336 



A NATURALIST'S WAmEIilNQS 



while the Teiiim1>er natives poured on water which they carried 

 in gourds and bamboos from the sea close by. With what 

 breathless anxiety I watched tlie cflect of each gust of wind, 

 for the thatch of our honse— in which were stored several tins 

 of petroleum and of spirits of wine, and a quantity of gun* 

 powder— was already scorched. Had it caught, nothiii*? could 

 have saved the whole village, nor us from the vengeiiuce of the 

 people. At last the flames were got under, and I had time to 

 realise that the few charred and sodden bundles before me was 

 all that remained of more than 600 of the first gathered 

 specimens of the flora of Tenimber collected at such risk and 

 pains. I could not bear to stand on the shore, as iisual, to 

 welcome the home-coming boat, but long ere it touched, the 

 ruined drying-house had told them the fliv«lit:'artening news of 

 the disaster that had happened." 



If we except birds, animal life I found to be but poorly 

 Teprf3sented. Besides a Cmcm, a genus of Marsupials common 

 to the Moluccas and new Guinea, and doubtfully a wild pig, 

 1 saw no indigenous mammalian animals — ^with one reserva- 

 tion. On the mainland we found large herds of buffaloes 

 living in a wild state, being indigenous as far as native 

 tradition could enlighten us, for they believe that they came 

 up out of the earth. When, and by what means they arrived 

 is unknowTi • but there can be little doubt that they have 

 been brought by the accident of shipwreck, or by design. 

 Thev must feed on the Commebjna, and on the leaves of low 

 shrubs, for there is no grass to be found ; and they must often, 

 I feel sure, Ije pressed for water to drink in the tlry season. 



No kangarocjs were seen or heard of in any of the islands, 

 but a small species of mouse-like mammal, of which I was 

 unable to catch a specimen, may be a Permnelm or jumping- 

 mouse. Of Kodents the common rat was — too abundant. No 

 species of Sciundm were observed. Of Cheiropiera there were 

 several small species, besides a common Pieropus or " Flying 

 Fox." There are no deer. One species of Sirenian, probably 

 the HaUeore austmlu, frequents the shore, and is hunted by 

 the natives for its ivories from which they make earrings. 

 One frog was collected, while snakes and lizards were found 

 in considerable numbers, one of each being a species new to 

 science. WJiile, out of sixty species of birds, I brought nn 



