brush and trees along the beach, and hills inland covered with high grass and
cajuputi trees—my dread and abhorrence. On inquiring who could give me
trustworthy information, I was referred to the Lieutenant of the Burghers, who
had travelled all round the island, and was a very intelligent fellow. I asked him
to tell me if he knew of any part of Bouru where there was no "kusu-kusu," as
the coarse grass of the country is called. He assured me that a good deal of the
south coast was forest land, while along the north was almost entirely swamp
and grassy hills. After minute inquiries, I found that the forest country
commenced at a place called Waypoti, only a few miles beyond Pelah, but that,
as the coast beyond that place was exposed to the east monsoon and dangerous
for praus, it was necessary to walk. I immediately went to the Opzeiner, and he
called the Rajah. We had a consultation, and arranged for a boat to take me the
next evening but one, to Pelah, whence I was to proceed on foot, the Orang-kaya
going the day before to call the Alfuros to carry my baggage.
The journey was made as arranged, and on May 19th we arrived at Waypoti,
having walked about ten miles along the beach, and through stony forest
bordering the sea, with occasional plunges of a mile or two into the interior. We
found no village, but scattered houses and plantations, with hilly country pretty
well covered with forest, and looking rather promising. A low hut with a very
rotten roof, showing the sky through in several places, was the only one I could
obtain. Luckily it did not rain that night, and the next day we pulled down some
of the walls to repair the roof, which was of immediate importance, especially
over our beds and table.
About half a mile from the house was a fine mountain stream, running swiftly
over a bed of rocks and pebbles, and beyond this was a hill covered with fine
forest. By carefully picking my way I could wade across this river without
getting much above my knees, although I would sometimes slip off a rock and
go into a hole up to my waist, and about twice a week I went across it in order to
explore the forest. Unfortunately there were no paths here of any extent, and it
did not prove very productive either in insects or birds. To add to my difficulties
I had stupidly left my only pair of strong hoots on board the steamer, and my
others were by this time all dropping to pieces, so that I was obliged to walk
about barefooted, and in constant fear of hurting my feet, and causing a wound
which might lay me up for weeks, as had happened in Borneo, Are, and Dorey.
Although there were numerous plantations of maize and plantains, there were no
new clearings; and as without these it is almost impossible to find many of the
best kinds of insects, I determined to make one myself, and with much difficulty
engaged two men to clear a patch of forest, from which I hoped to obtain many