81 
at the place where we had la St collected yesterday, and found 
them on the ground* They had fillen out of his pocket when he 
leaned over to look for a Polyrachus nest. So with much re- 
joicing we drove on, hep ding for Bangkinang, but stopping 
to collect vherever the country lool-ed inviting. Bill found 
a large number of horned flies, the first time he hps ever taken 
them (except for the two he got at Dolok Silau), and plso got k 
leech in his butterfly net. We found enormous pitcher plants 
growing along. the cliff that lined the road, pnd nerr then, 
stplpctites formed by the constant dripping of limestone over 
the bpnk. What locked like the work of an industrious spittle 
insect, turned out to be a mass of frog eggs when we opened it* 
It is not plweys epsy to do ropdside collecting here. Only 
rarely is there a trpil into the woods. In many plpces the ropd 
has been cut through the mountains, pnd the ropdside is p steep 
bpnk that nobody could climb. It is kept well clepred, pnd here 
pnd there one sees ladders propped against the ban, , for the use of 
the men thpt cut back the vegetation that otherwise would hrng 
over pnd block the highway, 
P curious ferry took us p cross the river before we got to 
Bangkinang. Pontoons were built on three small boats. SxK»bl"E 
rsmxfxjsmxanaxlsfaakxtasxa P heavy rope fastened the boats to 
p cable that crossed the river. The current was exceedingly 
strong, and the boats were pointed upstream against the current. 
As we pushed off, after lop ding our car gingerly on the ferry 
which was just barely big enough to take it, the current swept us 
down, the borts pointed up, the rope kept us even, and we moved 
across on a smooth diagonal, thpt mpde one actually dizzy trying 
to figure out the mathematics of it - simple enough diagrammatically, 
but most confusing to wptch. ^/'^'.-Vsv 
Pt Bpngkinpng we lunched at the Pp s| nggrahan, pnd Bill pnd 
Tommie went to call on the Controller, to ask him where we could get 
into the jungle to collect. He advised a spot so^e twenty kms. 
farther on, and told them some good tiger stories. They have been 
having a lot of trouble with tigers In these parts, partly due to 
the clearing that Is being done in abandoned rubber plantations. 
Rubber is going up in price, old plantations are to be worked again, 
there is an increase in the amount of kpmpong rubber. So the tgers 
are driven out into the open. Thirteen caribou have been killed 
by tigers near here in the last three weeks. On the floor of the 
Controllers house was the si in of a tiger he had shot, pfter It 
hpd killed three men. We went on, hoing thpt we would see tiger, 
elephant, or rhinoceros, but the big gpme is pretty shy. We die 
see Entellus monkeys, wild pigs, a hornbill in flight with his 
grotesquely long neck stretched out like that of a goose, drongoes, 
and kingfishers. Collecting was bad. The forests T? e were looking 
for were miles of neglected rubber estates, the swamps were active 
rice f j elds . 
It was late ^hen we returned to Moeara Mahat, and we 
sat on the verandah waiting for a dinner equal to last night's. The 
young Mandoer did not understand, and about eight o T cloci ventured 
out to ask if we wanted any food. We hast iy picked out an 
ill assortment of cans, and dined In a tired and soi. ewhat disappointed 
mood. 
