THE EASTERN ARCHIPELAGO, 



115 



The temperature, rainfall, wiuds, natural phenomena generally, and the 

 diseases, are, for a tropical country, of the must mild mini temperate iy|ws. 

 The country is visited by the regular monsoons at the ordinary time* j the 

 ntinfsill near the coast ranging from to lui, and averaging 124 iudica, 

 and the temperature lying between 07" and 94 a F. As might bo expected, 

 there are neither typhoons nor earthquakes, the only present indication of 

 voleauie aition being a hot spring reported tocxist inau islet off the coaM, — 

 JVartA AVrrtw Ifcmhi, July, 1SS1L 



Flora and Fauna. — Thanks lo it- position in flio midst of a wort 

 heated hy the tropical kuiil, the Eastern A iv hipelagi • pre^ut.H almost 

 ev.-ry where the M£6Bt "f a forest region overgrown with a rich and 

 v.-i I Ivm - .i 'u-v, I ili".-niinikit,^^i'i:^ highest mnuiilain 



range*. This is mainly true of Sumatra, Borneo, the Philippines, the 

 MoltteeftB, iiml New Guinea, iv* well u Java and Celebes, in all their 

 nn reel aimed distrirt*. Tin- chief exception* are Timor and the 

 Le^vr Siuiiiu group, where I'lr.-sl. 1 niels are ralher the exei-piinti than 

 the rule, a contrast sufficiently explained by the proximity of the 

 Ai:-ir;ili:i3i nuunliiii-K :u\>\ '.In- 1 i ■ i i . * 5 t> smith-east wimbj blowing fi'uin 

 1 1 1 :i i r. :: i u n t . .r L i v n r ivater jmrt of the year, 



Another and more striking contract in that presented by the 

 vegetable forms respectively characteristic of the Asiatic and 

 Australian <li visiuti^ of the Archipelago. Hero all resemblance and 

 analog}' ecai*c abruptly, n narrow murine channel I hi tug sufficient to 

 ■eparate the two organic world* in some places stud notably between 

 Buli ami Lombok, where the Asiatic Rtb-marinc tableland suddenly 



ewe.-, 



Nor is the contract limited to the vegetation, but also extends to 

 the mourn] kingdom,, and even in some respects to man him^-lf. 

 Tin- ck pliant and tapir of Sum: Lira and Horned, the rhtnocero;- uf 

 Uortieo, and the allied Javanese species are also found in tlie neigh- 

 bouring Asiatic lands, pointing to a time when these great inlands 

 j*till farmed part of the continent. These analogies, which extend to 

 birdei and injects, may also be traced as far as the Philippines, 

 although here longer isolation ha* greatly diminished resemblances 

 and intensified divergencies 



But when we pa** u\vr t.. the Australian division all h different, 

 and the contracts become more marked at every step. Here no 

 elephant*, no member* of the canine and feline groups, no urang*, 

 giblxoiis or other apes, no deer, dnvp, "r in a word, no large 



mammals of any sort ; but in their place the lower mammals and 

 inar-upiub, nr pniirhed asiiouiU, of which the kangaroo is typical* 

 Here also die lorio and Hying fox, and still more curious nrnitho- 



13 



