HOSTILITY OF NATIVES. 337 



putrid carcases, while their consimilars, the Nitidulida, 

 that spend their lives among the gaily-coloured petals of 

 flowering plants, are splendid with metallic tints. In like 

 manner there is a wide difference between those Lamelli- 

 corn beetles, which fly by night, like Lucanus, or burrow 

 in the ground, like Geotrupes, or conceal themselves 

 under dung, like Aphodim ; and those glittering insects, 

 which, like the Stephanorina, Coryphocera, and Cetonia, 

 revel amid the blossoms of the' most lovely flowers. 



On the 6th of December, the c Samarang ' was once 

 more anchored in Manila Bay ; on the 30th of January, 

 1846, we again examined the Panagatan shoals, and on 

 the 4th of February, commenced surveying the small 

 islands of Ambolon and Ylin, situated at the south end 

 of Mindoro, one of the Philippines. 



The people of this part of Mindoro, privately pursuing 

 piracy, imagined we were possessed of the same propen- 

 sities. On one occasion, a party armed with bows and 

 arrows, attacked the crew of our jolly-boat ; and not far 

 from the principal village of Ylin, some natives shot an 

 arrow at the captain's gig, which fell in the water along- 

 side. On our approaching the village the people were 

 prepared to give us a hostile reception ; but on our 

 landing with loaded muskets, they retreated, soon laid 

 aside their useless bows and arrows, and became very 

 good friends. Their fort, situated at the top of a steep 

 hill, was filled with their women, who had run up there 

 for shelter. A market was soon opened, in a large house 

 under the surveillance of the chief of the village, and it 

 was a very amusing sight to see a number of old women 

 bringing in their pigs for sale, tied by a string ; others 



VOL. II. Z 



