THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO 353 



the comparative entomological riches of the two countries. 

 The matter, however, will not be definitely settled till I have 

 visited Celebes, the Moluccas, etc., which I hope to find as 

 much superior to the western group of islands as the Upper 

 is to the Lower Amazon. 



" In other branches of Natural History I have as yet done 

 little. The birds of Malacca and Borneo, though beautiful, 

 are too well known to be worth collecting largely. With 

 the orang-utans I was successful, obtaining fifteen skins and 

 skeletons, and proving, I think, the existence of two species, 

 hitherto a disputed question. The forests here are scarcely 

 to be distinguished from those of Brazil, except by the fre- 

 quent presence of the various species of Calamus (Rattan 

 palms), and the Pandani (Screw pines) and by the rarity of 

 those Leguminous trees with finely divided foliage, which are 

 so frequent in the Amazonian forests. The people and their 

 customs I hardly like as well as those of Brazil, but the com- 

 paratively new settlements of Singapore and Sarawak are 

 not quite comparable with the older towns of the Amazon. 

 Here provisions and labour are dear, and travelling is both 

 tedious and expensive. Servants' wages are high, and the 

 customs of the country do not permit you to live in the free- 

 and-easy style of Brazil. 



" I must tell you that the fruits of the East are a delusion. 

 Never have I seen a place where fruits are more scarce and 

 poor than at Singapore. In Malacca and Sarawak they are 

 more abundant, but there is nothing to make up for the 

 deficiency of oranges, which are so poor and sour that they 

 would hardly be eaten even in England. There are only two 

 good fruits, the mangosteen and the durian. The first is a 

 very delicate juicy fruit, but hardly worthy of the high place 

 that has been given it; the latter, however, is a wonderful 

 fruit, quite unique of its kind, and worth coming to the Malay 

 Archipelago to enjoy; it is totally unlike every other fruit. 

 A thick glutinous, almond-flavoured custard is the only thing 

 it can be compared to, but which it far surpasses. These 

 two fruits, however, can only be had for about two months in 



