296 A NATURALIST'S WANDERINGS 



bave somewhat extended the Batumerah Vocabulary given by 

 Mr. Wallace in the appendix to bis Malay Art-'bipelago. 



Amhoinaj Jum lOlh. Yesterday at daybreuk left Wai to 

 come here. As the state of the monsoon prevented our juurney- 

 ijig to Paso by boat, we proceeded across the promontory on 

 foot, onr baggage carried by porters, and A in a palan- 

 quin. The road led over numerous small hills, irom the top of 

 which we got many pretty peeps of Hamku and Cerani, through 

 Gum-tree — t he famo us Kajuput— forest and Kuasu-grass fields, 

 studded th rougbout witii bright yellow Hibiseus-trees and with 

 fragrant Uahenaria stisanme orchids, wliile by the path-side grew 

 bright Polygalas and delicate pink Sonerilas. The nectaries 

 of the Eahenaria averaged six inches in length, and tbungh 

 contaming only a small drop of nectar at the bottom, I believe 

 the flowers to be fertilised by a moth with a t<mgue far shorter 

 than six inches. Descending into the Baguala J3ay we skirted 

 the shore all the way to Paso, where we found we must wait till 

 afternoon for the rise of the tide. It was only after hours of 

 bargaining and cajoling, and the assistance of the rajaii's autho- 

 rity, we obtained (long after the tide had sufficiently risen) 

 a boat and men to take us down the bay. This unnecessary 

 delay did not tend to raise the Amboinese character in our 

 estimation, especially as it had turned out a soaking night and 

 BO dark that we could not see where we were steering ; while, to 

 crown all, our beat was a very unsafe dug-out " with no out- 

 riggers, in which we could not dare to beguile a part of the 

 way in sleep for fear of capsizing it by an unguarded move- 

 ment. Luckily the sea was aa smooth as glass, and we kept 

 ourselves awake watching the^^ckling rain and the ilrip of 

 our paddles dancing into phosphorescent drops on the water, 

 the luminous zig-zag path that the frightened fishes traced 

 in darting from below our keel, and the flashing torches of 

 the fishers arranging their Seros. Arriving about midnight 

 utterly worn out, we were much annoyed to find the door 

 of our old quarters unopened, and none of the preparations 

 made which we had sent on Lopes— who was really never to 

 be depended on out of our sight — in advance to see to ; we 

 pretty truly surmised that he had got " nnco happy " among 

 his friends and forgotten all about us. After a long wait in the 

 rain the key was at lust obtained by rousing up our kind ifld 



