166 



A NATURALIST'S WAmEJtlNGS 



deprodtttions but a few lumra before my coming. Tbe village 

 people in these districts complained of the constant ravages 

 done by them in their fields and pepper gardens, while tbe 

 forest everywhere alxiuuded with their tracks. Of the rhino- 

 ceros, on the other hand, I saw traces only a few times. 



Some miles on in the forest we came upon a large stone by 

 tbe side of the path, supposed to jiossess some influence over 

 things terrestrial, for, as e^ch of the porters passed it, he 

 Cf^^ Jo^ff pl^*^l^ed a handful of leaves and, placing tbem on the stone, 

 i 0^ prayed for a dry day and gfxjd luck.* Whether it was through 

 if ^ influence of the stone or not we got a dry day, and I 



V* I only wished that we had met with it somewhat sooner. All 

 ' that day we pushed on by the side of the Bemangka, which 

 glided past us deep and noiselessly through a level plateau, 

 crossing more than once from the one side to the other by 

 some giant tree that bad fallen from bank to bank, through 

 dense forest in a sombre winding lane, beyond which we 

 could see uotbing but blinks of tbe sky, except where now 

 and then it opened out on pretty sandy beaches which swarmed 

 with species of metallic tiger-beetles and sand-bees, and where 

 vSulphur (Terias) and Swallow-tailed butterflies {CharaxeB and 

 Apjnas)f in gyrating flocks played on the damp ground by the 

 water's edge. 



Towards evening, emerging from the forest, our eyes were 

 delighted by the sight of small cluster of houses, the village 

 (n*^ of Bumi-padang, "tlie field of tbe world," lying a mile oft*, in 

 fiM' , a large open alluvial amphitheatre. But, tbe path suddenly 

 . ; giving out, presently we found ourselves floundering to the 

 tliiglis at every step in a deei> morass swarming with enormons 

 leeches, out of which we coxdd not extricate ourselves, as it 

 seemed to stretch in every direction except behind us. On 

 observing us the head of tbe marga and his cbieflings, with 

 the usual crowd following, came out to welcome and attend us 

 back to the village. Tliey came to the edge of the hog and 

 sat down to await lis; and doubtless the sight of our scattered 

 cavalcade floundering in the slough afl;orded them not a little 

 amusement — it was ludicrous enough to ourselves. 



Here I dismissed the porters brought from the coiist, and 

 with a new retinue pressed forward with the break of day. 



• f?cc below in the eliding niapter of this Ixx'k, ^ \Ji% \ - 



