CHAPTER XII 
THE UNEXPLORED: AMONG PAPUAN PEAKS 
From the Kebea to Mafulu it was a five days’ journey 
along the most rugged, toilsome, and difficult path. 
At one point one has to traverse a ridge which turns 
in a half-circle, and at the very top it is scarcely more 
than 6 inches wide, sheer precipice running down on 
each side. The dangers of the road were, however, 
somewhat compensated for by the magnificent view 
which one could enjoy from that point, and a butterfly- 
collector had also something to reward him. As we 
rested there, after having passed the most dangerous 
part of the ridge, along which we had to crawl on our 
hands and knees, I saw some of the rarer Papilios in 
fairly large numbers. Unfortunately, they were all 
rather worn specimens and of no value for the collect- 
ing-box, and I was sorry that I was not there earlier, 
so as to have captured these butterflies when they had 
freshly emerged from the chrysalis. ‘They measure 
about 3 inches across from wing to wing, and are 
of a most brilliant pea-green, shot with a lovely mauve 
sheen on the under wings. The descent was very, 
very steep, especially the last portion of the road, 
where it descended abruptly to the creek. We had 
to hold on by roots and vegetation and to look most 
carefully after our footing, for a false step might have 
sent us down a precipice, falling sheer for $00 feet. 
243 M 
