Mr. A. R. Wallace's Search after Birds of Paradise. 4G9 



Notwithstanding these precautions, Mr. Allen met with difficulties 

 in this voyage which we had not encountered before. To understand 

 these, it is necessary to consider that the Birds of Paradise arc 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 Bugis traders. A portion is also paid every year as 

 tribute to the Sultan of Tidore. The natives arc therefore very jea- 

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

 and above all of going into the interior to deal with the mountaineers 

 themselves. They of course think he will raise the prices in the in- 

 terior, and lessen the demand on the coast, greatly to their disadvan- 

 tage ; they also think their tribute will be raised if a European takes 

 back a quantity 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 at Ternate, Macas- 

 sar, or Singapore. 



It thus happened that when Mr. Allen arrived at Sorong and ex- 

 plained his intentions 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 mountains ; 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 au- 

 thority 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 pro- 

 visions, 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 and procure men as guides 

 and to carry his baggage to the villages of the mountaineers. This, 

 however, was not so easily clone ; a quarrel took place, and the na- 

 tives, refusing to obey the somewhat harsh orders of the lieutenant, 

 got out their knives and spears to attack him and his soldiers, and 

 Mr. Allen himself was obliged to interfere to protect those who had 

 come to guard him. The respect due to a white man and the timely 

 distribution of a few presents prevailed ; and on showing the knives, 

 hatchets, and beads he was willing to give to those who accompanied 

 him, peace was restored, and the next day, travelling over a fright- 

 fully rugged country, they reached the villages of the mountaineers. 

 Here Mr. Allen remained a month, without any interpreter through 

 whom he could understand a word or communicate a want. How- 

 ever, by signs and presents and a pretty liberal barter he got on 

 very well, some of them accompanying him every day in the forest 

 to shoot, and receiving a small present when he was successful. 



In the grand matter of the Paradise-Birds, however, little was 

 done. Only one additional species was found, the Seleucides alba, 



