Last Search After. 578 



a lieutenant and two soldiers were sent by the Sultan of Tidore 

 to accompany and jirotect him, and to assist him in getting 

 men and in visiting the interior. 



Notwithstanding these precautions, Mr. Allen met with dif- 

 ficulties in this voyage which Ave had neither of us encountered 

 before. To understand these, it is necessary to consider that 

 the birds of paradise are an article of commerce, and are the 

 monopoly of the chiefs of the coast villages, who obtain them 

 at a low rate from the mountaineers, and sell them to the Bu- 

 gis traders, A portion is also paid eveiy year as tribute to 

 the Sultan of Tidore. The natives are therefore very jealous 

 of a stranger, especially a European, interfering in their trade, 

 and above all of going into the interior to deal with the mount- 

 aineers themselves. They of course think he will raise the 

 prices in the interior, and lessen the supply on the coast, great- 

 ly to their disadvantage ; they also think their tribute will be 

 raised if a Eviropean takes back a qiiantity of the rare sorts ; 

 and they have besides a vague and very natural dread of some 

 ulterior object in a white man's coming at so much trouble 

 and expense to their country only to get birds of paradise, of 

 which they know he can buy plenty (of the common yellow 

 ones which alone they value) at Ternate, Macassar, or Singa- 

 pore. 



It thus happened that when Mr. Allen arrived at Sorong, 

 and exj^lained his intention of going to seek birds of paradise 

 in the interior, innumerable objections were raised. He was 

 told it was three or four days' journey over swamps and mount- 

 ains ; that the mountaineers were savages and cannibals, who 

 would certainly kill him ; and, lastly, that not a man in the 

 village could be found who dare go with him. After some 

 days spent in these discussions, as he still persisted in making 

 the attempt, and showed them his authority from the Sultan 

 of Tidore to go where he pleased and receive every assistance, 

 they at length provided him with a boat to go the first part 

 of the journey up a river; at the same time, however, they 

 sent private orders to the interior villages to refuse to sell any 

 provisions, so as to compel him to return. On arriving at the 

 village where they were to leave the river and strike inland, 

 the coast people returned, leaving Mr. Allen to get on as he 

 could. Here he called on the Tidore lieutenant to assist him, 



