; in whose glossy raven…black coat the characteristic markings are
  seen in certain lights; the tiger cat; the leopard; the Java cat; and
  four or five others。 Many of these feline animals abound。
  Among the ruminants are four species of deer; two smaller than a hare;
  and one as large as an elk; a wild goat similar to the Sumatran
  antelope; the domestic goat; a mean little beast; the buffalo; a great;
  nearly hairless; gray or pink beast; bigger than the buffalo of China
  and India; a short…legged domestic ox; and two wild oxen or bisons;
  which are rare。
  The bat family is not numerous。 The vampire flies high; in great
  flocks; and is very destructive to fruit。 This frugiverous bat; known
  popularly as the 〃flying fox;〃 is a very interesting…looking animal;
  and is actually eaten by the people of Ternate。 At the height of the
  fruit season; thousands of these creatures cross from Sumatra to the
  mainland; a distance never less than forty miles。 Their strength of
  wing is enormous。 I saw one captured in the steamer Nevada; forty…five
  miles from the Navigators; with wings measuring; when extended; nearly
  five feet across。  These are formed of a jet black membrane; and have a
  highly polished claw at the extremity of each。 The feet consist of five
  polished black claws; with which the bat hangs on; head downward; to
  the forest trees。 His body is about twice the size of that of a very
  large rat; black and furry underneath; and with red foxy fur on the
  head and neck。 He has a pointed face; a very black nose; and prominent
  black eyes; with a remorseless expression in them。 An edible bat of
  vagrant habits is also found。
  Ponies are imported from Sumatra; and a few horses from Australia; but
  the latter do not thrive。
  The domestic cat always looks as if half his tail had been taken off in
  a trap。 The domestic dog is the Asiatic; not the European dog; a leggy;
  ugly; vagrant; uncared…for fellow; furnishing a useful simile and
  little more。
  Weasels; squirrels; polecats; porcupines; and other small animals exist
  in numbers; and the mermaid; of the genus Halicore; connects the
  inhabitants of the land and water。  This Duyong; described as a
  creature seven or eight feet long; with a head like that of an elephant
  deprived of its proboscis; and the body and tail of a fish; frequents
  the Sumatran and Malayan shores; and its flesh is held in great
  estimation at the tables of sultans and rajahs。 Besides these (and the
  list is long enough) there are many small beasts。
  The reptiles are unhappily very numerous。 Crawfurd mentions forty
  species of snakes; including the python and the cobra。 Alligators in
  great numbers infest the tidal waters of the rivers。 Iguanas and
  lizards of several species; marsh…frogs; and green tree…frogs abound。
  The land…leeches are a great pest。 Scorpions and centipedes are
  abundant。  There are many varieties of ants; among them a formidable…
  looking black creature nearly two inches long; a large red ant; whose
  bite is like a bad pinch from forceps; and which is the chief source of
  formic acid; and the termes; or white ant; most destructive to timber。
  The carpenter beetle is also found; an industrious insect; which
  riddles the timber of any building in which he effects a lodgment; and
  is as destructive as dry rot。 There are bees and wasps; and hornets of
  large size; and a much…dreaded insect; possibly not yet classified;
  said to be peculiar to the Peninsula; which inflicts so severe a wound
  as to make a strong man utter a cry of agony。 But of all the pests the
  mosquitoes are the worst。 A resident may spend some time in the country
  and know nothing from experience of scorpions; centipedes;
  land…leeches; and soldier ants; but he cannot escape from the mosquito;
  the curse of these well…watered tropic regions。 In addition to the
  night mosquito; there is a striped variety of large size; known as the
  〃tiger mosquito;〃 much to be feared; for it pursues its bloodthirsty
  work in the daytime。
  Among the harmless insects may be mentioned the cicada; which fills the
  forest with its cheery din; the green grasshopper; spiders; and flies
  of several species; dragon…flies of large size and brilliant coloring;
  and butterflies and moths of surpassing beauty; which delight in the
  hot; moist; jungle openings; and even surpass the flowers in the glory
