312 TIMOR. [chap. xni. 



large bees' combs. The tree was straight and smooth- 

 barked and without a branch, till at seventy or eighty 

 feet from the ground it gave out the limb which the bees 

 had chosen for their home. As the men were evidently 

 looking after the bees, I waited to watch their operations. 

 One of them first produced a long piece of wood apparently 

 tlfe stem of a small tree or creeper, which he had brought 

 with him, and began splitting it through in several direc- 

 tions, which showed that it was very tough and stringy. 

 He then wrapped it in palm-leaves, which were secured 

 by twisting a slender creeper round them. He then 

 fastened his cloth tightly round his loins, and producing 

 another cloth wrapped it round his head, neck, and body, 

 and tied it firmly round his neck, leaving his face, arms, 

 and legs completely bare. Slung to his girdle he carried a 

 long thin coil of cord ; and while he had been making 

 these preparations one of his companions Lad cut a strong 

 creeper or bush-rope eight or ten yards long, to one end 

 of which the wood-torch was fastened, and lighted at the 

 bottom, emitting a steady stream of smoke. Just above 

 the torch a chopping-knife was fastened by a short cord. 



The bee-hunter now took hold of the bush-rope just 

 above the torch and passed the other end round the trunk 

 of the tree, holding one end in each hand. Jerking it up 

 the tree a little above his head he set his foot against the 

 trunk, and leaning back began walking up it. It was 



