登陆注册
14823400000051

第51章

Yet they came so nigh us that we could show them such things as we had to truck with them; yet neither would this entice them to come on board, but they made signs for us to come ashore, and away they went. Then I went after them in my pinnace, carrying with me knives, beads, glasses, hatchets, &c. When we came near the shore, I called to them in the Malayan language. I saw but two men at first, the rest lying in ambush behind the bushes; but as soon as I threw ashore some knives and other toys, they came out, flung down their weapons, and came into the water by the boat's side, making signs of friendship by pouring water on their heads with one hand, which they dipped into the sea. The next day, in the afternoon, several other canoes came aboard, and brought many roots and fruits, which we purchased.

The island has no name in our drafts, but the natives call it Pub Sabuda; it is about three leagues long, and two miles wide, more or less; it is of a good height, so as to be seen eleven or twelve leagues; it is very rocky, yet above the rocks there is good yellow and black mould, not deep, yet producing plenty of good tall trees, and bearing any fruits or roots which the inhabitants plant. I do not know all its produce, but what we saw were plantains, cocoa-nuts, pine-apples, oranges, papaes, potatoes, and other large roots.

Here are also another sort of wild jacas, about the bigness of a man's two fists, full of stones or kernels, which eat pleasant enough when roasted. The libby tree grows here in the swampy valleys, of which they make sago cakes. I did not see them make any, but was told by the inhabitants that it was made of the pith of the tree, in the same manner I have described in my "Voyage Round the World." They showed me the tree whereof it was made, and I bought about forty of the cakes. I bought also three or four nutmegs in their shell, which did not seem to have been long gathered; but whether they be the growth of this island or not, the natives would not tell whence they had them, and seem to prize them very much. What beasts the island affords I know not, but here are both sea and land fowl. Of the first, boobies and men-of-war birds are the chief, some goldens, and small milk-white crab-catchers; the land-fowl are pigeons, about the bigness of mountain-pigeons in Jamaica, and crows about the bigness of those in England, and much like them, but the inner part of their feathers are white, and the outside black, so that they appear all black, unless you extend the feathers. Here are large sky-coloured birds, such as we lately killed on New Guinea, and many other small birds, unknown to us.

Here are likewise abundance of bats, as big as young coneys, their necks, head, ears, and noses like foxes, their hair rough, that about their necks is of a whitish yellow, that on their heads and shoulders black, their wings are four feet over from tip to tip; they smell like foxes. The fish are bass, rock-fish, and a sort of fish like mullets, old-wives, whip-rays, and some other sorts that I knew not; but no great plenty of any, for it is deep water till within less than a mile of the shore, then there is a bank of coral rocks, within which you have shoal-water, white clean sand, so there is no good fishing with the seine.

This island lies in latitude 2 degrees 43 minutes south, and meridian distance from port Babo, on the island Timor, four hundred and eighty-six miles: besides this island, here are nine or ten other small islands.

The inhabitants of this island are a sort of very tawny Indians, with long black hair, who in their manners differ but little from the Mindanayans, and others of these eastern islands. These seem to be the chief; for besides them we saw also shock curl pated New Guinea negroes, many of which are slaves to the others, but I think not all. They are very poor, wear no clothes but have a clout about their middle, made of the rinds of the tops of palmetto trees; but the women had a sort of calico cloth. Their chief ornaments are blue and yellow beads, worn about their wrists. The men arm themselves with bows and arrows, lances, broad swords, like those of Mindanao; their lances are pointed with bone: they strike fish very ingeniously with wooden fish-spears, and have a very ingenious way of making the fish rise; for they have a piece of wood curiously carved, and painted much like a dolphin (and perhaps other figures); these they let down into the water by a line with a small weight to sink it; when they think it low enough, they haul the line into their boats very fast, and the fish rise up after this figure, and they stand ready to strike them when they are near the surface of the water. But their chief livelihood is from their plantations; yet they have large boats, and go over to New Guinea, where they get slaves, fine parrots, &c, which they carry to Goram and exchange for calicoes. One boat came from thence a little before I arrived here, of whom I bought some parrots, and would have bought a slave but they would not barter for anything but calicoes, which I had not.

Their houses on this side were very small, and seemed only to be for necessity; but on the other side of the island we saw good large houses. Their prows are narrow, with outriggers on each side, like other Malayans. I cannot tell of what religion these are; but I think they are not Mahometans, by their drinking brandy out of the same cup with us without any scruple. At this island we continued till the 20th instant, having laid in store of such roots and fruits as the island afforded.

