62 SOME VISITS TO BATAM ISLAND. 



in a third. There was a hole of good drinking water at hand 

 and a bathing well a little farther off so we felt very com- 

 fortable. 



A row of wooded hills ran south-easterly towards the 

 centre of the island, a river debouched at the head of the 

 bay and across the water a couple of miles away were the 

 slopes of a long peninsula. 



As I sat talking to the natives in the doorway of my 

 house in the afternoon we saw the eyes of a large crocodile 

 above the calm water about 140 yards away and I was asked to 

 shoot it but refused since my gun was only sighted to 100 

 yards. However, being pressed, I took a very full sight and 

 fired from my chair; there was a furious turmoil and the 

 reptile disappeared. The natives said it was hit, and indeed 

 three or four days later we found it in the mangroves with its 

 brains flicked out — a 18-footer. When afterwards invited to 

 repeat the performance I was not. to be tempted — it was a 

 case of letting well alone. 



At 3 p.m. I went out with a parang and found a path 

 going up the hills ; cleared it and set 3 dozen traps. Coming 

 back found a pair of " tupai tanah " (Tupaia ferruginea bata- 

 mana sp. nov.) just caught and saw several small pigs. 

 Skinned tupaia and after dinner went along the shore for pig 

 but saw none. 



" 16th. Set off at 5.30 a.m. to examine the traps which 

 contained a number of rats (Mas lingensis) and some tupaia, 

 all much ant-eaten. Found this hill jungle practically lifeless 

 as the forest was poor being without fruit trees, but got a 

 species of civet cat (Arctogalidia simplex) which was a valu- 

 able prize, and a horn-bill — the " burong klinking " (Anthra- 

 coceros convexus). Skinned till 5.30 and then reset traps. 

 Lent the gun in the evening to a man who wanted to try for 

 ])igs in his plantation. 



" 17th. Xo pig seen by the natives. Very little in traps 

 so brought some away and set them lower down amongst 

 coconuts. Got a pair of horn-bills and some squirrels 

 (Sciurus vittaius) with the .410 gun amongst the palms; both 

 these are numerous near the village and horn-bill steak is 



Jour. Straits Branch. 



