Even In All Other Groups Of Insects,
Except Butterflies, There Was The Same Poverty.
I bad hoped to
find some rare tiger beetles, as I had done in similar situations
in Celebes; but, though I searched closely in forest, river-bed,
and mountain-brook, I could find nothing but the two common
Amboyna species.
Other beetles there were absolutely none.
The constant walking in water, and over rocks and pebbles, quite
destroyed the two pair of shoes I brought with me, so that, on my
return, they actually fell to pieces, and the last day I had to
walk in my stockings very painfully, and reached home quite lame.
On our way back from Makariki, as on our way there, we had storm
and rain at sea, and we arrived at Awaiya late in the evening,
with all our baggage drenched, and ourselves thoroughly
uncomfortable. All the time I had been in Ceram I had suffered
much from the irritating bites of an invisible acarus, which is
worse than mosquitoes, ants, and every other pest, because it is
impossible to guard against them. This last journey in the forest
left me covered from head to foot with inflamed lumps, which,
after my return to Amboyna, produced a serious disease, confining
me to the house for nearly two months, a not very pleasant
memento of my first visit to Ceram, which terminated with the
year 1859.
It was not till the 24th of February, 1860, that I started again,
intending to pass from village to village along the coast,
staying where I found a suitable locality. I had a letter from
the Governor of the Moluccas, requesting all the chiefs to supply
me with boats and men to carry me on my journey. The first boat
took me in two days to Amahay, on the opposite side of the bay to
Awaiya. The chief here, wonderful to relate, did not make any
excuses for delay, but immediately ordered out the boat which was
to carry me on, put my baggage on hoard, set up mast and sails
after dark, and had the men ready that nigh; so that we were
actually on our way at five the next morning, - a display of
energy and activity I scarcely ever saw before in a native chief
on such an occasion. We touched at Cepa, and stayed for the night
at Tamilan, the first two Mahometan villages on the south coast
of Ceram. The next day, about noon, we reached Hoya, which was as
Far as my present boat and crew were going to take me. The
anchorage is about a mile east of the village, which is faced by
coral reefs, and we had to wait for the evening tide to move up
and unload the boat into the strange rotten wooden pavilion kept
for visitors.
There was no boat here large enough to take my baggage; and
although two would have done very well, the Rajah insisted upon
sending four. The reason of this I found was, that there were
four small villages under his rule, and by sending a boat from
each he would avoid the difficult task of choosing two and
letting off the others. I was told that at the next village of
Teluti there were plenty of Alfuros, and that I could get
abundance of Tories and other birds. The Rajah declared that
black and yellow Tories and black cockatoos were found there; but
I am inclined to think he knew very well he was telling me lies,
and that it was only a scheme to satisfy me with his plan of
taking me to that village, instead of a day's journey further on,
as I desired. Here, as at most of the villages, I was asked for
spirits, the people being mere nominal Mahometans, who confine
their religion almost entirely to a disgust at pork, and a few
other forbidden articles of food. The next morning, after much
trouble, we got our cargoes loaded, and had a delightful row
across the deep bay of Teluti, with a view of the grand central
mountain-range of Ceram. Our four boats were rowed by sixty men,
with flags flying and tom-toms beating, as well as very vigorous
shouting and singing to keep up their spirits. The sea way
smooth, the morning bright, and the whole scene very
exhilarating. On landing, the Orang-kaya and several of the chief
men, in gorgeous silk jackets, were waiting to receive us, and
conducted me to a house prepared for my reception, where I
determined to stay a few days, and see if the country round
produced anything new.
My first inquiries were about the lories, but I could get very
little satisfactory information. The only kinds known were the
ring-necked lory and the common red and green lorikeet, both
common at Amboyna. Black Tories and cockatoos were quite unknown.
The Alfuros resided in the mountains five or six days' journey
away, and there were only one or two live birds to be found in
the village, and these were worthless. My hunters could get
nothing but a few common birds; and notwithstanding fine
mountains, luxuriant forests, and a locality a hundred miles
eastward, I could find no new insects, and extremely few even of
the common species of Amboyna and West Ceram. It was evidently no
use stopping at such a place, and I was determined to move on as
soon as possible.
The village of Teluti is populous, but straggling and very dirty.
Sago trees here cover the mountain side, instead of growing as
usual in low swamps; but a closer examination shows that they
grow in swampy patches, which have formed among the loose rocks
that cover the ground, and which are kept constantly full of
moisture by the rains, and by the abundance of rills which
trickle down among them. This sago forms almost the whole
subsistence of the inhabitants, who appear to cultivate nothing
but a few small patches of maize and sweet potatoes.
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