On the 20th, at half an hour after six in the morning, I weighed, and standing out we saw a large boat full of men lying at the north point of the island. As we passed by, they rowed towards their habitations, where we supposed they had withdrawn themselves for fear of us, though we gave them no cause of terror, or for some differences among themselves.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 彼岸花复仇公主

    彼岸花复仇公主

    彼岸花公主归来,会发生什么样的事情呢?他又会如何抉择呢?
  • 冷酷冰山为你狂

    冷酷冰山为你狂

    她的父母是谁?手腕上为何有一道永久的疤痕?说她诡异,还真不冤枉,她平庸,拔了4颗智齿后,发生了天大的逆转。她变的出水芙蓉,清纯秀丽。多年后摇身一变,成了五爷的妹妹查查。什么是爱?对于世界而言,你是一女人;但是对于某个男人,你是他的整个世界。”爱没有对与错。哪怕是一场感情骗局,也要记住骗局曾给你带来的快乐。哪怕他临走时咬你一口,也不要因爱生恨。要知道,你恨的是别人,但伤的是自己;恨得越深,伤得越重......
  • EXO——在,也不见

    EXO——在,也不见

    你有没有在年少时遇到过一群你无法忘怀的人,如果有,请记得,纵然世界于你分崩离析,但也请回头看看,他们,一直都在。堇色安年,谁许我一世荒芜;风雨漂白,我许你一世年华。愿我们隔着这人海——在,也不见!
  • 紫云堂画传

    紫云堂画传

    准高三生濮夜最近晚上一直在做着连贯的梦。那是宋孝宗年间,十五位来自不同地方、拥有不同异能之人被召到江湖最为神秘之地——紫云堂画苑,并被要求做着各种稀奇古怪的事。啼笑皆非,悲欢离合,濮夜的生活也同时发生了变化……此小说有三种阅读方式:1.按顺序:现代篇+角色篇+正篇(脑力耗得比较大,不推荐)2.按主线:现+正(角当番外来看,这样只有两个时空)3.按小白文:只看正篇
  • 败家圣手

    败家圣手

    主人公萧才逸两世为人,从另一个地球的平行世界穿越来到这个世界,却被这个世界的法则限制,无法觉醒前世的所有记忆,而在不顾危险救下他两世都暗恋的女孩余若兰性命危急之后,陪伴他穿越而来的神职系统终于启动。
  • 那个我们那些年

    那个我们那些年

    每个人都不一样,就像世界上没有两个一模一样的叶子的道理一样。人生也分段落,每个段落都不同,有不同的人,不同的经历,不同的故事,唯独怀念那些年的那个我们。
  • 王爷,本妃只爱财

    王爷,本妃只爱财

    嗜财如命的她穿越了。谁知穿越过后的她更是穷得响丁当,还得遭受那群女人的折磨。哼,当她是草包吗?老娘今天不仅要你们肉偿,还要你们将吃进去的通通加倍吐出来。正准备将那金烂烂的玩意儿找个地方藏起来,没想到却偶遇帅哥一枚!本文纯属虚构,请勿模仿。
  • 珍藏一生的经典散文:白天不懂夜的黑

    珍藏一生的经典散文:白天不懂夜的黑

    “读一部好书,就是和许多高尚的人谈话”一样,读名家名作就是和大师的心灵在晤谈。通过阅读本书,可以让你在轻松愉快的氛围中,开阔文学视野,提高审美意识,触动写作灵感,陶冶思想情操,提升人生品位,徜徉经典,收获无限。   一个人在其一生中,阅读一些立意深远、具有丰富哲学思考的散文,不仅可以开阔视野,重新认识历史、社会、人生和自然,获得思想上的盎然新意,而且还可以学习中外散文名家高超而成熟的创作技巧。
  • 白宫内外:美国已故37位总统从政生涯研究

    白宫内外:美国已故37位总统从政生涯研究

    这是一部有关美国总统和美国政治的成功作品,不仅具有较高的理论价值,也具有很强的可读性值得有关领导、专家、国际关系研究者和政治爱好者学习、借鉴和参考。作者通过美国总统的从政生涯,对美国政治生态、内政外交、文化传统和价值观念作了提炼和概括,清晰准确、深刻生动,对我们客观认识美国国情,正确把握中美关系,具有很好的借鉴和帮助。
  • 吾,汝

    吾,汝

    她曾经是权倾天下的曜日庄庄主,如今是某皇的怀中碧玉;她也曾经驰骋沙场,纵观天下风起云涌,如今是某皇的蜜;她也曾经精于算计,明争暗斗,如今是某皇心头肉,细心呵护。且看下了凡的她如何于九重天之上的“皇君”斗智斗勇,花式秀恩爱。又且看下了凡的她隐匿身份在凡间多式装?,再次翻天覆地,叱咤风云。“向前走,雉儿。”“一切尽在掌握之中,看好了,湫。”“在那之前,去飞吧。”