430 



A NATUSALTST'S WANDEMINGS 



Next morning at sunrise, after I had taken a lonnd of 

 bearings, we started in a south-easterly direction, continually 

 climbing as on the previous day, along bog s-back ridges and 

 round precipitous gorges. On tho bare red elay of Slount 

 Tehula, at 4200 feet, I gathered, with great deliglit, a new 

 species of Ejmcridacem a heath-like plant, which formed inter- 

 rupted shrubberies all over its summit. From Tehuhi by a 

 shallow saddle, we reached Kelehoko, 4600 feet, where un- 

 horsing to rest for an hour, I made a most interesting collecs- 

 tion of plants, many of them belonging to European families 

 and genera, violets (F, iMtrinii)^ geraniums, bright azure 

 Campanulaeem on the bare red soil, oxalis, and a new si>ecie3 

 of Orchids, Bmris fryana of Eidley; and near it, among the 

 grass, a new bright species of the SerophitlariaceiBf l>elongiDg 

 to the genus Buchmra. Hence winding down the valley of 

 the Komai, on foot, as the path was very steep and unsafe, we 

 reached about half-way the house-clustCT of a native known 

 to my guide, who had been over all this country during 

 various revolts. 



As it was beginning to rain, we decided to camp here for 

 the night, and asked to occupy a part of the nian*s house. 

 To this he replied that his dwelling was at our disposal, but 

 for our own sakes he had rather we did not go inside, as a 

 child of his had been buried only the day before, and he was 

 ashamed of the smell K'ft by the dead body ; but we might, if 

 we liked, occupy the platform below the eaves. We accord- 

 ingly spent the night in this rather cramped situation, com- 

 plettdy protected from rain, and in the morning discovered 

 that the whole story of the child's death was a myth ; but I 

 have no doubt that we were more comfortable outside, if the 

 wreaths of smoke that oozed through the wicker-work sides of 

 the house gave us any idea of the purity of the atmosphere 

 within. 



The Timorese, differing from the peoples of the In do- 

 Malayan region or of the Tenimber Islands, do not live in 

 villages, but more like the Buruese, in a cluster of frimily 

 residences, or in is<dated habitations often far distant from 

 any other dwelling. This Fatete homestead, a single family 

 abode of one or two houses, was placed in the centre of an 

 enclosure strongly fen*'pfl in by high palings made of longi- 



