Waypoti. 391 



])lace called Waypoti, only a few miles beyond Pelah, but 

 that, as the coast beyond that place was exposed to the east 

 monsoon and dangerous for praus, it was necessary to walk. 

 I immediately went to the opzeiner, and he called the Rajah. 

 We had a consultation, and arranged for a boat to take me 

 the next evening but one, to Pelah, whence I was to proceed 

 on foot, the orang-kaya going the day before to call the Al- 

 furos to carry my baggage. 



The journey was made as arranged, and on May 19th we 

 arrived at Waypoti, having walked about ten miles along the 

 beach, and through stony forest bordering the sea, with oc- 

 casional plunges of a mile or two into the interior. We found 

 no village, but scattered houses and plantations, with hilly 

 country pretty well covei'ed with foi'est, and looking rather 

 promising. A low hut with a very rotten roof, showing the 

 sky through in several places, was the only one I could ob- 

 tain. Luckily it did not rain that night, and the next day we 

 pulled down some of the walls to repair the roof, which was 

 of immediate importance, especially over our beds and table. 



About half a mile from the house was a fine mountain 

 stream, running swiftly over a bed of rocks and pebbles, and 

 beyond this was a hill covered with fine forest. By carefully 

 picking my way, I could wade across this river without get- 

 ting much above my knees, although I would sometimes slip 

 off a rock and go into a hole up to my waist, and about 

 twice a week I went across it in order to explore the forest. 

 Unfortunately there were no paths here of any extent, and it 

 did not prove very productive either in insects or birds. To 

 add to my difiiculties, I had stupidly left my only pair of 

 strong boots on board the steamer, and my others were by 

 this time all dropping to pieces ; so that I was obliged to 

 walk about barefooted, and in constant fear of hurting my 

 feet, and causing a wound which might lay me up for weeks, 

 as had happened in Borneo, Aru, and Dorey. Although there 

 were numei'ous plantations of maize and plantains, there were 

 no new clearings ; and as without these it is almost impossi- 

 ble to find many of the best kinds of insects, I determined to 

 make one myself, and with much difficulty engaged two men 

 to clear a patch of forest, from which I hoped to obtain many 

 fine beetles before I left. 



