INTRODUCTION. 17 



numerous waterfalls from the top-platform, ran down deep 

 ravines to the valley of the Raoen River. 



Forced by one of those ravines to keep close to the 

 rock- wall to our left, we reached, at two o'clock in the 

 afternoon, a high waterfall, behind which the overhanging 

 wall formed a long gallery. Following this gallery for a 

 while, it suddenly spread out, about 10 — 30 feet wide and 

 from 10 — 20 feet high, and extending for a great distance 

 under the rock above us. As this grotto was quite level 

 and absolutely dry, I at once decided to make it my 

 temporary hunting station. This resolution was loudly ap- 

 proved by my huntsmen and carriers, who soon dropped 

 in, almost wearied to death, their shoulders cut by the 

 strings of their heavy burdens, and their bare legs and 

 feet almost black with bush-leeches. 



In the gallery we found very recent fires and, scattered 

 over the ground, some skulls and other bones of wild 

 animals such as Monkeys, Boars, Kidangs {Cervulus munt- 

 jac), and teeth of Rhinoceroses which clearly proved that 

 this place must very recently have been the abode of some 

 wandering Poenan-families. From this fact our station re- 

 ceived the name of »Poenan-grot." 



After many vain endeavors , my guides happened at last 

 to find a place along which we could reach the top plat- 

 form above our grotto. There a sight awaited us which 

 drew exclamations of astonishment even from my native 

 attendants ! The not very dense and not too high forest 

 consisted in part of magnificent, high-stemmed conifers 

 which reminded me strikingly of our European firs {Pinus 

 sylvestris) and of other species of pines. Trees and shrubs 

 grew for the most part like Mangrove-trees on a tangled 

 mass of roots above the ground almost as high as a man. 

 The ground was covered knee-deep with splendid , green 

 moss, a thick layer of which also enveloped the roots and 

 even the stems of the trees to a height of 10 feet. Even 

 young stems and the whole of the undergrowth had such 

 a thick coating of moss , that one took young sprays for 



Notes from the Leyden IMuseum, Vol. XIX. 



