172 A NATURALIST IN CANNIBAL LAND 



It is only twenty miles or less from the place where 

 I got the female Troides alexandrae, and I anticipated 

 getting that species there also. At Oro Bay the 

 natives had been very little touched by white civilisa- 

 tion at that time (1907), and were more willing to 

 work therefore to procure trade goods. 



I intended to try breeding the Troides if possible, 

 as it was easy to get the food plant for them on the 

 low lands. I stayed at Oro Bay and in the vicinity 

 about four days. I went inland from there but saw 

 nothing worth staying for, as the country seemed to 

 be all grass or undergrowth from old gardens. There 

 was virgin forest on the tops of the hills, but as there 

 was no chance of getting the long-winged Troides 

 there, I passed on. 



When I got to the Kumusi River again I made for 

 the district from which I had been obliged to turn 

 back previously. I had the misfortune at the outset 

 to lose one of my white employees. He died rather 

 suddenly of malarial fever and sleeplessness. He 

 was completely off his head for three days, and was 

 seeing motor cars, railway trains, children riding 

 on clouds and the like. He began to be delirious on 

 Monday morning and died on Wednesday night. 



I also was on the sick list at the same time, being 

 laid up with sores under the feet. They start with a 

 violent itching, then small blisters form which quickly 

 enlarge into big sores and prevent one from walking. 

 Following that I had a bad attack of fever. It was 



