IN TIMOR. 485 



night, tliey refused to carry longer, when she had to Avalk. 

 After a terrible journey of five hours duration she reached 

 the sympathy and comforts of the Palace — kindnesses which 

 will be treasured by us both as long as w^e live. 



We returned at once to our home at Fatunaba, whose beauty 

 w^as as fresh to us as ever, and it was impossible not to feel that 

 there could be no fairer spot for a dwelling. I had sufficient to 

 occupy me for several days in arranging the herbarium already 

 in the drying-house, and when three days later, the giant pack- 



I 



ages collected between Saluki and Laclo arrived I had work for 



several weeks. AVe had not long settled when A was again 



laid down with a most violent type of fever which then seemed 

 to be specially epidemic in Billy, and to which one of the 

 Governor's sons succumbed in a sudden paroxysm. As these 

 attacks, notwithstanding all the remedies tried, daily became 

 more severe, we decided that as I had accomplished all that was 

 possible in Timor, and as nothing in the way of fitting out for 

 my next journey to the high mountains of South-Eastern New 

 Guinea could be done in Dilly, our wisest course was to return 

 to Europe by the mail due about the 3rd of June. 



On the 30th of ^lay, on coming out at daylight into the 

 verandah, I was thunderstruck to see the mail steaming into 

 the harbour— when there was not half of our baggage packed, 

 and all the porters to find. Hurrying down to Dilly, T learned 

 that there would be no other steamer for five weeks, but that 

 The Lanslerge would remain till next evening. Through 

 Senhor Albino's kind aid I obtained a company of men in 

 charge of a sergeant, and, hastening back to Fatunaba, i)ackcd 

 up my collections and such articles as we most valued, as it 

 was evident that all our belongings could not possibly be 

 transported in the short time at our disposal. The Timorese 

 carriers and A.'s old ape-like woman— though she did not 

 deserve it— were made frantically happy by rewards of house- 

 hold gear and paraphernalia, plates, spoons, knives, cookmg 

 utensils, old meat-tins, and gifts of such trade articles as 

 mirrors, beads, and kerchiefs, as had escaped the notice of 



the thieves. 



We were forced to leave behind us the whole rude furnish- 

 ings of the house— stoves, lamps, water-tanks, cans of petro- 

 leum, stools, gunpowder and shot, and a considerable store 



