Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
off one morning to examine this place myself, expecting to pass through some extent of
forest on my way. In this however I was much disappointed, as the whole road lies through
grass and scrubby thickets, and it was only after reaching the village of Sahoe that some
high forest land was perceived stretching towards the mountains to the north of it. About
half-way we had to pass a deep river on a bamboo raft, which almost sunk beneath us. This
stream was said to rise a long way off to the northward.
Although Sahoe did not at all appear what I expected, I determined to give it a trial, and a
few days afterwards obtained a boat to carry my things by sea while I walked overland. A
large house on the beach belonging to the Sultan was given me. It stood alone, and was
quite open on every side, so that little privacy could be had, but as I only intended to stay a
short time I made it do. A very few days dispelled all hopes I might have entertained of
making good collections in this place. Nothing was to be found in every direction but inter-
minable tracts of reedy grass, eight or ten feet high, traversed by narrow paths, often almost
impassable. Here and there were clumps of fruit trees, patches of low wood, and abundance
of plantations and rice grounds, all of which are, in tropical regions, a very desert for the en-
tomologist. The virgin forest that I was in search of, existed only on the summits and on the
steep rocky sides of the mountains a long way off, and in inaccessible situations. In the sub-
urbs of the village I found a fair number of bees and wasps, and some small but interesting
beetles. Two or three new birds were obtained by my hunters, and by incessant inquiries and
promises I succeeded in getting the natives to bring me some land shells, among which was
a very fine and handsome one, Helix pyrostoma. I was, however, completely wasting my
time here compared with what I might be doing in a good locality, and after a week returned
to Ternate, quite disappointed with my first attempts at collecting in Gilolo.
In the country round about Sahoe, and in the interior, there is a large population of indi-
genes, numbers of whom came daily into the village, bringing their produce for sale, while
others were engaged as labourers by the Chinese and Ternate traders. A careful examination
convinced me that these people are radically distinct from all the Malay races. Their stature
and their features, as well as their disposition and habits, are almost the same as those of the
Papuans; their hair is semi-Papuan—neither straight, smooth, and glossy, like all true
Malays', nor so frizzly and woolly as the perfect Papuan type, but always crisp, waved, and
rough, such as often occurs among the true Papuans, but never among the Malays. Their
colour alone is often exactly that of the Malay, or even lighter. Of course there has been in-
termixture, and there occur occasionally individuals which it is difficult to classify; but in
most cases the large, somewhat aquiline nose, with elongated apex, the tall stature, the
waved hair, the bearded face, and hairy body, as well as the less reserved manner and louder
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