The Malay archipelago : the land of the orang-utan ... - Wallace Online

180 THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO. [chap.walls of limestone, over a rounded mass of basaltic rock aljoutforty feet high, forming two curves separated by a slight ledge.The water spi'eads beautifully over this surface in a thin sheetof foam, which curls and eddies in a succession of concentriccones till it falls into a fine deep pool below. Close to the veryedge of the fall a narrow and very rugged path leads to theriver above, and thence continues close under the precipicealong the water's edge, or sometimes in the water, for a fewhundred yards, after wliich the rocks recede a little, and leavea wooded bank on one side, along which the path is continued,till in about half a mile a second and smaller fall is reached. Herethe river seems to issue from a cavern, the rocks having fallenfrom above so as to block up the channel and bar further progress.The fall itself can only be reached by a path whichascends behind a huge slice of rock which has partly fallenaway from the mountain, leaving a space two or three feetwide, but disclosing a dark chasm descending into the bowelsof the mountain, and which, having visited several such, I hadno great curiosity to explore.Crossing the stream a little below the upper fall, the pathascends a steep slojDe for about five hundred feet, and passingthrough a gap enters a narrow valley, shut in by walls of rockabsolutely perpendicular and of great height. Half a milefurther this valley turns abruptly to the right, and becomes amere rift in the mountain. This extends another half mile, thewalls gradually approaching till they are only two feet apart,and the bottom rising steeply to a pass which leads probablyinto another valley, but which I had no time to explore. Returningto where this rift had begun, the main path turns upto the left in a sort of gully, and reaches a summit over whicha fine natural arch of rock passes at a height of about fifty feet.Thence was a steep descent through thick jungle with glimpsesof precipices and distant rocky mountains, probably leadinginto the main river valley again. This was a most temptingregion to exjilore, but there were several reasons why I couldgo no further. I had no guide, and no permission to enter theBugis territories, and as tlie rains might at any time set in, Imight be prevented from returning by the flooding of the river.I therefore devoted myself during the short time of my visitto obtaining what knowledge I could of the natural productionsof the place.The narrow chasms produced several fine insects quite newto me, and one new bird, the curious Phlsegenas tristigmata, alarge ground pigeon with yellow breast and crown, and purpleneck. This rugged path is the highway from Maros to theBugis country beyond the mountains. During the rainy seasonit is quite impassable, the river fillmg its bed and rushingbetween perpendicular clifi's many hundred feet high. Evenat the time of my visit it was most precipitous and fatiguing,yet women and children came over it daily, and men carrying