IN SUMATBA. 



253 



ronnded on all sides by a platform imder the shade of the roof. 

 I divided it into a ^Titiiig room and sleeping chamber in front, 

 and a store for my collections and a dorniitoTy for my servants 

 behind. Behind this was another hing raft slightly narrower, 

 floored with earth on which a trellis frame-work stootl, and 

 the whole housed over. On this earthen floor a fire was 

 continually kept bimiing to dry the bundles of herbarium laid 

 on the trellis- work over it, 



I had looked forward with intensest pleasure to this mode of 

 travel, and it was therefore with extreme satisfaction that, on 

 the 27th of November, 1881, 1 arrived from ^Muara Mengkulem 

 and took possession of my floating home. Inside, I lined 

 my sitting-room with white cotton cloth, hung a few drawings, 

 photographs, and trophies about the waUs, fixed my table, 

 and laid out my books and the implements of my profession. 

 The outside I hung round profusely with living orchids, some 

 of them in magnificent flower. Next morning, full of the most 

 buoyant feelings, I loosed its cable and let it glitlc off down the 

 Rawaa Kiver, along a great avenue broken at distant intervals 

 only by gambir gardens and factories of Catechu, 



All the villages along the river had b*;^n informed of my 

 coming, and on notifying my approach by the beating of a 

 gong, a complement of rowers — more properly of pilota— came 

 off in small boats and relieved their fellows of the villajje 

 above. In the upper reaches of the river it required 16 pilots 

 to guide this long flotilla — ^whose duty it was to keep the 

 stern of tlie Rakit straight to the stream especially at comers 

 and rapids, hy pulling on long fixed lever-like oars at stem and 

 stern, which they worked standing. All day long I collected 

 plants fntm the river banks, by means of a light skiff, as the 

 stream moved very slowly, anchoring each night under some 

 great tree by the margin. 



After a seven days' journey I halted for a more prohmged 

 stay at the village of Bigin-telok, to make some closer 

 acquaintance with the flora of the flatter lands which began 

 there. It was then the wet season, and the surrounding countr)' 

 was under water for miles from the river bank, and botan- 

 ising from a boat was a curious experience ; for after entering 

 some side stream a little way, all distinetiou of stream or 

 no .stream was lost, an<l I couhl simply sail about among 



