IN THE EAST INDIES. 129 
fact, I did not think such large ones existed. One 
was almost round, without a flaw and of a fine satiny 
lustre. He wanted ten thousand dollars for it. It was 
really superb. Yesterday we stopped at Gani on 
Halmaheira for six hours and Tom did a great deal of 
collecting. Among other things he shot six parrots of 
the most brilliant plumage. They are called Lories, 
and have brush-like tongues and hover in front of 
flowers like big humming birds —sweeping out the 
pollen and insects into their mouths. I wish you 
could have seen the wild jasmine; I never saw so much. 
The plants were far over eight feet high and a mass of 
blossoms and buds; they grew in great clumps, thirty 
feet and more in circumference. I picked a big 
bunch, but they died before I could get them back 
to the ship. The orchids there also are very beautiful 
and of great variety. Our photographs so far of the 
different islands have been a great suecess and every 
night we develop some. We are all in first class 
condition and thoroughly enjoying life. The cable I 
sent Pa this morning will I presume be some time in 
reaching you, as it has to be mailed to another island 
first and then cabled. There is one other passenger 
on board, a Dutchman, who got on today. He is in the 
bird of paradise business and has been to New Guinea 
many times. In fact, he lived there for seven months 
and he ean speak a little cf their language and he 
says he shall try and make them collect for us. I 
wish you could see our parrot. He is so tame and such 
a beauty and he cails me Mummer. As you ean plainly 
see I am not in the correct mood for letter writing; so 
I shall stop before I bore you too greatly. 
