From The Landing-
Place To The Hill A Dyak Road Had Been Formed, Which Consisted
Solely Of Tree-Trunks Laid End To End.
Along these the barefooted
natives walk and carry heavy burdens with the greatest ease, but
to a booted European it is very slippery work, and when one's
attention is constantly attracted by the various objects of
interest around, a few tumbles into the bog are almost
inevitable.
During my first walk along this road I saw few
insects or birds, but noticed some very handsome orchids in
flower, of the genus Coelogyne, a group which I afterwards found
to be very abundant, and characteristic of the district. On the
slope of the hill near its foot a patch of forest had been
cleared away, and several rule houses erected, in which were
residing Mr. Coulson the engineer, and a number of Chinese
workmen. I was at first kindly accommodated in Mr. Coulson's
house, but finding the spot very suitable for me and offering
great facilities for collecting, I had a small house of two rooms
and a verandah built for myself. Here I remained nearly nine
months, and made an immense collection of insects, to which class
of animals I devoted my chief attention, owing to the
circumstances being especially favourable.
In the tropics a large proportion of the insects of all orders,
and especially of the large and favourite group of beetles, are
more or less dependent on vegetation, and particularly on timber,
bark, and leaves in various stages of decay.
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