The Malay archipelago : the land of the orang-utan ... - Wallace Online
The Malay archipelago : the land of the orang-utan ... - Wallace Online The Malay archipelago : the land of the orang-utan ... - Wallace Online
162 THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO. [chap.exhibit. On the other hand, tlie deptli of tlie surrounding seas,the form of the submerged banks, and the volcanic character ofmost of the islands, all point to an independent origin.Before concluding, I must make one remark to avoid misapprehension.Wlien I say that Timor ha& never formed partof Australia, I refer only to recent geological epochs. InSecondary or even Eocene or Miocene times, Timor and Australiamay have been connected ; but if so, all record of such a unionhas been lost by subsequent submergence ; and in accountingfor the present land-inhabitants of any countiy we have only toconsider these changes which have occuri-ed since its last elevationabove the waters. Since such last elevation, I feelconfident that Timor has not formed part of Australia.CHAPTER XV.CELEBES.(MACASSAR. SEPTEMBER TO NOVEMBEK, 1856.)I LEFT Lombock on the 30th of August, and reached Macassarin three days. It was with great satisfaction that I stepped ona shore which I had been vainly trying to reach since February,and where I expected to meet with so much that was new andinteresting.The coast of this part of Celebes is low and flat, lined withtrees and villages so as to conceal the interior, except at occasionalopenings which show a wide extent of bare and marshyrice-fields. A few hills, of no great height, were visible in thebackground ; but owing to the perpetual haze over the land atthis time of the year, I could nowhere discern the high centi'alrange of the peninsula, or the celebrated joeak of Bontyne at itssouthern extremity. In the roadstead of Macassar there was afine 42-gun frigate, the guardship of the place, as well as asmall war steamer and three or four little cutters used forcruising after the pirates which infest these seas. There werealso a few square-rigged trading-vessels, and twenty or thirtynative ])raus of various sizes. I brought letters of introductionto a Dutch gentleman, Mr. Mesman, and also to a Danish shopkeeper,who could both speak English, and who promised toassist me in finding a place to stay at, suitable for my pursuits.In the meantime, I went to a kind of club-house, in default ofany hotel in the place.Macassar was the first Dutch town I had visited, and I foundit prettier and cleaner than any I had yet seen in the East.The Dutch have some admirable local regulations. All Europeanhouses must be kept well whitewashed, and every personmust, at four in the afternoon, water the road in front of his
XV.] CELEBES. 163house. The streets are kept clear of refuse, and covered drainscarry away all impurities into large ojDen sewers, into whichthe tide is admitted at high-water and allowed to flow out whenit has ebbed, carrying all the sewage with it into the sea. Thetown consists chiefly of one long narrow street, along the seaside,devoted to business, and principally occupied by theDutch and Chinese merchants' oflices and warehouses, and thenative shops or bazaars. This extends northwards for more tliana mile, gi-adually merging into native houses, often of a mostmiserable description, but made to have a neat appearance bybeing all built up exactly to the straight line of the street, andbeing generally backed by fruit trees. This street is usuallythronged with a native population of Bugis and Macassar men,who wear cotton trousers about twelve inches long, coveringonly from the hip to half-way down the thigh, and the universalMalay sarong, of gay checked colours, worn round the waist oracross the shoulders in a variety of ways. Parallel to this streetrun two short ones, which form the old Dutch town, and areenclosed by gates. These consist of private houses, and at theirsouthern end is the fort, the church, and a road at right anglesto the beach, containing the houses of the Governor and of theprincipal oflicials. Beyond the fort again, along the beach, isanother long street of native huts and many country houses ofthe tradesmen and merchants. All around extend the flat ricefields,now bare and dry and forbidding, covered with dustystubble and weeds. A few months back these wei^e a mass ofverdure, and their barren appearance at this season offered astriking contrast to the perpetual crops on the same kind ofcountry in Lombock and Bali, whei'e the seasons are exactlysimilar, but Avhere an elaborate system of irrigation producesthe effect of a perpetual spring.The day after my arrival I paid a visit of ceremony to theGovernor, accompanied by my friend the