WAYPOTL 



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very rotten roof, showing tlie sky througli in several places^ 

 was the only one I coiild ohtain. Luckily it did not rain 

 that night, and tho next day we pulled down some of 

 the walls to repair the roof, wliicli was of immediate 

 importance, especially over oui- beds and table. 



About half a mile from the house was a fine mountain 

 stream, running swiftly over a bed of rocks and pebbles, 

 and beyond this was a hill covered with fine forest. By 

 carefully picking my way I could wade across this river 

 ■without getting much above my knees, although I would 

 sometimes slip off a rock and go into a hole up to my 

 waist, and about twice a week I went across it in order to 

 explore the foi-est Unfortunately there were no paths 

 here of any extent, and it did not prove very productive 

 either in insects or bii'ds. To add to my difficulties I had 

 stupidly left my ojily pair of strong boots on board the 

 steamer, and my others were by tliis time all dropping to 

 pieces, so that I was obUged to walk about barefoot^id, and 

 in constant fear of hurting my feet, and causing a wound 

 which might lay me up for weeks, as had happened in 

 Borneo, Aru, and Dorey. Although there were numerous 

 plantations of maize and plantains, there were no new 

 clearinga ; and as without tliese it is almost impossible 

 to find many of the best kinds of insects, I determined 

 to make one myself, and with much difficulty engaged two 

 men to clear a patch of forest, from which I hoped to 

 obtain many fine beetles before I left 



During the whole of my stay, however, insects never 

 became pleutifui. Jly clearing produced me a few fine 

 longicoms and Buprestidje, different from any I had before 

 seen, together with several of the Amboyna species, but by 

 no means so numerous or so beautiful as I had found in 

 that small island. Por example, I collected only 21li 

 different kinds of beetles during my two months' stay at 

 Bouru, while in three weeks at Amboyna, in 1857, 1 found 

 more than 300 species. One of the finest insects found at 

 Bouru >\'as a large Cerambyx, of a deep shining chestnut 

 colour, and with very long antennse. It varied greatly 

 in size, the largest specimens being three inches long, 

 wlule the smallest were only an inch, the anteunai varying 

 from one and a hall' to five inches. 



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