298 A NATUIiAimT'8 WANJ}EMINQ8 



CHAPTER III. 



FEOM AMBOIKA TO TIMOK-LAUT- 



Leave for Timor-1aut—Sft|>arua— Curious village aud atoll of Getisir — New 

 Guinea— Aru — Kc—Timcr-laut— First impresiiiniiii— New lirHs mid biil- 

 terflits — State of siege — Kegoliate for a honst— Languagi. — Our barter 

 gootjk 



July bth. On board the SS. Amhoina. At lost, at 5 a.m, " Full 

 eteaiu ahead "—for Tjinor-laTit, Since the lOtb of last numth, 

 after coniplethig our stock of bead^, knives, aiid tbe thousand 

 and one knick-nacks bought pretty Dinch on chance in the 

 hope of their being good trade, we have been living with all 

 our baggage packed and roped, expecting every hour the 

 arrival of the New Guinea steamet— a period of intense 

 discomfort and unrest. Before its arrival was announced we 

 had quite concluded that soroe accident had befallen it At 

 last J however, we are on board, and have already forgotten our 

 vexation in the keen satisfsiction of being really on our way 

 Eastward to the islands where we hope to fiiid so many new 

 fomis of life. 



Our enforced Bojotirn in the town was not. altogether 

 without pleasure. ^Vniboina is one of the most salubrious 

 of towns, and is charmingly laid out in arbour-like streets — 

 very enjoyable in the evenings^which lead to the beach and 

 to the grassy hills on the outskirts along the shores ; while, 

 being the head-quarters of a regiment of troops, music w^as 

 discoursed twice a week on the plain in front of the Fort \ 

 and, having then no European acquaintances, we had leisure 

 to look on at phases of Chinese, Arab, and native life, which, 

 standing in the dark, gazing into lamp-lit churches, dwellings, 

 shops, and gambling-houses, w^ could unnoticed interest our- 

 selves in. On the day after the arrival of the Java mail that 

 brought us the sad intelligence of the death of Mr. l)ar\>in, 



