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

XXXI.] ARU ISLANDS.-RESIDENCE IX THE IXTERIOR. 347water, and a very high tide, so that every piece of sand or beachwascovered, and it was with tlie greatest difficulty, and attermuch groping in the dark, that we discovered a httle slopingpiece of rock about two feet square on which to make a tire andcook some rice. The next day we continued our way back andon the following day entered a stream on the south side ot theWatelai river, and ascending to where navigation ceased foundthe little village of Wanumbai, consisting of two large housessurrounded by plantations, amid the virgin forests of Aru._As I liked the look of the place, and was desirous of stayingsome time, I sent my pilot to try and make a bargain for houseaccommodation. The owner and chief man of tiie place mademany excuses. First, he was afraid I would not like his house,and then was doubtful whether his son, who was away, wouldlike his admitting me. I had a long talk with him myself, andtried to explain what I was doing, and how many things I wouldbuy of them, and showed him my stock of beads, and knives, andcloth, and tobacco, all of which I would spend with his fanulyand friends if he would give me house-room. He seemed a httle -staggered at this, and said he would talk to his wife, and in themeantime I went for a little walk to see the neighbourhoodWhen I came back, I again sent my pilot, saying that i wouldgo away if he would not give me part of his house, in aboutlialf an hour he returned with a demand for about half the costof building a house, for the rent of a small portion of it for a tewweeks. As the only difficulty now was a pecuniary one, I gotout about ten yards of cloth, an axe, with a few beads and sometobacco, and sent them as my final ofter for the part of the housewhich I had before pointed out. This was accepted after a littlemore talk, and I immediately proceeded to take possession.The house was a good large one, raised as usual about sevenfeet on posts, the walls about three or four feet more, with ahigh-pitched roof. The floor was of bamboo laths, and in thesloping roof was an immense shutter, which could be lifted andpropped up to admit light and air. At the end where this wassituated the floor was rai.sed about a foot, and this piece, aboutten feet wide by twenty long, quite open to the rest of the house,was the portion I was to occupy. At one end of this piece,separated by a thatch partition, was a cooking place, with a clayfloor and shelves for crockery. At the opposite end I had mymosquito curtain hung, and round the walls we arranged myboxes and other stores, fitted up a table and seat, and with alittle cleaning and dusting made the place look quite comfortable.My boat was then hauled up on shore, and covered withpalm-leaves, the sails and oars brought indoors, a hanging-stagefor drying my specimens erected outside the house, and anotherinside, and my boys were set to clean their guns and get allready for beginning work.•_ ^.i ^iThe next day I occupied myself in exploring the paths m theimmediate neighbourhood. The small river up which we liad