Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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 Ra-
jah. 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 Al-
furos 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 oc-
casional 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 prom-
ising. 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 pick-
ing 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 diffi-
culties I had stupidly left my only pair of strong boots 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, Aru, and Dorey. Although there were numerous plantations of
maize and plantains, there were no new clearings; and as without these it is almost impos-
sible 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 fine beetles before I left.
