to Ternate, and I should have been delayed two months
before I could have reached the former place. I then paid
my first visit to Ceram, and on returning to prepare for
my second more complete exploration of that island, 1
stayed (much against my will) two months at Paso, on
the isthmus which connects the two portions of the island
of Amboyna. This village is situated on the eastern side
of the isthmus, on sandy ground, with a very pleasant view
over the sea to the island of Hariika. On the Amboyna
side of the isthmus there is a small river which has been
continued by a shallow canal to within thirty yards of
high-water mark on the other side. Across this small
space, which is sandy and but slightly elevated, all small
boats and praus can be easily dragged, and all the smaller
traffic from Ceram and the islands of Saparua and Hariika,
passes through Paso. The canal is not continued quite
through, merely because every spring-tide would throw
up just such a sand-bank as now exists.
I had been informed that the fine butterfly Ornithoptera
priamus was plentiful here, as well as the racquet-tailed
kingfisher and the ring-necked lory. I found, however,
that I had missed the time for the former; and birds of
all kinds were very scarce, although I obtained a few good
ones, including one or two of the above-mentioned rarities.
I was much pleased to get here the fine long-armed chafer,
Euchirus longimanus. This extraordinary insect is rarely
or never captured except when it comes to drink the sap of
the sugar palms, where it is found by the natives when
they go early in the morning to take away the bamboos
which have been filled during the night. For some time
one or two were brought me every day, generally alive.
They are sluggish insects, and pull themselves lazily along
by means of their immense fore-legs. A figure of this
and other Moluccan beetles is given in the 27th chapter of
this work.
I was kept at Paso by an inflammatory eruption, brought
on by the constant attacks of small acari like harvest-
bugs, for which the forests of Ceram are famous, and also
by the want of nourishing food while in that island. At
one time I was covered with severe boils. I had them on
my eye, cheek, armpits, elbows, back, thighs, knees, and
ankles, so that I was unable to sit or walk, and had great
difficulty in finding a side to lie upon without pain. These
continued for some weeks, fresh ones coming out as fast as
others got well; but good living and sea baths ultimately
cured them.
About the end of January Charles Allen, who had been
my assistant in Malacca and Borneo, again joined me on
agreement for three years; and as soon as I got tolerably
well, we had plenty to do laying in stores and making
arrangements for our ensuing campaign. Our greatest
difficulty was in obtaining men, but at last we succeeded