A NATUEALIST IN CELEBES 



CHAPTER I 



FIRST GLIMPSES OF CELEBES 



Arrival at Makassar — Objects of my visit to Celebes — Area and physical 

 features of the island — Makassar — Private theatricals — ' Bunning amuck ' 

 — Sail for Manado — Beauty of the coast scenery — Manado Bay — Interview 

 •with the Besident of Manado — Etiquette — News of H.M.S. 'Hying Fish ' 

 — The Government of the district — The inhabitants — Start for TaHsse — 

 TJnpunctuality of the Malay races — Whistling for the wind — Talisse coral 

 reefs— Koa—H.M.S. 'Plying Fish.' 



Early in the morning of Friday, July 24, 1885, the 

 passengers on board the Nederland India s.s. ' Generaal 

 Pell ' could see amid the purple mist of the horizon the 

 conical summit of Mount Bonthain rising as it were out of the 

 sea. It was a lovely morning ; not a breath of wind disturbed 

 the pond-like surface of the brilliantly blue sea ; not a cloud 

 broke the monotony of the equally clear blue sky above our 

 heads ; and as we gradually approached the coast of Celebes 

 and the forest-clad hills and fertile plains exposed themselves 

 to view, a feehng came over me that a veritable earthly 

 Paradise lay before me in that beautiful island. 



Before introducing the reader, however, to Celebes and 

 the Celebeans, I must pause a while to explain the objects I 

 had in view in visiting this island in the tropics. My main 

 object was the investigation of certain problems connected 

 with marine zoology. 



B 



