MODE OF TRATELLmG IN THE SPICE ISLANDS. 141 



bright blua Tlie wings of these buttei-flies expand 

 five or six inches, and they seem abnost like small 

 birds as thej^ flit by. 



It was my desire not only to obtain the same 

 shells that Rumphius figures^ but to. procure them 

 from the same points and bays, so that there could be 

 no doubt about the identity of my specimens with 

 his drawings, I therefore proposed to travel along all 

 the shores of Amboina and the neighboring islands, 

 and trade with the natives of every village, so as to be 

 sure of the localities myself, and, moreover, get speci- 

 mens of all the species alive, and thus have ample 

 material for studying their anatomy. I now realized 

 the value of the letter with which His Excellency 

 the Governor-General had honored me at Batavia. 

 I had only to apply to the assistant resident, and 

 he at once kindly ordered a boat and coolies for me 

 at the same rate as if they were employed by the 

 government, which was frequently less than half of 

 what I should have been obliged to pay if I had 

 hired them myself; and besides, many times I could 

 not have obtained boats nor coolies at any price ; 

 and when the Resident ordered them to come at a 

 certain hour, I always found them ready. 



My first excursion along the shores of the island 

 was on the north coast of Hitu, Two servants ac- 

 companied me, to aid in arranging the shells, and 

 carrying bottles of alcohol to contain the animals. 

 From the city of Amboina, a boat took us over the 

 bay to Ruma Tiga, where several coolies were wait- 

 ing with a " chair " to cany me over the high hills 

 to the opposite shore. This " chair " or palanquin, is 



