Wallace and the Dutch East 45 



were anchored near shore and she was not needed to tow 

 cargo lighters, we were generously allowed to use her. In 

 her we explored the rivers and bays which studded this 

 extraordinarily indented coastline. The Kali Weda ran in- 

 land, twisting and turning for a good many miles behind 

 the town of Weda. The forest here was sumptuously mag- 

 nificent — great masses of pandans and canes and bamboos 

 along the banlc, and then the high woods. At times the little 

 river ran through a green tunnel. We could hear pigs and 

 deer crashing in the underbrush, but never got sight of 

 them. 



What we did get, however, were some enormous lizards 

 — they were three feet long — with a great fanlike sail on 

 their backs and tails, like Permian Pelycosaurs in miniature. 

 To my joy, on coming home, I found that this creature 

 was entirely unknown, and I named it for Professor Max 

 Weber of Holland, who had shown a kindly interest in 

 our journey {Hydrosaiinis iveber'i). I cannot for the life 

 of me understand how Wallace missed finding this crea- 

 ture. We took it at Piru in Ceram as well as here, and it 

 was conspicuously different from allies known from the 

 Philippines and Amboina. It is hard to convey to a person 

 who is not a naturahst by profession the extraordinary feel- 

 ing of satisfaction which overwhelms one at handling a 

 great, conspicuous creature which has hitherto eluded 

 notice by one's colleagues. 



Fortunately, we approached New Guinea through the 

 narrow passage between Batanta and Salawatti rather than 

 through the more ample Dampier Strait which afforded 

 Wallace approach, but he was sailing in a schooner. We 

 had steam and could buck the swift current, albeit slowly. 



