CH. IX JOVRNEY THBOUGH MINAHASSA 219 



lower waters of the mazes of the lacustrine delta, where 

 our course was shaded by the gigantic leaves of palms and 

 lofty timber trees, where kingfishers and other birds of 

 brilliant plumage, startled by our oars, flew across the bows 

 and disappeared in the dense luxuriant foliage of the banks, 

 we came at last to the great lake itself, a glorious expanse 

 of calm green water, surrounded on every side by fine 

 mountain ranges, glistening and sparkling in the rays of 

 the morning sun. 



At the northern end of the lake the water is generally 

 very shallow, and even our experienced kamudi had some 

 difficulty in steering clear of the numerous sandbanks 

 which are formed there. In places, too, great tangled 

 masses of a green coiifervoid growth hampered our move- 

 ments and impeded progress. 



Upon these floating islands of green weed and on many 

 of the sandbanks stood troops of handsome white and grey 

 herons {Bubulcus coromandus) , majestically preening their 

 feathers or fishing leisurely in the shallow waters. A little 

 farther on and we were free from all obstacles and difficulties, 

 and as our boat sped over the deep waters of the lake to- 

 wards Kakas, our kamudi sta,rted one of the old and weird 

 Alfur boating songs, and the rowers as they plied their 

 oars took up the melancholy refrain. 



I am absolutely ignorant of the Tondanese dialects, so 

 I cannot tell for certain what they were singing about ; 

 but it was probably somewhat to this effect if translated 

 literally into English : 



Pull now and let her go, 



eh-h-h-h-h, 

 For the waves are high, 



eh-h-h-h-h. 

 Forward our boat 

 With lightning speed, 



eh-h-h-h. 



