474 AMBOYNA. [chap. xx. 



to Ternate, and I should have been delayed two months 

 before I could have reached the former place. I then paid 

 my first visit to Ceram, and on returning to prepare for 

 my second more complete exploration of that island, 1 

 stayed (much against my will) two months at Paso, on 

 the isthmus which connects the two portions of the island 

 of Amboyna. This village is situated on the eastern side 

 of the isthmus, on sandy ground, with a very pleasant view 

 over the sea to the island of Hariika. On the Aniboyna 

 side of the isthmus there is a small river which has been 

 continued by a shallow canal to within thirty yards of 

 high-water mark on the other side. Across this small 

 space, which is sandy and but slightly elevated, all small 

 boats and praus can be easily dragged, and all the smaller 

 traffic from Ceram and the islands of Saparua and Hariika, 

 passes through Paso. The canal is not continued quite 

 through, merely because every spring-tide would throw 

 up just such a sand-bank as now exists. 



I had been informed that the fine butterfly Ornithoptera 

 priamus was plentiful here, as well as the racquet-tailed 

 kingfisher and the ring-necked lory. I found, however, 

 that I had missed the time for the former; and birds of 

 all kinds were very scarce, although I obtained a few good 

 ones, including one or two of the above-mentioned rarities. 

 I was much pleased to get here the fine long-armed chafer, 

 Euchirus longimanus. This extraordinary insect is rarely 



