X.] 



OUR HUNTERS. 



229 



two were perfectly useless, and the other three neither good nor 

 bad. A youth of about sixteen, some relation of one of our hunters, 

 asked permission to accompany us, which we gave him. He was 

 of assistance in carrying the birds while shooting in the forests, 

 and before long became an adept in the use of the butterfly-net 

 and a good beetle-hunter. Our natives, of whom there were thus 



thirteen, had a separate part of the ship's deck assigned to them, 

 where they managed to live and do their work pretty comfortably. 

 By our sailors this was always known as " Queer Street," or the 

 " Malay quarter." 



In Ternate people take life easily. A " dreamful ease " lulls one 

 in these islands which renders exertion an impertinence, and I 

 remember that I was five days in getting together the ingredients 

 for some arsenic soap. Nearly every article belonged to a different 

 owner, and though careful to avoid siesta-time for my calls, the 

 usual answer given me by the Malay servant, in reply to my 

 inquiry if his master was at home, was, " Trada, tuan : dia tidor " — 

 " He is asleep, sir." Sleep, indeed, appears to be the chief occupa- 



