240 



CELEBES 



[cn.\r. XVI. 



they both lay groaning in the hotise. When they got a 

 little better 1 was attackcnl myself, and as nty stores were 

 nearly finished and every tliijig was getting very damp, I 

 was obliged to prepare for my retnrn to Macassar, especi- 

 ally as the stroag westerly winds would render the passage 

 in a small open boat disagreeable ii" not dangerous. 



Since the rains began, numbers of huge mLUipedcs, i\& 

 thick as one's finger and eight or ten inches long, crawled 

 about everywhere, in tlic patiis, on trees, about the hoxise, 

 — and one morning when I got up I even found one in my 

 bed ! They were generally of a dull lead coloiu* or of u 

 deep brick red, and were very nasty-looking things^ t^j Ix- 

 coming everywhere in ones way, aUhough quite harndefivS. 

 Snakes too began to show themselves. I killed two of 

 a very abundant species, big-headed and of a bright green 

 colour, which lie coiled up on leaves and shrubs and can 

 scarcely be seen till one is chjse ui.K>n them. Ihown 

 .snakes got into my net while Iteating among dead leaves 

 for insects, and made nie rntht^r cautions about inserting 

 my hand till I knew what kind of game I had captured. 

 The fields and meadows which liad been parched and 

 sterile, now became suddenly covered witli tine long grass ; 

 the river-bed where I had so many times walked over 

 burning rocks, was now a deep and rapul stream ; anti 

 numbers of berliaceous plants and shruljs were everywher*' 

 springing up and bursting into Hower. I found plenty 

 of new insecU, and if I had had a good, roomy, water-and- 

 wind-proof house, I sliould perhaps have stayed during Ihf 

 wet season, as I feel sure many things can then be 

 obtained which are to be found at no other time. With 

 my snnmier hut, however, ttiis was impossible. During 

 the heavy ruins a fine drizzly mist penetrated into e%'ery 

 part of it, and 1 l>egon to have the greatest dilhculty in 

 keeping my specimens dry. 



Early in November I returned to Macassar, and having 

 packed up my collections, started in the Dutch mail 

 steamer for Aniboyna and Teniate. Leaving this part of 

 my journey for the present, I will in the next chapter 

 conclude rny account of Celebes, by describing the extreme 

 north era part of the island which I visited two years 

 hiter. 



