Eare Beetle. 3Q9 



kingfisher and the ring-necked lory. I found, however, that 

 I had missed the time for the former, and birds of all kinds 

 were very scarce, although I obtained a few good ones, in- 

 cluding one or two of the above-mentioned rarities. I was 

 much pleased to get here the fine long-armed chafer (Euchi- 

 rus longimanus.) This extraoi'dinary insect is rarely or never 

 captured except when it comes to drink the sap of the sugar 

 palms, where it is found by the natives when they go early 

 in the morning to take away the bamboos which have been 

 filled during the night. For some time one or two were 

 brought me every day, generally alive. They are sluggish 

 insects, and pull themselves lazily along by means of their 

 immense forelegs. A figure of this and other Moluccan beetles 

 is given in the 27th chapter of this work. 



I was kept at Paso by an inflammatory eruption, brought 

 on by the constant attacks of small acari-like harvest-bugs, 

 for which the forests of Ceram are famous, and also by the 

 want of nourishing food while in that island. At one time I 

 was covered with severe boils. I had them on my eye, cheek, 

 armpits, elbows, back, thighs, knees, and ankles, so that I was 

 unable to sit or walk, and had great difiiculty in finding a 

 side to lie upon without pain. These continued for some 

 weeks, fresh ones coming out as fast as others got well ; but 

 good living and sea-baths ultimately cured them. 



About the end of January, Charles Allen, who had been 

 my assistant in Malacca and Borneo, again joined me on agree- 

 ment for three years ; and as soon as I got tolerably well, we 

 had plenty to do laying in stores and making arrangements 

 for our ensuing campaign. Our greatest difiiculty was in 

 obtaining men, but at last we succeeded in getting two each. 

 An Amboyna Christian named Theodorus Matakena, who had 

 been some time with me, and had learned to skin birds very 

 well, agreed to go with Allen, as well as a very quiet and in- 

 dustrious lad named Cornelius, whom I had brought from 

 Menado. I had two Amboynese, named Petrus Rehatta, and 

 Mesach Matakena; the latter of whom had two brothers, 

 named respectively Shadrach and Abednego, in accordance 

 with the usual custom among these people of giving only 

 Scripture names to their children. 



During the time I resided in this place I enjoyed a luxury 



