chief man of the place made many excuses. First, he was afraid I would not like
his house, and then was doubtful whether his son, who was away, would like his
admitting me. I had a long talk with him myself, and tried to explain what I was
doing, and how many things I would buy of them, and showed him my stock of
heads, and knives, and cloth, and tobacco, all of which I would spend with his
family and friends if he would give me house-room. He seemed a little staggered
at this, and said he, would talk to his wife, and in the meantime I went for a little
walk to see the neighbourhood. When I came back, I again sent my pilot, saying
that I would go away if he would not dive me part of his house. In about half an
hour he returned with a demand for about half the cost of building a house, for
the rent of a small portion of it for a few weeks. As the only difficulty now was a
pecuniary one, I got out about ten yards of cloth, an axe, with a few beads and
some tobacco, and sent them as my final offer for the part of the house which I
had before pointed out. This was accepted after a little more talk, and I
immediately proceeded to take possession.
The house was a good large one, raised as usual about seven feet on posts, the
walls about three or four feet more, with a high-pitched roof. The floor was of
bamboo laths, and in the sloping roof way an immense shutter, which could be
lifted and propped up to admit light and air. At the end where this was situated
the floor was raised about a foot, and this piece, about ten feet wide by twenty
long, quite open to the rest of the house, was the portion I was to occupy. At one
end of this piece, separated by a thatch partition, was a cooking place, with a
clay floor and shelves for crockery. At the opposite end I had my mosquito
curtain hung, and round the walls we arranged my boxes and other stores, fated
up a table and seat, and with a little cleaning and dusting made the place look
quite comfortable. My boat was then hauled up on shore, and covered with
palm-leaves, the sails and oars brought indoors, a hanging-stage for drying my
specimens erected outside the house and another inside, and my boys were set to
clean their gnus and get all ready for beginning work.
The next day I occupied myself in exploring the paths in the immediate
neighbourhood. The small river up which we had ascended ceases to be
navigable at this point, above which it is a little rocky brook, which quite dries
up in the hot season. There was now, however, a fair stream of water in it; and a
path which was partly in and partly by the side of the water, promised well for
insects, as I here saw the magnificent blue butterfly, Papilio ulysses, as well as
several other fine species, flopping lazily along, sometimes resting high up on
the foliage which drooped over the water, at others settling down on the damp
rock or on the edges of muddy pools. A little way on several paths branched off