IN BURU. 407 



the Authority at Amboina that I was forced to leave behiad 

 me the herbarium I had taken such pains to collect. The 

 skins I carried myself, leaving my own men free to assist with 

 the food supply. Beaching, with our overburdened porters, 

 the little hamlet of Wasilale, where we had spent a night 

 on our coming, my companion who was suffering from fever, 

 wished to remain till the attack had passed ; we agreed, there- 

 fore, that, as I was anxious to reach Kajeli before the arrival 

 of the Amboina steamer, I should press on in advance with 

 my own servants and baggage, and on arrival at the Bloi 

 river send him the necessary additional porters. On the fore- 

 noon of the fifth day from the Lake I reached the Wai Bloi 

 village, whence I despatched assistance to my companion, and 

 reached Kajeli the same evening. 



I had hoped to be able to get across to the region in the 

 S.E. of the Bay of Kajeli, where alone in Buru the singular 

 Hog-deer (the Bahirusa), which is known elsewhere only in 

 Celebes, was to be found ; but again I was disappointed for 

 want of porters and rowers. This singular animal uses its 

 curious upturned and hooked teeth, the natives told mo, to 

 hold to the bottom of ponds by, when hard pressed by hunters. 



So disapj)ointed was I with my trip to Buru, from which 

 I had hoped much, and might have accomplished much but 

 for a display of absurd and petty jealousy, ihat I was glad 

 when the steamer of the 12th arrived from Batjian to carry me 

 back to Amboina, which was reached the same evening. 



Finding that Mr. Eiedel's attitude towards us was such as to 

 make it quite useless to attempt to carry on any investiga- 

 tions in the islands of the Moluccas under his sway, I determined 

 to leave for a time to attempt a journey in the interior of 

 the little known region of Timor under the Portuguese crown. 

 It is only fair to state that the conduct of the Resident was 

 utterly repudiated by the Dutch Government in Java, and 

 on my arrival in Batavia, six months afterwards, I received 

 from them the kindest and most ample apologies. 



The steamer, from which I had just disembarked, having 

 to remain two days in Amboina, wo hastily packed up our 

 belongings and continued our voyage in the same vessel. The 

 friends through whom this last sojourn in Amboina had been 

 made so full of -enjoyment, Mr. Justice and Madame Van 



