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

XXII.] GILOLO. 241discovered a small hut which the owner was willing to vacate ifI would pay him five guilders for a month's rent. As this wassomething less than the fee-simple value of the dwelling, Iagreed to give it him for the privilege of immediate occupation,only stipulating that he was to make the roof water-tight.This he agreed to do, and came every day to talk and look atme ; and when I each time insisted upon his immediatelymending the roof according to contract, all the answer I couldget was, "Ea nanti" (Yes, wait a little). However, when Ithreatened to deduct a quarter guilder from the rent for everyday it -svas not done, and a guilder extra if any of my thingswere wetted, he condescended to work for half an hour, whichdid all that was absolutely necessary.On the top of a bank, of about a hundred feet ascent fromthe water, stands the very small but substantial fort erected bythe Portuguese. Its battlements and turrets have long sincebeen overthrown by earthquakes, by whicli its massive structurehas also been rent ; but it cannot well be thrown down, being asolid mass of stonework, forming a platform about ten feet high,and perhaps forty feet square. It is approached by narrowsteps under an archway, and is now surmounted by a row oftliatched hovels, in which live the small garrison, consisting ofa Dutch corporal and four Javanese soldiers, the sole representativesof the Netherlands Government in the island. Thevillage is occupied entirely by Ternate men. The true indigenesof Gilolo, Alluros " as they are here called, live on the eastern'.'coast, or in the interior of the northern peninsula. The distanceacross the isthmus at this place is only two miles, and there isa good path, along which rice and sago are brought from theeastern villages. The whole isthmus is very rugged, thoughnot high, being a succession of little abrupt hills and valleys,with angular masses of limestone rock everywhere projecting,and often almost blocking up the pathway.Most of it is vii'ginforest, very luxuriant and picturesque, and at this time havingabundance of large scarlet Ixoras in flower, which made itexceptionally gay. I got some very nice insects here, though,owing to illness most of the time, my collection was a small one ;and my boy Ali shot me a pair of one of the most beautifulbirds of the East, Pitta gigas, a large ground-tlirush, whoseplumage of velvety black above is relieved by a breast of purewhite, shoulders of azure blue, and belly of xivid crimson. Ithas very long and strong legs, and hops about with suchactivity in the dense tangled forest, bristling with rocks, as tomake it very diflicult to shoot.In September 1858, after my return from New Guinea, Iwent to stay some time at the village of Djilolo, situated in abay on the northern peninsula. Here I obtained a housethrough the kindness of the Resident of Ternate, who sentorders to prepare one for me. The first walk into the unexploredforests of a new locality is a moment of intense interest to theR