chap, xvi.] EFFECTS OF THE RAIN. 377 



for insects, and made me rather cautious about inserting 

 my hand till I knew what kind of game I had captured. 

 The fields and meadows which had been parched and 

 sterile, now became suddenly covered with fine long grass ; 

 the river-bed where I had so many times walked over 

 burning rocks, was now a deep and rapid stream ; and 

 numbers of herbaceous plants and shrubs were everywhere 

 springing up and bursting into flower. I found plenty 

 of new insects, and if I had had a good, roomy, water-and- 

 wind-proof house, I should perhaps have stayed during the 

 wet season, as I feel sure many things can then be 

 obtained which are to be found at no other time. With 

 my summer hut, however, this was impossible. During 

 the heavy rains a fine drizzly mist penetrated into every 

 part of it, and I began to have the greatest difficulty in 

 keeping my specimens dry. 



Early in November I returned to Macassar, and having 

 packed up my collections, started in the Dutch mail 

 steamer for Amboyna and Ternate. Leaving this part of 

 my journey for the present, I will in the next chapter 

 conclude my account of Celebes, by describing the extreme 

 northern part of the island which I visited two years 

 later. 



