CHAP. XXV.] TRIP TO THE INTERIOR. 81 



acquaintance I had made at New Guinea, and who was 

 now the Government superintendent of all this part of 

 Ceram, returned from Wahai, on the north coast, after I 

 had been three weeks at Awaiya, and showed me some 

 fine butterflies he had obtained on the mountain streams 

 in the interior. He indicated a spot about the centre of 

 the island where he thought I might advantageously stay 

 a few days. I accordingly visited Mahariki with him the 

 next day, and he instructed the chief of the village to 

 furnish me with men to carry my baggage, and accom- 

 pany me on my excursion. As the people of the village 

 wanted to be at home on Christmas- day, it was necessary 

 to start as soon as possible ; so we agreed that the men 

 should be ready in two days, and I returned to make my 

 arrangements. 



I put up the smallest quantity of baggage possible for a 

 six days' trip, and on the morning of December 18th we 

 left Makariki, with six men carrying my baggage and their 

 own provisions, and a lad from Awaiya, who was accus- 

 tomed to catch butterflies for me. My two Amboyna 

 hunters I left behind to shoot and skin what birds they 

 could while I was away. Quitting the village, we first 

 walked briskly for an hour through a dense tangled 

 undergrowth, dripping wet from a storm of the previous 

 night, and full of mud holes. After crossing several 

 small streams we reached one of the largest rivers in 



VOL. II. G 



