40 MEMOIR OF 



ing in every direction, and soaked every one of the 

 party to the skin. We were now two days' march 

 beyond the reach of supplies ; many of our coolies 

 had dropped off; some were fairly exhausted, and 

 we began to wish our journey at an end. We, how- 

 ever, contrived to make a good dinner on the re- 

 maining fowl, and having plenty of rice and claret, 

 did not complain of our fare. 



" On the next morning we started in better spirits, 

 having been met by one of the chiefs of Passumah, 

 who came to welcome our approach, and to assure 

 us if we walked on foot we should reach a village 

 in the afternoon. For the first part of the day, our 

 route was still over stupendous mountains, sometimes 

 in the beds of rivers for miles, and at all times diffi- 

 cult ; but about noon we came into a country that 

 had once been cleared, and again fell in with the 

 Manna River, which we crossed on a raft previously 

 prepared for the purpose, many of the chiefs and 

 people of Passumah having assembled to meet us. 

 We had still, however, a very steep ascent to en^ 

 counter ; but no sooner had we attained the summit, 

 and bent our steps downwards, than our view open- 

 ed upon one of the finest countries I ever beheld, 

 amply compensating us for all the dreariness of the 

 forest, and for all the fatigues we had undergone ; 

 perhaps the prospect was heightened by the contrast, 

 but the country I now beheld reminded me so much 

 of scenes in Java, and was in every respect so differ- 

 ent to that on the coast, that I could not help ex- 



