Fortunately the weather continued fine at first, and the light wind fair, so that the canoe skimmed swiftly over the wide sea that separates Borneo from Sumatra. Sometimes our travellers proceeded at night when the distance between islets compelled them to do so. At other times they landed on one of these isles3 when opportunity offered to rest and replenish4 the water-casks.
We will not follow them step by step in this voyage, which occupied more than a week, and during which they encountered without damage several squalls in which a small open boat could not have lived. Beaching at last the great island of Sumatra—which, like its neighbour Borneo, is larger in extent than the British Islands—they coasted along southwards, without further delay than was absolutely necessary for rest and refreshment5, until they reached a port where they found the steamer of which they were in search just about to start on its return voyage. Van der Kemp committed his little craft to the care of the captain, who, after vainly advising his friend to take a free passage with him to the Straits of Sunda, promised to leave the canoe in passing at Telok Betong. We may add that Spinkie was most unwillingly6 obliged to accompany the canoe.
"Now, we must remain here till our friend Verkimier arrives," said the hermit7, turning to Nigel after they had watched the steamer out of sight.
"I suppose we must," said Nigel, who did not at all relish8 the delay—"of course we must," he added with decision.
"I sees no 'ob course' about it, Massa Nadgel," observed Moses, who never refrained from offering his opinion from motives9 of humility10, or of respect for his employer. "My 'dvice is to go on an' let de purfesser foller."
"But I promised to wait for him," said the hermit, with one of his kindly11, half-humorous glances, "and you know I never break my promises."
"Das true, massa, but you di'n't promise to wait for him for eber an' eber!"
"Not quite; but of course I meant that I would wait a reasonable time."
The negro appeared to meditate12 for some moments on the extent of a "reasonable" time, for his huge eyes became huger as he gazed frowningly at the ground. Then he spoke13.
"A 'reasonable' time, massa, is such an oncertain time—wariable, so to speak, accordin' to the mind that t'inks upon it! Hows'eber, if you's promised, ob coorse dat's an end ob it; for w'en a man promises, he's bound to stick to it."
Such devotion to principle was appropriately rewarded the very next day by the arrival of the trading prau in which the professor had embarked14.
"We did not expect you nearly so soon," said Nigel, as they heartily15 shook hands.
"It vas because zee vind freshen soon after ve set sail—ant, zen, ve made a straight line for zis port, w'ereas you possibly crossed over, ant zen push down zee coast."
"Exactly so, and that accounts for your overtaking us," said the hermit. "Is that the lad Baso I see down there with the crew of the prau?"
"It is. You must have some strainch power of attracting frondship, Van der Kemp, for zee poor yout' is so fond of you zat he beg ant entreat18 me to take him, ant he says he vill go on vit zee traders if you refuse to let him follow you."
"Well, he may come. Indeed, we shall be the better for his services, for I had intended to hire a man here to help to carry our things. Much of our journeying, you see, must be done on foot."
Baso, to his great joy, thus became one of the party.
We pass over the next few days, which were spent in arranging and packing their provisions, etc., in such a way that each member of the party should carry on his shoulders a load proportioned to his strength. In this arrangement the professor, much against his will, was compelled to accept the lightest load in consideration of his liability to dart19 off in pursuit of creeping things and "bootterflies" at a moment's notice. The least damageable articles were also assigned to him in consideration of his tendency at all times to tumble into bogs20 and stumble over fallen trees, and lose himself, and otherwise get into difficulties.
We also pass over part of the journey from the coast, and plunge21 with our travellers at once into the interior of Sumatra.
One evening towards sunset they reached the brow of an eminence22 which, being rocky, was free from much wood, and permitted of a wide view of the surrounding country. It was covered densely24 with virgin25 forest, and they ascended26 the eminence in order that the hermit, who had been there before, might discover a forest road which led to a village some miles off, where they intended to put up for the night. Having ascertained27 his exact position, Van der Kemp led his followers28 down to this footpath29, which led through the dense23 forest.
