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

XXVI.] BOURU 295nothing was to be gained by leaving the beaten track, and wewere obliged to go floundering on, never knowing where ourfeet would rest, as the mud was now a few inches, now two feet,deep, and the bottom very uneven, so that tlie foot slid down tothe lowest part, and made it difficult to keep one's balance.One step would be upon a concealed stick or log, almost dislocatingthe ankle, while the next would plunge into soft mudabove the knee. It rained all the way, and the long grass, sixfeet high, met over the path ; so that we could not see a step ofthe way ahead, and received a double drenching. Before we gotto the village it was dark, and we had to cross over a small butdeep and swollen stream by a narrow log of wood, which wasmore than a foot under water. There was a .slender sliakingstick for a handrail, and it was nervous work feeling in thedark in the rushing water for a safe place on which to place theadvanced foot. After an hour of this most disagreeable andfatiguing walk we reached the village, followed by the men withour guns, ammunition, boxes, and bedding, all more or lesssoaked. We consoled ourselves with some hot tea and cold fowl,and went early to bed.The next morning was clear and fine, and I set out soon aftersunrise to explore the neighbourhood The village had evidentlybeen newly formed, and consisted of a single straight street ofvery misei^able huts totally deficient in every comfort, and asbare and cheerless inside as out. It was situated on a littleelevated patch of coarse gravelly soil, covered with the usualhigh rigid grass, which came up close to the backs of the houses.At a short distance in several dii^ections were patches of forest,but all on low and swampy ground. I made one attempt alongthe only path I could find, but soon came upon a deep mud-hole,so I returned andand found that I must walk barefoot if at all ;deferred further exploration till after breakfast. I then wenton into the jungle and found patches of sago-palms and a lowforest vegetation, but the paths were everywhere full of mudholes,and intersected by muddy streams and tracts of swamp,so that walking was not pleasurable, and too much attention toone's steps was not favourable to insect catching, which requiresabove everything freedom of motion. I shot a few birds, andcaught a few butterflies, but all were the same as I had alreadyobtained about Cajeli.On my return to the village I was told that the same kind ofground extended for many miles in every direction, and I atonce decided that Wayapo was not a suitable place to stay at.The next morning early we waded back again through the mudand long wet grass to our boat, and by mid-day reached Cajeli,where I waited All's return to decide on my future movements.He came the following day, and gave a very bad account ofPelah, where he had been. There was a little brush and treesalong the beach, and hills inland covered with high grass andcajuputi trees—my dread and abhorrence. On inquiring who