THE LAST JOURNAL OF W. A. FORBES. 451 



1.30. Coming in on a sandy spit below " Bough Corner" (the white- 

 men's burying-ground) is a great colony of a large grey-mantled Tern, 

 Sterna melanotis [S. caspia]. Went on shore about 3 P.M. with Ashbury 

 and John Jumbo's clerk and brother-in-law (white). Interviewed J. J., 

 who gave us a guide through the town to show us the juju-house (much 

 neglected), church, and other sights. Many of the unmarried girls up 

 to 17 or so quite nude, as are all the children up to 10 or 12. Men 

 wear a loin-cloth, or a shirt, drawers, <fec. of European stuffs, and 

 married women clothed below navel. Many of the children and girls 

 stencilled, often very beautifully and elaborately, all over with a native 

 dye from a green pomegranate -like fruit, simulating tattooing. The 

 street very narrow and in part paved with a large Cardium. The 

 houses of wattle, the interstices filled up with mud, and the roofs palm- 

 thatched or corrugated zinc. Some fine old forest-trees on outskirts of 

 town, also bush, with many ferns (especially a large Osmunda, with 

 fertile apex only of pinnules of fronds), and mangrove-swamps. Saw an 

 Elaphocerium growing on a big tree. In Jumbo's garden a fine frangi- 

 pani shrub in flower, with Merium, or yellow papilionaceous shrub, roses, 

 Carica, &c. In the mangrove-swamp an AnopTithalmus in swarms, going 

 on land when disturbed, and hopping, duck-and-drake-like, over water 

 like a lot of tadpoles. Many land-crabs also. Of birds saw Vidua 

 principalis, a Nectarinia, a Drymceca (?), and others. 



Aug. 10th. From ship in morning saw a large flock of Pelicans on sandy 

 spit on right of river, also a largish white Ardea, and a black-and-white 

 Eagle flying over water (? GypoTiieraoc}. Went on shore about 10, and 

 took about twelve photos of town and natives, juju-house, church, and 

 mission-station. At latter saw Archdeacon Crowther, son of the Bishop. Ibis, 1883, 

 In the compound was a fine shrub in full flower of the orange-yellow p * 

 Lilias (fide Gallinia), of which I had seen flowers before. The natives 

 organized a grand dance of three or four men, including the chief juju 

 priest, to a band of two or three tomtoms. Some of the girls and 

 children entirely covered with a red dye (camwood), whether for orna- 

 ment or for curing " craw-craw " (a skin-disease) is doubtful. Caught a 

 few butterflies, including a black-and-yellow Papilio and an Acrcea ; the 

 latter common and flying slowly in afternoon over a pink heliotrope, or 

 allied shrub, and accompanied by a mimicking Geometer with pectinated 

 antennae. Saw a few grey Parrots flying in twos and threes high and 

 fast overhead. 



Aug. llth. Wet in morning. Went on shore about 11, with Watson 

 and Gallinia. Wet, but cleared up in evening. About 4 P.M. went off 

 with J. J., W., and G-. to try and shoot some Pelicans. Only got within 

 400 yards, and missed two shots at that distance ; then went up a creek 

 on other side of river and got into a warm corner with Curlews, Sand- 

 pipers, a few Parrots, &c. Killed a few Totanus Jiypohucus and a couple 



