Letters, Extracts, and Notes. 481 



from the sea, and a fortnight later we proceeded further up 

 the river in six canoes which had heen made by the Dyaks. 

 Two days^ paddling brought us as far as it was possible to 

 go by water, and there a second permanent camp (Canoe 

 Camp) was established. At a distance of three days^ march 

 from the river a third permanent camp (Observation Camp) 

 was made in the foot-hills at about 2500 feet, and the col- 

 lectors were sent there as soon as possible. In the middle 

 of December, when sufficient stores had been accumulated 

 at Observation Camp, a preliminary excursion of six marches 

 was made into the mountains, and at the end of the month 

 two collectors were camped between 4000 and 5000 feet. 

 On the 18th of January we left Observation Camp, and 

 in six marches reached a place (Camp 9, about 6000 ft.) 

 where some of the collectors remained for about a fortnight 

 and obtained a valuable series of birds. From Camp 9 three 

 marches brought us to a point (10,500 ft.) from which we 

 were able to reach the snow of Mt. Carstensz in one day. 

 Above an altitude of 6000 ft. animal life becomes very 

 scanty, and, excepting occasional Parrots and small flocks of 

 Lories, very few birds were seen. Pipit-like birds were seen 

 about 9000 ft., a Dove and a Thrush between 13,000 and 

 14,000 ft., and the droppings of a game-bird, presumably 

 the one found by Lorentz o\\ jNIt. Wilhelmina, were seen 

 near our camp at 10,000 ft. Two collectors spent five days 

 in a camp about 8000 ft., where they obtained several birds 

 of great interest. The difficulty of carrying food into the 

 mountains made it impossible to remain for a long period at 

 a high altitude, and we were obliged to return to the Obser- 

 vation Camp on Feb. 10. Three collectors stayed at a 

 camp between 5000 and 6000 ft. until the beginning of 

 March, after which the whole expedition began to return 

 to Canoe Camp and eventually to the base-camp. A 

 Government steamer carried the expedition away on April 3, 

 and on April 13 we left Amboina in the mail-steamer for 

 Singapore. During the time that we were in the mountains 

 we were almost constantly accompanied by some of the 



