238 THE MOLUCCAS. [chap. 



the Kontroleur appeared, his natives carrying samples of gutta, of 

 which, together with the dammar-producing tree, he had found an 

 abundance. The only one of us who had met with any adventure 

 was the captain's little dog "Tommy," — a general favourite on 

 board— who appeared in a dismal plight. He had accompanied me 

 in my rambles, and while 1 was watching for the kingfishers, 

 terrific bowlings from an adjoining swamp had brought me to his 

 assistance just in time to see a small crocodile flop back into the 

 oozy water, leaving Master Tommy with a much lacerated hind 

 leg, lucky enough to have escaped with his life. 



Near the mouth of the river we found three deserted huts, which 

 had evidently been built by fishermen paying a passing visit to the 

 island. Two of them were in ruins and half- overgrown with 

 vegetation, but the other was in tolerable repair, and was furnished 

 with raised sleeping-places and a quantity of bamboo shelves for 

 drying fish. On the attap-wall a little cheap German print of a 

 mother weeping over the dead body of her child still hung — a 

 qviaint and unexpected relic to find in a deserted hut on a deserted 

 island. 



We anchored next day in a bay at the west end of Obi, our 

 object being to search for the ruins of an old fort supposed to have 

 been built by the Dutch about two hundred years ago, of the 

 existence of which the Kontroleur had heard from a native of 

 Batchian who accompanied us. It was near a small river, for 

 which we searched in vain from the ship, but landing and walking 

 along the beach we at length struck it. On its right bank, hardly 

 fifty yards from the shore, but completely hidden from observation, 

 we suddenly came upon the ruin. It was a small building, hardly 

 fifteen yards square, but the walls were fully three feet thick, and, 

 with their height of nearly eighteen feet, must have been strong 

 enough to withstand any attacks by natives. A few fruit-trees 

 still existed, and faint traces of a path to the stream close by 

 seemed to indicate that the place had been inhabited in later 

 times, but now it was the picture of desolation. The jungle had 