Danisl; merchant,who spoke excellent English.His Excellency was very polite,and offered me every facility for travelling about the countryand prosecuting my researches in natural history. We conversedin French, wluch all Dutch officials speak very well.Finding it very inconvenient and expensive to stay in thetown, I removed at the end of a week to a little bamboo house,kindly offered me by ^Ir. Mesman. It was situated about twomiles away, on a small coffee-plantation and farm, and about amile beyond Mr. M.'s own country house. It consisted of tworooms raised about seven feet above the ground, the lower partbeing partly open (and serving excellently to skin birds in) andpartly used as a granary for I'ice. There was a kitchen andother outhouses, and several cottages near were occupied bymen in Mr. j\I.'s emi^loy.After being settled a few days in my new house, I found thatno collections could be made without going much further intothe country. The rice-fields for some miles round resemljledM 2
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162 THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO. [chap.exhibit. On <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r hand, tlie deptli <strong>of</strong> tlie surrounding seas,<strong>the</strong> form <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> submerged banks, and <strong>the</strong> volcanic character <strong>of</strong>most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> is<strong>land</strong>s, all point to an independent origin.Before concluding, I must make one remark to avoid misapprehension.Wlien I say that Timor ha& never formed part<strong>of</strong> Australia, I refer only to recent geological epochs. InSecondary or even Eocene or Miocene times, Timor and Australiamay have been connected ; but if so, all record <strong>of</strong> such a unionhas been lost by subsequent submergence ; and in accountingfor <strong>the</strong> present <strong>land</strong>-inhabitants <strong>of</strong> any countiy we have only toconsider <strong>the</strong>se changes which have occuri-ed since its last elevationabove <strong>the</strong> waters. Since such last elevation, I feelconfident that Timor has not formed part <strong>of</strong> Australia.CHAPTER XV.CELEBES.(MACASSAR. SEPTEMBER TO NOVEMBEK, 1856.)I LEFT Lombock on <strong>the</strong> 30th <strong>of</strong> August, and reached Macassarin three days. It was with great satisfaction that I stepped ona shore which I had been vainly trying to reach since February,and where I expected to meet with so much that was new andinteresting.<strong>The</strong> coast <strong>of</strong> this part <strong>of</strong> Celebes is low and flat, lined withtrees and villages so as to conceal <strong>the</strong> interior, except at occasionalopenings which show a wide extent <strong>of</strong> bare and marshyrice-fields. A few hills, <strong>of</strong> no great height, were visible in <strong>the</strong>background ; but owing to <strong>the</strong> perpetual haze over <strong>the</strong> <strong>land</strong> atthis time <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> year, I could nowhere discern <strong>the</strong> high centi'alrange <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> peninsula, or <strong>the</strong> celebrated joeak <strong>of</strong> Bontyne at itssou<strong>the</strong>rn extremity. In <strong>the</strong> roadstead <strong>of</strong> Macassar <strong>the</strong>re was afine 42-gun frigate, <strong>the</strong> guardship <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> place, as well as asmall war steamer and three or four little cutters used forcruising after <strong>the</strong> pirates which infest <strong>the</strong>se seas. <strong>The</strong>re werealso a few square-rigged trading-vessels, and twenty or thirtynative ])raus <strong>of</strong> various sizes. I brought letters <strong>of</strong> introductionto a Dutch gentleman, Mr. Mesman, and also to a Danish shopkeeper,who could both speak English, and who promised toassist me in finding a place to stay at, suitable for my pursuits.In <strong>the</strong> meantime, I went to a kind <strong>of</strong> club-house, in default <strong>of</strong>any hotel in <strong>the</strong> place.Macassar was <strong>the</strong> first Dutch town I had visited, and I foundit prettier and cleaner than any I had yet seen in <strong>the</strong> East.<strong>The</strong> Dutch have some admirable local regulations. All Europeanhouses must be kept well whitewashed, and every personmust, at four in <strong>the</strong> afternoon, water <strong>the</strong> road in front <strong>of</strong> his
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