CUAP. 3tX.] 



SEA GARDENS, 



295 



and red and yellow fishes, siiotted and banded and striped 

 in the most striking manner, while great or<aTige or rosy 

 transparent medusie lloated along near tlie snrface. It was 

 a siglit to gaze at for hours, and no description Ciin do jus- 

 tice to its surpassing beauty and interest For once, the 

 reality exceeded the most glowing accounts I had ever 

 read of the wonders of a coral sea. Thei'tJ is perhaps no 

 spot in the world richer in marine productions, corals, 

 siieLla and iishes, than the liarbour of Amboyna. 



From the north side of the harbour, a good lu-oad path 

 passes through swamp clearing and forest, over liill and 

 valley, to the farther side of the island; the coralline 

 rock constantly protnuling through the deep red earth 

 which fills all the hollows, and is more or less spread over 

 the plains and hill-sides. The forest vegetation is here 

 of the most hixuriaut character ; ferns and palms abound, 

 and the climbing rattans were more abundant than I had 

 ever seen tliem, forming tangled festoons over ahmist 

 every large forest tree. The cottage I was to occupy was 

 situated in a lai^re tdearing of about a hundred acres, part 

 of which was already planted with young cacao-ti-ees and 

 plantains to shade them, while the ref5t was covered with 

 d'^atl and half-lnirnt Ibrest trees ; and on one side there 

 was a tract where the trees had been recently felled and 

 were not yet burnt. The path by which 1 had arrived 

 continued along one side of this clearing, and then again 

 entering the virgin forest passed over liiU and dale to the 

 northern side of the island. 



ily abode was merely a little thatched hut, consisting 

 of an open verandah in front and a small dark sleeping- 

 room behind. It was raised aliout live feet from the 

 gi'ound, and was reached by rude st«ps to the centre of 

 the verandah. The walls and 11 o or were of bamboo, 

 and it contained a table, two bamboo chairs, and a couch, 

 Hei'e I soon made myself comfortable, and set to work 

 Imnting for insects among the moiie recently felled 

 tinilier, which swarmed with fine Curcnlitmida*, Longi- 

 corns, and Buprestithe, most of them remark'able for 

 their elegant forms or brilliant colours, and almost all 

 entirely new to ma Only the entonujlo^ist can appreciate 

 the delight with which i hunted about for horns in the 



