Village of Eurukan. 253 



salver. The dinner was excellent. Fowls cooked in various 

 ways, wild pig roasted, stewed, and fried, a fricassee of bats, 

 potatoes, rice, and other vegetables, all served on good china, 

 Avith finger-glasses and fine napkins, and abundance of good 

 claret and beer, seemed to me rather curious at the table of a 

 native chief on the mountains of Celebes. Our host was 

 dressed in a suit of black, with patent-leather shoes, and real- 

 ly looked comfortable and almost gentlemanly in them. He 

 sat at the head of the table, and did the honors well, though 

 he did not talk much. Our conversation was entirely in Ma- 

 lay, as that is the ofiicial language here, and in fact the moth- 

 er-tongue and only language of the controlleur, who is a native- 

 born half-breed. The major's father, who was chief before 

 him, wore, I was informed, a strip of bark as his sole costume, 

 and lived in a rude hut raised on lofty poles, and abundantly 

 decorated with human heads. Of course we were expected 

 and our dinner was prepared in the best style, but I was as- 

 sured that the chiefs all take a pride in adopting European 

 customs, and in being able to receive their visitors in a hand- 

 some manner. 



After dinner and coffee the controlleur went on to Tonda- 

 no, and I strolled about the village waiting for my baggage, 

 which was coming in a bullock-cart, and did not an-ive till 

 after midnight. Supper was very similar to dinner, and on 

 retiring I found an elegant little room with a comfortable bed, 

 gauze curtains with blue and red hangings, and every conve- 

 nience. Next morning at sunrise the thermometer in the ve- 

 randa stood at 69°, which I was told is about the usual lowest 

 temperature at this place, 2500 feet above the sea. I had a 

 good breakfast of coffee, eggs, and fresh bread and butter, 

 which I took in the spacious veranda, amid the odor of roses, 

 jessamine, and other sweet-scented flowers, Avhich filled the 

 garden in front; and about eight o'clock left Tomohon, with 

 a dozen men carrying my baggage. 



Our road lay over a mountain ridge about 4000 feet above 

 the sea, and then descended about 500 feet to the little village 

 of Kurukan,the highest in the district of Minahasa, and proba- 

 bly in all Celebes. Here I had determined to stay for some 

 time to see Avhether this elevation would produce any change 

 in the zoology. The village had only been formed about ten 



