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

xxxYi.] WAIGIOU. 401house could be had suitable to my purpose, and having so oftenexperienced the advantages of living close to or just withinthe forest, I obtained the assistance of half-a-dozen men ; andlia\dng selected a spot near the path and the stream, and closeto a tine fig-tree, which stood just within the forest, we clearedthe ground and set to building a house. As I did not expect tostay here so long as I had done at Dorey, I built a long, low,narrow shed, about seven feet high on one side and four on theother, which required but little wood, and was put wp veryrapidly. Our sails, with a few old attaps from a deserted hutin the village, formed the walls, and a quantity of " cadjans," orOn the third day my housepalm-leaf mats, covered in the roof.was finished, and all my things put in and comfortably arrangedto begin work, and I was quite pleased at having got establishedso quickly and in such a nice situation.It had been so far fine weather, but in the night it rainedhard, and we found our mat roof would not keep out water.It first began to drop, and tlien to stream over everything. Ihad to get up in the middle of the night to secure my insectboxes,rice, and other perishable articles, and to find a dry placeto sleep in, for my bed was soaked. Fresh leaks kept formingas the rain continued, and we all passed a very miserable andsleepless night. In tlie morning the sun shone brightly, andeverything was put out to dry. We tried to find out why themats leaked, and thouglit we had discovered that they had beenlaid on upside down. Having sliifted them all, and got everythingdry and comfortable by the evening, we again went tobed, and before midnight were again awaked by torrents ofrain and leaks streaming in upon us as bad as ever. There wasno more sleep for us that night, and the next day our roof wasagain taken to pieces, and we came to the conclusion that thefault was a want of slope enough in the roof for mats, althoughit would be sufiicient for the usual attap thatch. I thereforepurchased a few new and some old attaps, and in tlie partsthese would not cover we put the mats double, and thenat last had the satisfaction of finding our roof tolerably watertight.I was now able to begin working at the natviral liistory of theisland. When I first arrived I was surprised at being told thatthere were no Paradise Birds at Muka, althougli there wereplenty at Bessir, a place where tlie natives caught them andprejiared tlie skins. I assured the people I had heard the cryof these birds close to the village, but they would not believethat I could know their cry. However, the very first time Iwent into the forest I not only heard but saw them, and wasconvinced there were plenty about ; but they were very shy,and it was some time before we got any. My hunter first shota female, and I one day got very close to a fine male. He was,as I expected, the rare red species, Paradisea rubra, which aloneinhabits this island, and is found nowhere else. He was quiteD D