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

272 THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO. [chap.interior. He indicated a spot about the centre of the islandwhere he thought I might advantageously stay a few days. Iaccordingly visited ]\Iakariki with him the next day, and heinstructed the chief of the village to furnish me with men tocarry my baggage, and accompany me on my excursion. Asthe people of the village wanted to be at home on Christmasday,it was necessary to start as soon as possible : so we agreedthat the men should be ready in two days, and, I returned tomake my arrangements.* I put up tlie smallest quantity of baggage possible for a sixdays' trip, and on tlie morning of December 18th we left Makariki,with six men carrying my baggage and their own provisions,and a lad from Awaiya, who was accustomed to catchbutterflies for me. My two Amboyna hunters I left behind toshoot and skin what birds they could wliile I was away.Quitting the village, we first walked briskly for an hourthrough a dense tangled iindergrowth, di'ipping wet from astorm of the previous night, and full of mud holes. Aftercrossing several small streams we reached one of the largestrivers in Ceram, called Ruatan, which it was necessary to cross.It was both deep and rapid. The baggage was first taken over,parcel by parcel, on the men's heads, the water reaching nearlyup to their armpits, and then two men returned to assist me.The water was above my waist, and so strong that I shouldcertainly have been carried ofi" my feet had I attempted to crossalone ; and it was a matter of astonishment to me how the mencould give me any assistance, since I found the greatest difficultyin getting my foot down again when I had once moved itoff the bottom. The greater strength and grasping power oftheir feet, from going always barefoot, no doubt gave thema surer footing in the rapid water.After well wringing out our wet clothes and putting themon, we again proceeded along a similar narrow forest track asbefore, choked with rotten leaves and dead trees, and in themore open parts overgrown with tangled vegetation. Anotherhour brought us to a smaller stream flowing in a wide gravellybed, up which our road lay. Here we stayed half an hour tobreakfast, and then went on, continually crossing the stream,or walking on its stony and gravelly banks, till about noon,wlien it became rocky and enclosed by low hills. A littlefurther we entered a regular mountain-gorge, and had toclamber over rocks, and every moment cross and recross thewater, or take short cuts through the forest. This was fatiguingwork ; and about three in the afternoon, the sky being overcast,and thunder in the mountains indicating an approachingstorm, we had to look out for a camping jDlace, and soon afterreached one of Mr. Rosenberg's old ones. The skeleton of hislittle sleeping-hut remained, and my men cut leaves and madea hasty roof just as the rain commenced. The baggage wascovered over M'ith leaves, and the men sheltered themselves as