Kaioa Islands. 329 



uj) by hard work, and having had nothing but very brackish 

 water to drink all day — the best we could find at our last 

 stopping-j^lace. There was a house close to the shore, built 

 for the use of the Resident of Ternate Avhen he made his of- 

 ficial visits, but now occupied by several native travelling 

 merchants, among whom I found a place to sleep. 



The next morning early I went to the village to find the 

 " kapala," or head-man. I informed him that I wanted to 

 stay a few days in the house at the landing, and begged him 

 to have it made ready for me. He was very civil, and came 

 down at once to get it cleared, when we found that the traders 

 had ah-eady left, on hearing that I required it. There were 

 no doors to it, so I obtained the loan of a couple of hurdles to 

 keep out dogs and other animals. The land here was evident- 

 ly sinking rapidly, as shown by the number of trees standing 

 in salt water dead and dying. After breakfast I started for a 

 walk to the forest-covered hill above the village, with a couple 

 of boys as guides. It was exceedingly hot and dry, no rain 

 having fallen for two months. When we reached an elevation 

 of about two hundred feet, the coralline rock which fringes 

 the shore was succeeded by a hard crystalline rock, a kind of 

 metamorphic sandstone. This would indicate that there had 

 been a recent elevation of more than two hundred feet, which 

 had still more recently changed into a movement of subsid- 

 ence. The hill was very rugged, but among dry sticks and 

 fallen trees I found some good insects, mostly of forms and 

 species I was already acquainted with fi-om Ternate and Gi- 

 lolo. Finding no good paths I returned, and' explored the 

 lower ground eastward of the village, passing through a long 

 range of plantain and tobacco groimds, encumbered with fell- 

 ed and burnt logs, on which I found quantities of beetles of 

 the family Buj^restidffi of six different species, one of which 

 was new to me. I then reached a path in the swampy forest, 

 where I hoped to find some butterflies, but was disappointed. 

 Being now pretty well exhausted by the intense heat, I thought 

 it wise to return, and reserve further explorations for the next 

 day. 



When I sat down in the afternoon to arrange my insects, 

 the house was surrounded by men, women, and children, lost 

 in amazement at my unaccountable proceedings ; and when, 



