IN BUBU, 



393 



of penetrating into this interesting island. Meanwhile I 

 employerl myself in collecting round Kajeli, where I obtained 

 many of the species of birds discovered there by lslv> Wallace, 

 and described by him in the " Proceedings of the Zoological 

 Society" for 1863, among them the interesting oriole {Oriolm 

 hurmmis) and the honey bird (Philemon moluceenms) which 

 it mimics, both closely resembling the corresponding species 

 shot in Larat, as well as the pretty Kajeli kingfisher {Ceijz eajeli), 

 the Aprosmtctus huruensiSf and the rare Melectm irUerniedim, 



On the 14th we started for our first stage towards the Lake, 

 the village of Wai Bloi (where we were to find our transport 

 men waiting ns), accompanied by the Hajah of Kajeli, in 

 whose district the Lake lies, and the Pati of Lisela through a 

 portion of whose territory we had to pass. The way to V\\n 

 (river) Eloi, the first village beyond the morass land fringing 

 the shore, lay up the river ^Vai Apu, which debouches in 

 the centre of the Kajeli Bay, an hour's sail from the town. 



The river near its embonehure splits into many arms among 

 the mangrove swamj>s, then winds for hours through low 

 morass between banks green with fem-hedges dipping their 

 fronds into the sluggish water under the shade of tall slender 

 trees* Higher up these gave place to Pandan thickets out of 

 which rose tall Lontar-, Pinang-, and wild sago- (Metroxijlon 

 Jilare) [mlms, and graceful tree ferns. Where the banks were 

 . less submerged the jungle became very dense behind a thick 

 barrier of Mangabrabu in profuse flower (Cerhera odallam and 

 (X lactaria) Apocynaceous shrubs, which lined the river sides 

 for miles, and dotted the water with their white blossoms. 

 Out of this thicket an occasional black cuckoo (Eudtjnamis 

 ransomi) flew out as we passed, while on the taller trees whose 

 heads shot up above the jungle sat many white Nutmeg- 

 pigeons {Mipnstmvora melamtm) and here and there a red- 

 necked hawk (Aceijnter rubrkQUis), 



After four hours of hard ret wing, the blue hills shot up 

 right ahead and broke the gloom of the monotonous vege- 

 tation which hatl bounded our view, and between which, 

 throughout the rest of the hot afternoon, our pran was now 

 slowly dragged through frequent ra|>id3, now lalioriously 

 |w)led upwards against the swiftening stream. Baked in our 

 cramped position in the narrow boat, the journey would 



