288 A NATURALIST'S WANBEBINGS 



CHAPTER II. 



AMBOINA. 



Amboina — Eeception by Mr. Resident lliedel — Delay — Visit interior of 

 Amboina^Paso — ^Move to Wai — The people there — ^The flora and fauna — 

 IJeturn to Amboina. 



Ok landing in Amboina, I sent my letters of introduction 

 from the Government to Mr. Resident Riedel, and later in the 

 day we reported our arrival in person at his house. My letters 

 recommended me officially to him for whatever information 

 he could give us in regard to Timor-laut ; and in that liberal 

 spirit in which all travellers in the Archipelago are treated 

 by the Dutch Government, I had been granted the privilege 

 also of using the voyages thither of the Government's marine 

 gunboat, which the authorities in Batavia expected would be 

 leaving Amboina for the Tenimber Islands shortly after our 

 arrival there. To our surprise, Mr. Riedel 's bearing towards 

 us was not at all friendly, and beyond the simple item that 

 the Tagal had just returned thence, we obtained no further 

 information as to its movements or intelligence from him about 

 Timor-laut. 



Taking leave of the Resident very disappointed, as I had 

 relied much on the information that could have been given us, 

 we set about searching for some shelter for the night. Know- 

 insr no one in a town where there is neither hotel nor " Rooms 

 to be let" for chance travellers, we returned at sundown 

 unsuccessful on board the steamer which fortunately had not 

 sailed. Resuming our search next morning, we happily at 

 nightfall met with the Captain of the Chinese, who, with the 

 utmost kindness, placed a newly-built house of his at our 

 disposal, and made it habitable for us. 



Our first impressions of Amboina, therefore, were by no 



