The next day I went to see Mr. S., another merchant to whom I had brought
letters of introduction, and who lived about seven miles off. Mr. Carter kindly
lent me a horse, and I was accompanied by a young Dutch gentleman residing at
Ampanam, who offered to be my guide. We first passed through the town and
suburbs along a straight road bordered by mud walls and a fine avenue of lofty
trees; then through rice-fields, irrigated in the same manner as I had seen them at
Bileling; and afterwards over sandy pastures near the sea, and occasionally along
the beach itself. Mr. S. received us kindly, and offered me a residence at his
house should I think the neighbourhood favourable for my pursuits. After an
early breakfast we went out to explore, taking guns and insect nets. We reached
some low hills which seemed to offer the most favourable ground, passing over
swamps, sandy flats overgrown with coarse sedges, and through pastures and
cultivated grounds, finding however very little in the way of either birds or
insects. On our way we passed one or two human skeletons, enclosed within a
small bamboo fence, with the clothes, pillow, mat, and betel-box of the
unfortunate individual, who had been either murdered or executed. Returning to
the house, we found a Balinese chief and his followers on a visit. Those of
higher rank sat on chairs, the others squatted on the floor. The chief very coolly
asked for beer and brandy, and helped himself and his followers, apparently
more out of curiosity than anything else as regards the beer, for it seemed very
distasteful to them, while they drank the brandy in tumblers with much relish.
Returning to Ampanam, I devoted myself for some days to shooting the birds
of the neighbourhood. The fine fig-trees of the avenues, where a market was
held, were tenanted by superb orioles (Oriolus broderpii) of a rich orange colour,
and peculiar to this island and the adjacent ones of Sumbawa and Flores. All
round the town were abundance of the curious Tropidorhynchus timoriensis,
allied to the Friar bird of Australia. They are here called "Quaich-quaich," from
their strange loud voice, which seems to repeat these words in various and not
unmelodious intonations.
Every day boys were to be seen walking along the roads and by the hedges
and ditches, catching dragonflies with birdlime. They carry a slender stick, with
a few twigs at the end well annointed, so that the least touch captures the insect,
whose wings are pulled off before it is consigned to a small basket. The dragon-
flies are so abundant at the time of the rice flowering that thousands are soon
caught in this way. The bodies are fried in oil with onions and preserved
shrimps, or sometimes alone, and are considered a great delicacy. In Borneo,
Celebes, and many other islands, the larvae of bees and wasps are eaten, either
alive as pulled out of the cells, or fried like the dragonflies. In the Moluccas the