298 A NATUBALIST'S WANDEEINGS 



CHAPTEE III. 



FEOM AMBOINA TO TIMOE-LAUT. 



Leave for Timor-laut — Saparua — Curious village and atoll of Gessir — New 

 Guinea — Aru — Ke — Timor-laiit — First impressions — New birds and but- 

 terflies — State of siege — Negotiate for a liousc — Langnagc^Our barter 

 goods. 



July 5th. On board the SS. Amboina. At last, at 5 a.m. " Full 

 steam ahead " — for Timor-laut. Since the 10th of last month, 

 after completing our stock of beads, knives, and the thousand 

 and one knick-nacks bought pretty much on chance in the 

 hope of their being good trade, we liave been living with all 

 our baggage packed and roped, expecting every hour the 

 arrival of the New Guinea steamer — a period of intense 

 discomfort and unrest. Before its arrival was announced we 

 had quite concluded that some accident had befallen it. At 

 last, however, we are on board, and have already forgotten our 

 vexation in the keen satisfaction of being really on our way 

 Eastward to the islands where we hope to find so many new 

 forms of life. 



Our enforced sojourn in the town was not altogether 

 without pleasure. Amboina is one of the most salubrious 

 of towns, and is charmingly laid out in arbour-like streets — 

 very enjoyable in the evenings — which lead to the beach and 

 to the grassy hills on the outskirts along the shores; while, 

 being the head-quarters of a regiment of troops, music was 

 discoursed twice a week on the plain in front of the Fort ; 

 and, having then no European acquaintances, we had leisure 

 to look on at phases of Chinese, Arab, and native life, which, 

 standing in the dark, gazing into lamp-lit churches, dwellings, 

 shops, and gambling-houses, we could unnoticed interest our- 

 selves in. On the day after the arrival of the Java mail that 

 brought us the sad intelligence of the death of Mr. Darwin, 



