The Malay archipelago : the land of the orang-utan ... - Wallace Online

360 THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO. [chap.neighbouring villages having a quarrel about some matter oflocal politics that I could not understand. They told me it wasquite a common thing, and that they are rarely witliout fightingsomewhere near. Individual quarrels are taken up by villagesand tribes, and the nonpayment of the stipulated price for awife is one of the most frequent causes of bitterness and bloodshed.One of the war shields was brought me to look at. It wasmade of rattans and covered -with cotton twist, so as to be bothlight, strong, and very tough. I should think it would resistany ordinary bullet. About the middle there was an arm-holewith a shutter or flap over it. This enables the arm to be putthrough and the bow drawn, while the body and face, up to theeyes, remain protected, which cannot be done if the shield iscarried on the arm by loops attached at the back in the ordinaryway. A few of the young men from our house went to help theirfriends, but I could not hear that any of them were hurt, or thatthere was much hard fighting.May 8th.—I had now been six weeks at Wanumbai, but formore than half the time was laid up in the house with ulceratedfeet. My stores being nearly exhausted, and my bird and insectboxes full, and having no immediate prospect of getting the useof my legs again, I determined on returning to Dobbo. Birdshad lately become rather scarce, and the Paradise birds had notyet become as plentiful as the natives assured me they would bein another month. The Wanumbai people seemed very sorry atmy departure ;and well they might be, for the shells and insectsthey picked up on the way to and from their plantations, andthe birds the little boys shot with their bows and arrows, keptthem all well supplied with tobacco and gambir, besides enablingthem to accumulate a stock of beads and coppers for future expenses.The owner of the house was supplied gratis with a littlerice, fish, or salt, whenever he asked for it, which I must say wasnot very often. On parting, I distributed among them myremnant stock of salt and tobacco, and gave my host a flask ofarrack, and believe that on the whole my stay with these simpleand good-natured people was productive of pleasure and profitto both parties. I fully intended to come back ; and had Iknown that circumstances would have prevented my doing so,should have felt some sorrow in leaving a place where I had firstseen so many rare and beautiful living things, and had so fullyenjoyed the pleasure which fills the heart of the naturalist whenhe is so fortunate as to discover a district hitherto unexplored,and where every day brings forth new and unexpected treasures.We loaded our boat in the afternoon, and, starting before daybreak,by the help of a fair wind reached Dobbo late the sameevening.