February, 1893: J ' ' 29 



appeared to me to be the Order of insects best represented in Amboyna 

 at the time I was there. Land shells were decidedly scarce, and of 

 the fine and handsome sea-shells for which Amboyna is so renowned, 

 very few came in my way, those which were brought alongside the 

 ship by native dealers being of common species scarcely worth pur- 

 chasing at any price. 



Leaving with regret this most charming and interesting island at 

 daybreak on the 18th, we crossed the equator in long. 127° east at 4 a.m. 

 on the 21st, on which day I took several examples of the finest and 

 largest species of the pelagic Hemipteron, HaJohates, which I have 

 ever met with ; and at 7 a.m. on the 22nd we anchored in the roadstead 

 of Ternate. The magnificent tropical scenery of Amboyna must 

 yield to that of Ternate, which is altogether of a more bold and 

 striking character, while possessing equal luxuriance of vegetation. 

 The neat little town, almost hidden in dense groves of palms and fruit 

 trees (the mango tree here attaining to a truly gigantic size), stretches 

 along the shore for about a mile, and immediately behind it rises the 

 great volcano to a height of about 5200 feet ; at first with a gentle 

 slope, and afterwards more steeply, the whole eastern side being 

 seamed with deep radiating gullies, and covered, except towards the 

 summit, with dense forest, cleared only in a few small patches. From 

 the anchorage the summit is somewhat dome-shaped, and on the right 

 hand side the terminal crater can just be seen, emitting a steady stream 

 of white smoke. The ascent can be made within one day, and was 

 accomplished by two of our officers, a feat to which I did not feel 

 quite equal. Looking across the water to the eastward the view is 

 bounded in that direction by the long forest-clad mountain ridges of 

 Gilolo, which are terminated to the northward in a group of three 

 lofty volcanic cones ; but by far the most conspicuous and beautiful 

 feature in the scene is the Peak of Tidore, a volcanic cone of the most 

 perfect' symmetry of outline, surpassing in that respect even the 

 greatly admired form of ^Etna, though scarcely, if at all, exceeding 

 the volcano of Termate in elevation, its clear sharp figure, acutely 

 pointed summit, and complete isolation, cause it to appear much 

 higher. It has been quiescent for a very long period, and, like Ternate, 

 is wooded almost to the top. 



During the three days of our stay here the weather was de- 

 lightfully fine, although very hot, and I made the most of the time at 

 my disposal for collecting. Although butterflies were not represented 

 by quite so many species as at Amboyna, they were equally abundant 

 as individuals, and included several fine and handsome kinds which I 

 had not before met with. I did not go far up the mountain side, 



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