That it was to be made on foot did not dismay them, they had quite recovered from the effects of their sea-suffering, as also from the poisonous breath of the upas, and felt strong enough to undertake any great feat5 of pedestrianism. And, as they were under no limits as to time, they could adopt such a rate of speed as the nature of the paths would permit. On this score there was neither apprehension6 nor uneasiness; there might have been about provisions, as the cured hams of the wild boar could not possibly last longer than a week; and what were they to eat after these were consumed?
Saloo set their minds at rest on this matter, by telling them that the interior forests of Borneo—which he did not know—if they at all resembled those of Sumatra—which he did know—would be found full of fruit-bearing trees; and, besides, numerous chances would arise for killing7 or capturing birds and other small game, even if a deer or a second wild boar did not present himself. In order to be prepared for any such that might come in his way, as well as to save their ammunition8, of which they had but a limited supply, Saloo had spent the last few days of their sojourn9 upon the coast in the manufacture of a weapon well suited for such a purpose, even better than musket10 or rifle. It was the “Sumpitan,” or blow-gun. This the Malay had made, along with a complete set of “sumpits,” or arrows, and a quiver to contain them. The sumpitan itself—eight feet in length—he fashioned from a straight sapling of the beautiful casuarina tree, which grows throughout the islands of the Malayan Archipelago; while the little arrows, only eight inches long, he obtained from the medium of the leaflets of the nibong palms, many of which were found near the spot where they had encamped. The pith of the same palm served him for the swell11 of the arrow, which, being compressible like cork12, fills up the tube of the sumpitan, and renders the shaft13 subject to propulsion from the quick puff14 of breath which the blow-gun marksman, from long practice, knows how to give it.
Saloo had been one of the best sumpitan shooters in all Sumatra, and could send an arrow with true aim a distance of a hundred and fifty yards. But to make its effect deadly at this distance, something more than the mere15 pricking16 of the tiny “sumpit” was needed. This something was a strong vegetable poison which he also knew how to prepare; and the upas-tree, that had so nearly proved fatal to all of them, was now called into requisition to effect a friendly service. Drawing upon its sap, and mixing it with that of another poisonous plant—the bina—Saloo gave the points of his sumpits a coating of the combined juices, so that they would carry death into the veins17 of any animal having the ill-fortune to be pierced by them.
Thus armed and equipped, he had little fear on the score of a scarcity18 of provisions during the journey. On the contrary, he declared himself confident of being able to keep the commissariat up to a point of supply sufficient for the whole party.
It may be thought strange that they did not speculate on the chances of arriving at some town or settlement of the natives. Indeed they did so, but only with the thought of avoiding them; for the minds of all—the Malay not excepted—were filled with apprehensions19 respecting the Dyak and other savage tribes, which report places in the interior of Borneo, and to whom long accredited20, though perhaps only imaginative, stories have given a character alike terrible and mysterious. They could think of them only as savages21—wild men of the woods—some of them covered with hair, and whose chief delight and glory are the cutting off men’s heads, and not unfrequently feasting on men’s flesh! No wonder that, with these facts, or fancies, acting22 upon their imagination, our travellers set forth23 upon their journey determined24 to give a wide berth25 to everything that bore the shape of a human being. It was a strange commentary on man’s superiority to the lower animals, and not very creditable to the former, that he himself was the thing they most feared to meet with in the wooded wilderness. And yet, humiliating as the reflection may appear, it depressed26 the minds of the castaways, as, looking their last upon the bright blue sea, they turned their faces toward the interior of the forest-covered land of Borneo.
For the first day they pursued a course leading along the bank of the stream at whose mouth they had been sojourning ever since their arrival on the island. They had more than one reason for keeping to the stream. It seemed to flow in a due easterly direction, and therefore to ascend27 it would lead them due west—the way they wanted to go. Besides, there was a path along its banks, not made by man, but evidently by large animals; whose tracks, seen here and there in soft places, showed them to be tapirs, wild-boars, and the larger but more rare rhinoceros29.
They saw none of these animals during their day’s journey, though many of the traces were fresh. Generally nocturnal in their habits, the huge pachydermatous creatures that had made them were, during daylight, probably lying asleep in their lairs30, amid the thick underwood of the adjacent jungles.
The travellers might have brought the pinnace up the river—so far it was deep enough to be navigated31 by a row-boat; and they had at first thought of doing so. But for several reasons they had changed their minds, and abandoned their boat. It was too heavy to be easily propelled by oars28, especially against the current of a stream which in many places was very rapid. Besides, if there should be a settlement of savages on the bank, to approach in a boat would just be the way to expose themselves to being seen, without first seeing.
But to Captain Redwood the chief objection was, that a mountain-range rose only a short distance off, and the stream appeared to issue from its steep sloping side; in which case it would soon assume the character of a headlong torrent32 utterly33 unfit for navigation. Even had water travel been easier, it could not have been long continued—perhaps not beyond a single day; and it was not deemed worth while to bring the pinnace with them. So thought the captain, and the others agreeing, the boat was left where they had long since concealed34 her—under the banyan-tree.