The trees by which they were surrounded were varied30 and magnificent—some of them rising clear up seventy and eighty feet without a branch, many of them had superb leafy crowns, under any one of which hundreds of men might have found shelter. Others had trunks and limbs warped32 and intertwined with a wild entanglement33 of huge creepers, which hung in festoons and loops as if doing their best to strangle their supports, themselves being also encumbered34, or adorned35, with ferns and orchids36, and delicate twining epiphytes. A forest of smaller trees grew beneath this shade, and still lower down were thorny37 shrubs38, rattan-palms, broad-leaved bushes, and a mass of tropical herbage which would have been absolutely impenetrable but for the native road or footpath along which they travelled.
"A most suitable abode39 for tigers, I should think," remarked Nigel to the hermit, who walked in front of him—for they marched in single file. "Are there any in these parts?"
"Ay, plenty. Indeed, it is because I don't like sleeping in their company that I am so anxious to reach a village."
"Are zey dangerows?" asked the professor, who followed close on Nigel.
"Well, they are not safe!" replied the hermit. "I had an adventure with one on this very road only two years ago."
"Indeed! vat40 vas it?" asked the professor, whose appetite for anecdote41 was insatiable. "Do tell us about it."
"With pleasure. It was on a pitch-dark night that it occurred. I had occasion to go to a neighbouring village at a considerable distance, and borrowed a horse from a friend——"
"Anozer frond16!" exclaimed the professor; "vy, Van der Kemp, zee country seems to be svarming vid your fronds17."
"I have travelled much in it and made many friends," returned the hermit. "The horse that I borrowed turned out to be a very poor one, and went lame42 soon after I set out. Business kept me longer than I expected, and it was getting dark before I started to return. Erelong the darkness became so intense that I could scarcely see beyond the horse's head, and could not distinguish the path. I therefore let the animal find his own way—knowing that he would be sure to do so, for he was going home. As we jogged along, I felt the horse tremble. Then he snorted and came to a dead stop, with his feet planted firmly on the ground. I was quite unarmed, but arms would have been useless in the circumstances. Suddenly, and fortunately, the horse reared, and next moment a huge dark object shot close past my face—so close that its fur brushed my cheek—as it went with a heavy thud into the jungle on the other side. I knew that it was a tiger and felt that my life, humanly speaking, was due to the rearing of the poor horse."
"Are ve near to zee spote?" asked the professor, glancing from side to side in some anxiety.
"Not far from it!" replied the hermit, "but there is not much fear of such an attack in broad daylight and with so large a party."
"Ve are not a very large party," returned the professor. "I do not zink I would fear much to face a tiger vid my goot rifle, but I do not relish his choomping on me unavares. Push on, please."
They pushed on and reached the village a little before nightfall.
Hospitality is a characteristic of the natives of Sumatra. The travellers were received with open arms, so to speak, and escorted to the public building which corresponds in some measure to our western town-halls. It was a huge building composed largely of bamboo wooden-planks and wicker-work, with a high thatched roof, and it stood, like all the other houses, on posts formed of great tree-stems which rose eight or ten feet from the ground.
"You have frunds here too, I zink," said Verkimier to the hermit, as they ascended the ladder leading to the door of the hall.
"Well, yes—I believe I have two or three."
There could be no doubt upon that point, unless the natives were consummate43 hypocrites, for they welcomed Van der Kemp and his party with effusive44 voice, look and gesture, and immediately spread before them part of a splendid supper which had just been prepared; for they had chanced to arrive on a festive45 occasion.
"I do believe," said Nigel in some surprise, "that they are lighting46 up the place with petroleum47 lamps!"
"Ay, and you will observe that they are lighting the lamps with Congreve matches—at least with matches of the same sort, supplied by the Dutch and Chinese. Many of their old customs have passed away (among others that of procuring48 fire by friction), and now we have the appliances of western civilisation49 to replace them."
"No doubt steam is zee cause of zee change," remarked the professor.
"That," said Nigel, "has a good deal to do with most things—from the singing of a tea-kettle to the explosion of a volcano; though, doubtless, the commercial spirit which is now so strong among men is the proximate cause."
"Surely dese people mus' be reech," said the professor, looking round him with interest.
"They are rich enough—and well off in every respect, save that they don't know very well how to make use of their riches. As you see, much of their wealth is lavished50 on their women in the shape of ornaments51, most of which are of solid gold and silver."
