LETTER FROM H, 
285 
out to be twenty -four men and a dozen horses, 
and Matross himself stepped forward to hand me 
a letter, H., knowing my dislike of the noise of 
a number of natives in close proximity to the hut, 
had given them the instructions, repeated to me 
in writing, that the ponies were to be tied to 
graze on the hill-slopes, that one or two of the 
men were to stay to do my bidding, while the 
rest were to accompany Matross to the town to 
transact some exchange of products intrusted 
to them by their own rajah. They were charged 
to commence their return journey on the day of 
arrival, and Matross was required to bring from 
the town fresh supplies for my larder. 
When quiet had succeeded to this bustle, I 
had time to peruse my letter, wTiieh gives a map 
of the route taken, with some description of the 
country and their experiences in traversing it. 
The natural scenery of the interior of Timor 
must answer to Shelley’s lines : — 
“ IIow hideously 
Its shapes are heaped around — rude, bare, and high, 
Ghastly and scarred and riven ! — Is this the scene 
Where the old earthquake-daemon taught her young 
Ruin 1 Were these her toys 1 ” 
IT. is delighted, and is full of the interest of liis 
work, if he could be but sure that all is well with 
