324 EXPLORATION OF SESARMA. 



Schlegel, in his ' Physiognomy of Serpents/ observes, 

 in a note p. 98, " Professor Reinwardt has witnessed, at 

 Java, a spectacle which proves that it is not always right 

 to trust to these animals (Boas). A Javanese had carried 

 to the house of M. Van der Capelle, a large Python, and 

 wishing to make it come out of the basket in which it 

 was, the serpent, by a single stroke, gave him a very con- 

 siderable wound, laying open his fore-arm through all its 

 length." 



On the 1st of April we left Manila, and on the 5th 

 examined the reefs about Panagatan, and while here 

 examined the small island of Sesarma. 



We passed a very agreeable day, wandering about 

 collecting plants, catching insects, and hunting lizards, 

 until we were fairly tired out, and then reclining at our 

 ease, took a siesta in a cool cave, which we accidentally 

 discovered in the rocks along the sea-shore. This cavern 

 had a very narrow entrance, but when once you had 

 found your way into the interior, there was a high, arched 

 roof, with numerous stalactites hanging pendent from it, 

 and, arising from the bottom, stalagmites of various 

 shapes and sizes ; myriads of dark flitting bats fluttered 

 in the uncertain light, vibrating their leathery wings with 

 a low, murmuring sound, while others clung in huge, 

 dark clusters to the chasms in the roof; the calcareous 

 floor of the cavern was whitened with the accumulated 

 excrement of these twilight-loving animals. As nothing 

 is to be done in these expeditions without lighting a fire, 

 I assembled the jolly-boat boys, left under my command, 

 and, with incredible labour, brought together a vast heap 

 of drift wood, dried leaves and grass, which soon became 



