338 TERN ATE. 



regular trade with New Guinea is carried on from this port. 

 The Malay collectors are some of them extremely expert in 

 preparing and preserving bird-skins. They mount them with 

 a small stick stuck into the tow stuffing, and protruding at the 

 tail. The skin is handled by the stick, and thus the bird's 

 feathers are prevented from being injured. 



There are several Mahommedan dealers in bird-skins in 

 the town of Ternate. A Papuan Bird of Paradise {Paradisea 

 papuana\ well skinned, cost about eight shillings, and I gave 

 fourteen shillings for a well-skinned Red Bird of Paradise 

 {P. rubra). Skins of various Paradise Birds, prepared flat, 

 and dried in the old native style, were common and cheap 

 enough. Amongst these skins were a large quantity of what 

 I believe was the very rare Black and Scarlet-coloured Parrot 

 {D. Pequetti). These birds could hardly have been killed and 

 thus prepared for sale, as ornaments, like the batch they were 

 amongst ; but they were unfortunately of no good as natural- 

 history specimens in their mangled condition. 



As I wished to ascend the Peak of Ternate in search of 

 plants, the Resident provided four Malay guides for the 

 purpose. I started with Lieutenant Balfour. We passed a 

 night at the house of one of the Government officials, who 

 kindly offered us hospitality, at an altitude of about i,ooo feet. 

 Leaving the house at 4.30 a.m. on the following morning, we 

 commenced the climb through a field of sugar-cane. The path 

 led nearly straight up the cone all the way, and was excessively 

 steep, and the ground was very slippery from a heavy fall of 

 rain the night before. 



It was pitch-dark for the first hour, and we slipped and fell 

 constantly. At an altitude of about 2,000 feet above sea level, 

 the last cleared and cultivated land, a rice-field, was passed. 

 On the border of the field grew several of the Saguir palms 

 {Arenga saccharifera), which are abundant in the gardens at 

 sea level. An intoxicating drink is made from the juice of 

 this palm, and like many other palms it yields sugar. 



Above the rice-fields woods were entered at about daylight, 

 and these extend up to an altitude of about 4,150 feet. Jack- 

 fruit and a Wild Plantain were observed to grow up to a height 

 of about 2,600 feet. In the woods was a small hut, U5.ed by 

 men who come up to hunt the deer, which are abundant on 

 the mountains. On a tree close to the hut was cut the 

 name of Miklucho Maclay, the well-known explorer of New 

 Guinea. 



From the verge of the woods, at 4,150 feet altitude, for 

 about 750 feet further ascent, a dense growth of tall reeds was 

 traversed. At 4,800 feet above sea level a ridge was reached 