  and variety of their hues。 Among them the atlas moth is found;
  measuring from eight to ten inches across its wings。 The leaf insects
  are also fascinating; and the fire…flies in a mangrove swamp on a
  dark; still night; moving in gentle undulations; or flashing into
  coruscations after brief intervals of quiescence; are inconceivably
  beautiful。
  The birds of the Peninsula are many and beautiful。 Sun…birds rival the
  flashing colors of the humming…birds in the jungle openings;
  king…fishers of large size and brilliant blue plumage make the river
  banks gay; shrieking paroquets with coral…colored beaks and tender
  green feathers; abound in the forests; great; heavy…billed hornbills
  hop cumbrously from branch to branch; rivaling in their awkward gait
  the rhinoceros hornbills; the Javanese peacock; with its gorgeous tail
  and neck covered with iridescent green feathers instead of blue ones;
  moves majestically along the jungle tracks; together with the ocellated
  pheasant; the handsome and high…couraged jungle cock; and the glorious
  Argus pheasant; a bird of twilight and night; with 〃a hundred eyes〃 on
  each feather of its stately tail。
  According to Mr。 Newbold; two birds of paradise (Paradisea regia and
  Paradisea gularis) are natives of the Peninsula;* and among other
  bright…winged creatures are the glorious crimson…feathered pergam; the
  penciled pheasant; the peacock pheasant; the blue pheasant partridge;
  the mina; and the dial bird; with an endless variety of parrots;
  lories; green…feathered pigeons of various sizes; and wood…peckers。
  Besides these there are falcons; owls; or 〃spectre birds;〃 sweet…voiced
  butcher birds; storks; fly…catchers; and doves; and the swallow which
  builds the gelatinous edible nest; which is the foundation of the
  expensive luxury 〃Bird's Nest Soup;〃 frequents the verdant islands on
  the coast。
  '*Mr。 Newbold is ordinarily so careful and accurate that it is almost
  presumptuous to hint that in this particular case he may not have been
  able to verify the statements of the natives by actual observation。'
  Nor are our own water birds wanting。 There are bitterns; rails;
  wild…duck; teal; snipes; the common; gray; and whistling plover; green;
  black; and red quails; and the sport on the plains and reedy marshes;
  and along the banks of rivers; is most excellent。
  Turtles abound off the coast; and tortoises; one variety with a hard
  shell; and the other with a soft one and a rapid movement; are found in
  swampy places。 The river fish are neither abundant nor much esteemed;
  but the sea furnishes much of the food of both Malays and Chinese; and
  the dried and salted fish prepared on the coast is considered very
  good。
  At European tables in the settlements the red mullet; a highly prized
  fish; the pomfret; considered more delicious than the turbot; and the
  tungeree; with cray…fish; crabs; prawns; and shrimps; are usually seen。
  The tongue…fish; something like a sole; the gray mullet; the
  hammer…headed shark; and various fish; with vivid scarlet and yellow
  stripes alternating with black; are eaten; along with cockles; 〃razor
  shells;〃 and king…crabs。 The lover of fishy beauty is abundantly
  gratified by the multitudes of fish of brilliant colors; together with
  large medusae; which dart or glide through the sunlit waters among the
  coral…groves; where every coral spray is gemmed with zoophytes; whose
  rainbow…tinted arms sway with the undulations of the water; and where
  sea…snakes writhe themselves away into the recesses of coral caves。
  Nature is so imposing; so magnificent; and so prolific on the Malay
  Peninsula; that one naturally gives man the secondary place which I
  have assigned to him in this chapter。 The whole population of the
  Golden Chersonese; a region as large as Great Britain; is not more than
  three…quarters of a million; and less than a half of this is Malay。
  Neither great wars; nor an ancient history; nor a valuable literature;
  nor stately ruins; nor barbaric splendors; attract scholars or
  sight…seers to the Peninsula。
  The Malays are not the Aborigines of this singular spit of land; and;
  they are its colonists rather than its conquerors。 Their histories;
  which are chiefly traditional; state that the extremity of the
  Peninsula was peopled by a Malay emigration from Sumatra about the
  middle of the twelfth century; and that the de