WE SWIM FOR OUR GAME. 



283 



here is about a guilder per bottle. It is sent to Java 

 and otber parts of tbe archipelago, and is used as a 

 sudorific. The tree, Melaleuca cajeputi^ is also found 

 in Amboina, Ceram, Celebes, and Sumatra, but the 

 best oil comes from this island. 



After we had wandered over a nimiber of hills, 

 we came down into a basin, in the bottom of 

 whieli was a little lake, where we found a flook of 

 brown ducks. The borders of the lake, however, 

 were so marshy that I could get no fair shot at this 

 rare game. In a small lake near by I had the privi* 

 lege of seeing a paii- of those beautiful birds, the 

 Aim^ rajali^ or " prince duck " Around the bordei-s 

 of the lake was a broad band of dead trees. My 

 hunter spied a nice flock of the brown ducks on the 

 opposite side, and for nearly a mile we carefully 

 crept along through the shai-p-edged grass, until 

 we were just opposite the flock. If we went dowTi 

 to the margin of the pond they would be completely 

 shielded from our shot by the trees. I therefore or- 

 dered my hunter, whose gun was loaded with a ball 

 for deer, to lie down, while I sprang upon my feet 

 and tried the effect of one barrel of my fowling-piece, 

 which, by4he-by, was loaded with small shot for 

 doves. Shy as they were, we had evidently taken 

 them by surprise. Tliere was a click, a report, and 

 four out of the eight remained where they were. 

 The next thing was to get them. We had no dog 

 nor boat, and I proposed to niy hunter, as he was a 

 good smmmer, that he swim for them, but he only 

 shnigged his shoulders mid declai'ed the whole pool 

 was so full of crocodiles that a man could not get 



