40 
MEMOIR OF 
ing in every direction, ami soaked every one of the 
party to the skin. We were now two days' march 
beyond the reach of supplies ; many of our coolies 
had dropped off; some were fairly exhausted, and 
we began to wish our journey at an end. We, how- 
ever, contrived to make a good dinner on the re- 
maining fowl, and having plenty of rice and claret, 
did not complain of our fare, 
“ On the next morning we started in better spirits, 
having been met by one of the chiefs of Passumah, 
who came to welcome our approach, arid to assure 
us if we walked on foot we should reach a village 
in the afternoon. For the first part of the day, our 
route was still over stupendous mountains, sometimes 
in the beds of rivers for miles, and at all times diffi- 
cult ; but about noon we came into a country that 
had once been cleared, and again fell in with the 
Manna River, which we crossed on a raft previously 
prepared for the purpose, many of the chiefs and 
people of Passumah having assembled to meet us. 
We bad still, however, a very steep ascent to en- 
counter; but no Booner bad we attained the summit, 
and bent our steps downwards, than our view open- 
ed upon one of the finest countries 1 ever beheld, 
amply compensating us for all the dreariness of the 
forest, and for all the fatigues we had undergone ; 
perhaps the prospect was heightened hv the contrast, 
but the country I now beheld reminded me so much 
of scenes in Java, and was in every respect so differ- 
ent to that on the coast, that 1 could not help ex- 
