394 



A NATUJiALJST'S WANDERINGS 



have been almost mibearable, but for the frequent flash of 

 inseot — bright Papilios and Omithopteras— and of bird — ^the 

 orange Pachycephuhis, the yellow White-eyes (Zosteropn), lazily 

 fJajtpmg Herons, and the blue-plumagod scarlet- billed Water- 

 hens {Porphyrio melanopterus) — which darted to and fro across 

 the stream. 



At dark, in the midst of a heavy iiiin, we reach the con- 

 fluence of the Wai JLSloi, about 200 feet above the sea, where 

 several Alefurus — ^the name by which all the natives of the 

 interior I met call themselves— were waiting to carry us on 

 suspended chairs to the village about a mile distant. The 

 Alefuxiis can scarcely be said to inhabit villages ; they live 

 more frequently in isolated houses on the patch of land they 

 cultivate or in small communities. Those, however, within 

 certain regions denominated Soas seem to have claims on each 

 other of consanguinity or friendship ; as if the members of a 

 large village had dispersed, and, while living separately, stOl 

 recognised all the former ties in times of difficulty or war. 

 Each Soa has its chief, and Merimjo or under chief, who is 

 responsible to For term, officials who receive in the mime of 

 the rajah the tribute of their gardens and fields as well as 

 compel them to give their produce, in exchange for coast goods 

 at an exorbitant profit* 



Next day we took a westward course through fields of ta.ll 

 Kussu gniss dotted with Kayu-puti trees, and through swamps 

 full of sago palms. At early forenoon we rested for a little at the 

 village cluster of the Biver Gehin, one of the tributaries of the 

 River Apu. Overarching the path was an open shtjd with 

 benches along each side on which we reclined, serving possibly 

 as a general meeting ivom or rest-house lor passers correspond- 

 ing to the Balui of JSumatra, or the Baluai of Amboina, 

 Whun we arrived we found a sleepLng child tied in a blanket 

 swaying to and fro at the end of a rojie hung from the rafters. 

 It had been thus left to be rocked and nursed by the wind, till 

 its mother returned from the fields ! As soon as a traveller 

 arrived 1 noticed that he was at onee waited on by the women 

 of the village who brought siri, betel and chalk, and a hot 

 ember to light his cigarette. The women seemed to live in 

 greiit subjection to the men, who never did anything for them- 

 selves if a woman was within call. 



