CHAPTER XII 



Beautiful Butterflies — A Chinese Dinner — The Good and the Evil 

 of Opium — A Young Mayas — Excursion to the Tiang Laju — A 

 Poisonous Snake — Hill Pigs — Vegetation on the Summit of Tiang 

 Laju — Phosphorescence in the Forest — Dyak Prejudices — 

 The Bear and the Ants — -Upas Cloth — 'Nests of Birds — 

 Zoological and Botanical Novelties — Wild Bananas — A Dis- 

 gusting Flower — The Ikan Tion — Curious Means of Defence 

 in certain Ants — The Clulut and its Nest— The supposed Female 

 of Mayas Tjaping — A Fortunate Orang Hunt. 



AT last, with the first days of April, we had a spell of fine weather. 

 With the sunshine beautiful butterflies made their appear- 

 ance, and amongst them the gorgeous Ornithoptera Brookeana, with 

 its great velvet wings ; an insect which Nature has adorned with 

 few but indescribably brilliant colours. These splendid creatures 

 flew through the village of Marop, but their flight was so rapid that 

 I did not succeed in capturing any. I was, however, more fortunate 

 in getting several other fine species. Finding the season favour- 

 able I continued collecting insects, especially Coleoptera, which 

 came out from their hiding places in unusual numbers, attracted, 

 no doubt, by the bright sunshine after so many dull and rainy days. 

 On the 5th April a Chinese fete occurred, and at the Kunsi's 

 house a big dinner was given, to which I had been invited. A 

 fine clean mat had been laid in the central hall, where, in all such 

 houses, the altar of the tutelary deities is placed, and all guests are 

 entertained. A number of bowls containing food were placed in 

 the centre of the mat. The larger ones contained rice, boiled in water 

 and well dried, while smaller porcelain bowls held the tit-bits — ■ 

 small pieces of neatly cut boiled fowl and pork, some in sauces, 

 some with gelatinous substances of dubious aspect, and by no 

 means appetising. Other dishes contained beans and vegetables, 

 cooked in different ways. I had an idea, too, that one or more of 

 the Kunsi's fat dogs had been laid under contribution for the occa- 

 sion. The guests, and I amongst them, all squatted in a wide circle 

 around the mat, which served as dining table. Each had a big 

 deep bowl before him, which was first filled with rice, this being the 

 basis of the daily meal both for the Chinese and the Malays. Both 

 place the dishes with food in their midst ; but the Malays help 

 themselves with their fingers, whilst the more refined Chinaman 



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