302 



fcHAP. XX.' 



my tirst visit to Cerain, and on ret uriiiiig to prepan? for 

 my second more complete exjdoratioti of that island, 1 

 stayt'd (much ugainst my will) two nioiitbs at Piiso, on 

 the isthimis which cotmccts the two portions of the island 

 of Anihoyua. This vilJago is situated on tlie eastern side 

 . of the isthmus, on sandy ground, with a very pleasant view 

 over the sea to the island of Hanika. On the Amboyna 

 wide of the isthmus there is a small river which has been 

 continued by a shallow canal to within thirty yards of 

 high-water mark on the other sida xicross this small 

 space, which is sandy and but slightly elevated, all small 

 lioats and prans can be easily drag^^ed, and all the smaller 

 traffic from Ccraui and the islands of Sapania and Hamka, 

 passes throngh Paso, The canal is not continued quite 

 through, merely because every sprin«^*tide would throw 

 up just such a sand-bank as now exists, 



I had been informed that the fine butterfly Oniithoptera 

 priamus was plentiful here, aa well as the racquet-tailed 

 kingfisher autl tlie ring-necked lory. I found, however, 

 that 1 had missed the tinae for the fomier ; and birds of 

 all kinds were veiy scarce, although I obtained a few good 

 ones, including one or two of the above-mentioned rarities. 

 1 was much pleased to get here the fine long-armed chafer, 

 Eucbirus longimanus. This extraonlinary insect is rarely 

 or never captured except when it comes to drink the sap of 

 the sugar palms, where it is found by the natives when 

 they go eaiiy in the moniing to take away the bamboos 

 which have been filled during the niglit. For some time 

 one or two were biwglit me every day, generally alivt. 

 They are sluggish insects, and pull themselvus lazily along 

 by means of their immense fore-legs, A figure of tliis 

 and other Molnccan beetles is giveti in the 27th chapter of 

 tliis work. 



I was kept at Paso by an uiflammatory eruption, brought 

 on by the constant attacks of small acari like harvest- 

 bugs, for which the forests of Ceram are famous, and also 

 by the want of nourishing food while in that island. At 

 one time I was covered with severe boils, I had them on 

 my eye, cheek, armpits, elbows, back, thighs, knees, and 

 ankles, so tlmt I was unable to sit or walk, and had gi'eat 

 ditliculty in finding a side to He upon without pain. These 