The captain’s conjectures35 proved correct. The evening of the first day’s march brought them to the base of the mountain-ridge36, down whose rocky flank the stream poured with the strength and velocity37 of a torrent. No boat could have further ascended38 it.
As the path leading along its edge, and hitherto comparatively level and smooth, now changed to a difficult ascent39 up a rough rock-strewn ravine, they encamped at the mountain-foot for the first night of their journey.
Next day was spent in ascending40 the mountain; following the ravine up to its head, where were found the sources of the stream. Staying only for a short noon-tide rest, they kept upward, and reached the highest point of the ridge just as the sun was again sinking into the depths of the forest before them.
At their camping-place on the second night no water was near; and they might have suffered from the want of it, had they not taken the precaution to provide against such a deficiency. Their experience as castaways, especially the memory of their sufferings from thirst, had rendered them wary41 of being again subjected to so terrible a torture. Each of the three men carried a “canteen” strung to his waist—the joint42 of a large bamboo that held at least half a gallon; while the boy and girl also had their cane43 canteens, proportioned to their size and strength. All had been filled with cool clear water before leaving the last source of the stream, a supply sufficient to serve during their transit44 of the dry mountain-ridge.
The remainder of that night was spent upon its summit; but as this proved of considerable breadth, and was covered with a thick growth of jungle-trees, it was near sunset the next day before they arrived at the edge of its eastern declivity45, and obtained a view of the country beyond.
The sun was descending46 behind the crest47 of another mountain-ridge, apparently48 parallel with that upon which they were, and not less than twenty miles distant from it. Between the two extended a valley, or rather a level plain, thickly covered with forest, except where a sheet of water gleamed in the setting sun like a disc of liquid gold.
Nor was the plain all level. Here and there, above the wooded surface, rose isolated49 hills, of rounded mound-like shape, also clothed with timber, but with trees whose foliage50, of lighter51 sheen, showed them to be of species different from those on the plain below.
Through a break among the branches of those now shadowing them on the mountain brow, the travellers for some time contemplated52 the country before them, and across which, upon the morrow, they would have to make their way.
At this moment Saloo muttered some words, which, coupled with the expression upon his countenance53 as he gave utterance54 to them, alarmed his companions. The words were,—
“It lookee like countly of mias lombi. Cappen Ledwad, if dat wild debbel lib in dem wood below, bettel we go all lound. We tly closs it, may be we get eat up. Singapo tiga not so dang’lous as mias—he not common kind, but gleat mias lombi—what Poltugee people callee ‘led golilla.’”
“The red gorilla55!” ejaculated Captain Redwood. “Is it the ourang-outang you mean?”
“Same ting, Sahib cappen. Some call him oolang-ootang, some say led golilla. One kind belly56 big—belly bad—he call mias lombi. He cally away women, childen; take ’em up into top ob de highest tallee tlee. Nobody know what he do then. Eat ’em up may be. What fol else he want ’em? Ah! Cappen Ledwad, we dlead de oolang-Dyak. He no half dang’lous like oolang-ootang led golilla.”
Notwithstanding the patois57 of his speech, what Saloo said was well enough understood by his companions, for in the led golilla or oolang-ootang of his peculiar58 pronunciation, they recognised the long known and world-renowned ape of Borneo, which, although safe enough when seen inside the cage of the showman, is a creature to be dreaded—at least the species spoken of—when encountered in its native haunts, the forests of Sumatra and Borneo.
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1
undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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obstructions
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| n.障碍物( obstruction的名词复数 )；阻碍物；阻碍；阻挠 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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9
sojourn
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| v./n.旅居，寄居；逗留 | |
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10
musket
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| n.滑膛枪 | |
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swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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cork
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| n.软木，软木塞 | |
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13
shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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14
puff
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| n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气 | |
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15
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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16
pricking
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| 刺，刺痕，刺痛感 | |
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17
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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18
scarcity
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| n.缺乏，不足，萧条 | |
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apprehensions
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| 疑惧 | |
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20
accredited
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| adj.可接受的；可信任的；公认的；质量合格的v.相信( accredit的过去式和过去分词 )；委托；委任；把…归结于 | |
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21
savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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22
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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berth
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| n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊 | |
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depressed
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| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
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ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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29
rhinoceros
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| n.犀牛 | |
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30
lairs
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| n.（野兽的）巢穴，窝( lair的名词复数 )；（人的）藏身处 | |
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31
navigated
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| v.给（船舶、飞机等）引航，导航( navigate的过去式和过去分词 )；（从海上、空中等）横越；横渡；飞跃 | |
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32
torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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33
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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conjectures
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| 推测，猜想( conjecture的名词复数 ) | |
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36
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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37
velocity
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| n.速度，速率 | |
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38
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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39
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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40
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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41
wary
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| adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的 | |
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42
joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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43
cane
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| n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的 | |
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44
transit
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| n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过 | |
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45
declivity
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| n.下坡，倾斜面 | |
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46
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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47
crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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48
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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49
isolated
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| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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50
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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51
lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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52
contemplated
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| adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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53
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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54
utterance
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| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
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55
gorilla
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| n.大猩猩，暴徒，打手 | |
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56
belly
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| n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛 | |
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57
patois
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| n.方言；混合语 | |
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58
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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