360 Ceram. 



my foi'mer station, except that butterflies were a little more 

 plentiful, and some very fine species were to be found in the 

 morning on the sea-beach, sitting so quietly on the wet sand 

 that they could be caught with the fingers. In this way I had 

 many fine specimens of Papilios brought me by the children. 

 Beetles, however, were scarce, and birds still more so ; and I 

 began to think that the handsome species which I had so often 

 heard were found in Ceram must be entirely confined to the 

 eastern extremity of the island. 



A few miles further north, at the head of the bay of Ama- 

 hay, is situated the village of Makariki, from whence there is 

 a native path quite across the island to the north coast. My 

 friend Mr. Rosenberg, whose acquaintance I had made at 

 New Guinea, and who was now the Government superintend- 

 ent of all this part of Ceram, returned from Wahai, on the 

 north coast, after I had been three weeks at Awaiya, and 

 showed me some fine butterflies he had obtained on the mount- 

 ain streams in the interior. He indicated a spot about the 

 centre of the island where he thought I might advantageous- 

 ly stay a few days. I accordingly visited Makariki with him 

 the next day, and he instructed the chief of the village to fur- 

 nish me with men to carry my baggage, and accompany me 

 on my excursion. As the people of the village wanted to be 

 at home on Christmas-day, it was necessary to start as soon 

 as possible ; so we agreed that the men should be ready in 

 two days, and I returned to make my arrangements. 



I put up the' smallest quantity of baggage possible for a 

 six days' trip, and on the morning of December 18th we left 

 Makariki, with six men carrying my baggage and their OAvn 

 provisions, and a lad from Awaiya, who was accustomed to 

 catch butterflies for me. My two Amboyna hunters I left be- 

 hind to shoot and skin what birds they could while I was 

 away. Quitting the village, we first walked briskly for an 

 hour through a dense tangled undergrowth, dripping wet from 

 a storm of the previous night, and full of mud-holes. After 

 crossing several small streams, we reached one of the largest 

 rivers in Ceram, called Ruatan, which it was necessary to cross. 

 It was both deep and rapid. The baggage was first taken 

 over, pai'cel by i^arcel, on the men's heads, the water reaching 

 nearly up to their armpits, and then two men returned to as- 



