Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
terfly on the ground. It was large, handsome, and quite new to me, and I got close to it be-
fore it flew away. I then observed that it had been settling on the dung of some carnivorous
animal. Thinking it might return to the same spot, I next day after breakfast took my net,
and as I approached the place was delighted to see the same butterfly sitting on the same
piece of dung, and succeeded in capturing it. It was an entirely new species of great beauty,
and has been named by Mr. Hewitson Nymphalis calydona. I never saw another specimen of
it, and it was only after twelve years had elapsed that a second individual reached this coun-
try from the north-western part of Borneo.
Having determined to visit Mount Ophir, which is situated in the middle of the peninsula
about fifty miles east of Malacca, we engaged six Malays to accompany us and carry our
baggage. As we meant to stay at least a week at the mountain, we took with us a good sup-
ply of rice, a little biscuit butter and coffee, some dried fish and a little brandy, with
blankets, a change of clothes, insect and bird boxes, nets guns and ammunition. The dis-
tance from Ayer-panas was supposed to be about thirty miles. Our first day's march lay
through patches of forest, clearings, and Malay villages, and was pleasant enough. At night
we slept at the house of a Malay chief, who lent us a verandah, and gave us a fowl and some
eggs. The next day the country got wilder and more hilly. We passed through extensive
forests, along paths often up to our knees in mud, and were much annoyed by the leeches for
which this district is famous. These little creatures infest the leaves and herbage by the side
of the paths, and when a passenger comes along they stretch themselves out at full length,
and if they touch any part of his dress or body, quit their leaf and adhere to it. They then
creep on to his feet, legs, or other part of his body and suck their fill, the first puncture being
rarely felt during the excitement of walking. On bathing in the evening we generally found
half a dozen or a dozen on each of us, most frequently on our legs, but sometimes on our
bodies, and I had one who sucked his fill from the side of my neck, but who luckily missed
the jugular vein. There are many species of these forest leeches. All are small, but some are
beautifully marked with stripes of bright yellow. They probably attach themselves to deer or
other animals which frequent the forest paths, and have thus acquired the singular habit of
stretching themselves out at the sound of a footstep or of rustling foliage. Early in the after-
noon we reached the foot of the mountain, and encamped by the side of a fine stream, whose
rocky banks were overgrown with ferns. Our oldest Malay had been accustomed to shoot
birds in this neighbourhood for the Malacca dealers, and had been to the top of the moun-
tain, and while we amused ourselves shooting and insect hunting, he went with two others to
clear the path for our ascent the next day.