There could be little doubt about that, for, besides the ornaments proper, such as the bracelets52 and rings with which the arms of the young women were covered, and earrings53, etc.,—all of solid gold and native-made—there were necklaces and collars composed of Spanish and American dollars and British half-crowns and other coins. In short, these Sumatran young girls carried much of the wealth of their parents on their persons, and were entitled to wear it until they should be relegated54 to the ranks of the married—the supposed-to-be unfrivolous, and the evidently unadorned!
As this was a region full of birds, beasts, and insects of many kinds, it was resolved, for the professor's benefit, that a few days should be spent in it. Accordingly, the village chief set apart a newly-built house for the visitors' accommodation, and a youth named Grogo was appointed to wait on them and act as guide when they wished to traverse any part of the surrounding forest.
The house was on the outskirts55 of the village, a matter of satisfaction to the professor, as it enabled him at once to plunge into his beloved work unobserved by the youngsters. It also afforded him a better opportunity of collecting moths57, etc., by the simple method of opening his window at night. A mat or wicker-work screen divided the hut into two apartments, one of which was entirely58 given over to the naturalist59 and his matériel.
"I vil begin at vonce," said the eager man, on taking possession.
And he kept his word by placing his lamp on a table in a conspicuous60 position, so that it could be well seen from the outside. Then he threw his window wide open, as a general invitation to the insect world to enter!
Moths, flying beetles61, and other creatures were not slow to accept the invitation. They entered by twos, fours, sixes—at last by scores, insomuch that the room became uninhabitable except by the man himself, and his comrades soon retired62 to their own compartment63, leaving him to carry on his work alone.
"You enjoy this sort of thing?" said Nigel, as he was about to retire.
"Enchoy it? yes—it is 'paradise regained64'!" He pinned a giant moth56 at the moment and gazed triumphant65 through his blue glasses.
"'Paradise lost' to the moth, anyhow," said Nigel with a nod, as he bade him good-night, and carefully closed the wicker door to check the incursions of uncaptured specimens67. Being rather tired with the day's journey, he lay down on a mat beside the hermit, who was already sound asleep.
But our hero found that sleep was not easily attainable68 so close to an inexhaustible enthusiast69, whose every step produced a rattling70 of the bamboo floor, and whose unwearied energy enabled him to hunt during the greater part of the night.
At length slumber71 descended72 on Nigel's spirit, and he lay for some time in peaceful oblivion, when a rattling crash awoke him. Sitting up he listened, and came to the conclusion that the professor had upset some piece of furniture, for he could hear him distinctly moving about in a stealthy manner, as if on tip-toe, giving vent31 to a grumble73 of dissatisfaction every now and then.
"What can he be up to now, I wonder?" murmured the disturbed youth, sleepily.
The hermit, who slept through all noises with infantine simplicity74, made no answer, but a peculiar75 snort from the negro, who lay not far off on his other side, told that he was struggling with a laugh.
"Hallo, Moses! are you awake?" asked Nigel, in a low voice.
"Ho yes, Massa Nadgel. I's bin76 wakin' a good while, larfin fit to bu'st my sides. De purfesser's been agoin' on like a mad renoceros for more 'n an hour. He's arter suthin, which he can't ketch. Listen! You hear 'im goin' round an' round on his tip-toes. Dere goes anoder chair. I only hope he won't smash de lamp an' set de house a-fire."
"Veil, veil; I've missed him zee tence time. Nevair mind. Have at you vonce more, you aggravating77 leetle zing!"
Thus the unsuccessful man relieved his feelings, in a growling78 tone, as he continued to move about on tip-toe, rattling the bamboo flooring in spite of his careful efforts to move quietly.
"Why, Verkimier, what are you after?" cried Nigel at last, loud enough to be heard through the partition.
"Ah! I am sorry to vake you," he replied, without, however, suspending his hunt. "I have tried my best to make no noice, but zee bamboo floor is—hah! I have 'im at last!"
"What is it?" asked Nigel, becoming interested.
"Von leetle bat. He come in vis a moss79——"
"A what?"
"A moss—a big, beautiful moss."
"Oh! a moth—well?"
"Vell, I shut zee window, capture zee moss, ant zen I hunt zee bat vith my bootterfly-net for an hour, but have only captured him zis moment. Ant he is—sooch a—sooch a splendid specimen66 of a very rar' species, zee Coelops frizii—gootness! Zere goes zee lamp!"
