bargain for bouse accommodation. The owner and chief
man of the place made many excuses. First, he was
afraid I would not like his house, and then was doubtful
whether his son, who was away, would like his admitting
me. I had a long talk with him myself, and tried to
explain what I was doing, and how many things I would
buy of them, and showed him my stock of beads, and
knives, and cloth, and tobacco, all of which I would spend
with his family and friends if he would give me house-
room. He seemed a little staggered at this, and said he
would talk to his wife, and in the meantime I went for a
little walk to see the neighbourhood. When I came back,
I again sent my pilot, saying that I would go away if he
would not give me part of his house. In about half an
hour he returned with a demand for about half the cost of
building a house, for the rent of a small portion of it for a
few weeks. As the only difficulty now was a pecuniary
one, I got out about ten yards of cloth, an axe, with a few
beads and some tobacco, and sent them as my final offer
for the part of the house which I had before pointed out.
This was accepted after a little more talk, and I immediately
proceeded to take possession.
The house was a good large one, raised as usual about
seven feet on posts, the walls about three or four feet
more, with a high-pitched roof. The floor was of bamboo
laths, and in the sloping roof was an immense shutter,
which could be lifted and propped up to admit light and
air. At the end where this was situated the floor was
raised about a foot, and this piece, about ten 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 clay floor and shelves for crockery. At the opposite end
I had my mosquito curtain hung, and round the walls we
arranged my boxes and other stores, fitted up a table and
seat, and with a little cleaning and dusting made the place
look quite comfortable. My boat was then hauled up on
shore, and covered with palm-leaves, the sails and oars
brought indoors, a hanging-stage for drying my specimens
erected outside the house and another inside, and my
boys were set to clean their guns and get all ready for
beginning work.
The next day I occupied myself in exploring the paths
in the immediate neighbourhood. The small river up
which we had ascended eeases to be navigable at this
point, above which it is a little rocky brook, which quite
dries up in the hot season. There was now, however, a
fair stream of water in it; and a path which was partly
in and partly by the side of the water, promised well
for insects, as I here saw the magnificent blue butterfly,
Papilio ulysses,-as-well as several other fine species,
flopping lazily along, sometimes resting high up on the