The crash that followed told too eloquently80 of the catastrophe, and broke the slumbers81 even of the hermit. The whole party sprang up, and entered the naturalist's room with a light, for the danger from fire was great. Fortunately the lamp had been extinguished in its fall, so that, beyond an overpowering smell of petroleum and the destruction of a good many specimens, no serious results ensued.
After securing the Coelops frithii, removing the shattered glass, wiping up the oil, and putting chairs and tables on their legs, the professor was urged to go to bed,—advice which, in his excitement, he refused to take until it was suggested that, if he did not, he would be totally unfit for exploring the forest next day.
"Vy, it is next day already!" he exclaimed, consulting his watch.
"Just so. Now do turn in."
"I vill."
And he did.
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1
catastrophe
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| n.大灾难，大祸 | |
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averted
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| 防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移 | |
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isles
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| 岛( isle的名词复数 ) | |
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replenish
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| vt.补充；(把…)装满；(再)填满 | |
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refreshment
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| n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点 | |
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unwillingly
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| adv.不情愿地 | |
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hermit
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| n.隐士，修道者；隐居 | |
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relish
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| n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味 | |
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motives
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| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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humility
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| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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meditate
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| v.想，考虑，（尤指宗教上的）沉思，冥想 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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embarked
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| 乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事 | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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frond
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| n.棕榈类植物的叶子 | |
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fronds
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| n.蕨类或棕榈类植物的叶子( frond的名词复数 ) | |
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entreat
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| v.恳求，恳请 | |
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dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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bogs
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| n.沼泽，泥塘( bog的名词复数 )；厕所v.（使）陷入泥沼， （使）陷入困境( bog的第三人称单数 )；妨碍，阻碍 | |
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plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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eminence
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| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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densely
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| ad.密集地；浓厚地 | |
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virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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ascertained
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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footpath
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| n.小路，人行道 | |
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varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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warped
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| adj.反常的；乖戾的；（变）弯曲的；变形的v.弄弯，变歪( warp的过去式和过去分词 )；使（行为等）不合情理，使乖戾， | |
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entanglement
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| n.纠缠，牵累 | |
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encumbered
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| v.妨碍，阻碍，拖累( encumber的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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orchids
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| n.兰花( orchid的名词复数 ) | |
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thorny
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| adj.多刺的，棘手的 | |
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shrubs
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| 灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
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abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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vat
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| n.(=value added tax)增值税，大桶 | |
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anecdote
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| n.轶事，趣闻，短故事 | |
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lame
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| adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
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consummate
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| adj.完美的；v.成婚；使完美 [反]baffle | |
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effusive
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| adj.热情洋溢的；感情(过多)流露的 | |
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festive
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| adj.欢宴的，节日的 | |
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lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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petroleum
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| n.原油，石油 | |
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procuring
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的现在分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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civilisation
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| n.文明，文化，开化，教化 | |
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lavished
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| v.过分给予，滥施( lavish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51
ornaments
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| n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 ) | |
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bracelets
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| n.手镯，臂镯( bracelet的名词复数 ) | |
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earrings
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| n.耳环( earring的名词复数 )；耳坠子 | |
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relegated
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| v.使降级( relegate的过去式和过去分词 )；使降职；转移；把…归类 | |
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outskirts
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| n.郊外，郊区 | |
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moth
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| n.蛾，蛀虫 | |
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moths
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| n.蛾( moth的名词复数 ) | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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naturalist
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| n.博物学家(尤指直接观察动植物者) | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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beetles
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| n.甲虫( beetle的名词复数 ) | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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compartment
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| n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间 | |
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regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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68
attainable
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| a.可达到的，可获得的 | |
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69
enthusiast
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| n.热心人，热衷者 | |
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70
rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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71
slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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72
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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73
grumble
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| vi.抱怨；咕哝；n.抱怨，牢骚；咕哝，隆隆声 | |
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74
simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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75
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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bin
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| n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件 | |
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77
aggravating
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| adj.恼人的，讨厌的 | |
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78
growling
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| n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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80
eloquently
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| adv. 雄辩地(有口才地, 富于表情地) | |
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81
slumbers
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| 睡眠，安眠( slumber的名词复数 ) | |
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