he　had　learned　from　some　Jews　with　whom　he　had　once　travelled；　and　astonished　by　joining　in　their　conversation；　and　had　a　never…ending　fund　of　tale　and　anecdote　about　the　people　he　had　met　and　the　places　he　had　visited。
  In　most　of　the　villages　of　this　part　of　Ceram　are　schools　and　native　schoolmasters；　and　the　inhabitants　have　been　long　converted　to　Christianity。　In　the　larger　villages　there　are　European　missionaries；　but　there　is　little　or　no　external　difference　between　the　Christian　and　Alfuro　villages；　nor；　as　far　as　I　have　seen；　in　their　inhabitants。　The　people　seem　more　decidedly　Papuan　than　those　of　Gilolo。　They　are　darker　in　colour；　and　a　number　of　them　have　the　frizzly　Papuan　hair；　their　features　also　are　harsh　and　prominent；　and　the　women　in　particular　are　far　less　engaging　than　those　of　the　Malay　race。　Captain　Van　der　Beck　was　never　tired　of　abusing　the　inhabitants　of　these　Christian　villages　as　thieves；　liars；　and　drunkards；　besides　being　incorrigibly　lazy。　In　the　city　of　Amboyna　my　friends　Doctors　Mohnike　and　Doleschall；　as　well　as　most　of　the　European　residents　and　traders；　made　exactly　the　same　complaint；　and　would　rather　have　Mahometans　for　servants；　even　if　convicts；　than　any　of　the　native　Christians。　One　great　cause　of　this　is　the　fact；　that　with　the　Mahometans　temperance　is　a　part　of　their　religion；　and　has　become　so　much　a　habit　that　practically　the　rule　is　never　transgressed。　One　fertile　source　of　want；　arid　one　great　incentive　to　idleness　and　crime；　is　thus　present　with　the　one　class；　but　absent　in　the　other；　but　besides　this　the　Christians　look　upon　themselves　as　nearly　the　equals　of　the　Europeans；　who　profess　the　same　religion；　and　as　far　superior　to　the　followers　of　Islam；　and　are　therefore　prone　to　despise　work；　and　to　endeavour　to　live　by　trade；　or　by　cultivating　their　own　land。　It　need　hardly　be　said　that　with　people　in　this　low　state　of　civilization　religion　is　almost　wholly　ceremonial；　and　that　neither　are　the　doctrines　of　Christianity　comprehended；　nor　its　moral　precepts　obeyed。　At　the　same　time；　as　far　as　my　own　experience　goes；　I　have　found　the　better　class　of　〃Orang　Sirani〃　as　civil；　obliging；　and　industrious　as　the　Malays；　and　only　inferior　to　them　from　their　tendency　to　get　intoxicated。
  Having　written　to　the　Assistant　Resident　of　Saparua　（who　has　jurisdiction　over　the　opposite　part　of　the　coast　of　Ceram）　for　a　boat　to　pursue　my　journey；　I　received　one　rather　larger　than　necessary　with　a　crew　of　twenty　men。　I　therefore　bade　adieu　to　my　kind　friend　Captain　Van　der　Beck；　and　left　on　the　evening　after　its　arrival　for　the　village　of　Elpiputi；　which　we　reached　in　two　days。　I　had　intended　to　stay　here；　but　not　liking　the　appearance　of　the　place；　which　seemed　to　have　no　virgin　forest　near　it；　I　determined　to　proceed　about　twelve　miles　further　up　the　bay　of　Amahay；　to　a　village　recently　formed；　and　inhabited　by　indigenes　from　the　interior；　and　where　some　extensive　cacao　plantations　were　being　made　by　some　gentlemen　of　Amboyna。　I　reached　the　place　（called　Awaiya）　the　same　afternoon；　and　with　the　assistance　of　Mr。　Peters　（the　manager　of　the　plantations）　and　the　native　chief；　obtained　a　small　house；　got　all　my　things　on　shore；　and　paid　and　discharged　my　twenty　boatmen；　two　of　whom　had　almost　driven　me　to　distraction　by　beating　tom…toms　the　whole　voyage。
  I　found　the　people　here　very　nearly　in　a　state　of　nature；　and　going　almost　naked。　The　men　wear　their　frizzly　hair　gathered　into　a　flat　circular　knot　over　the　left　temple；　which　has　a　very　knowing　look；　and　in　their　ears　cylinders　of　wood　as　thick　as　one's　finger；　and　coloured　red　at　the　ends。　Armlets　and　anklets　of　woven　grass　or　of　silver；　with　necklaces　of　beads　or　of　small　fruits；　complete　their　attire。　The　women　wear　similar　ornaments；　but　have　their　hair　loose。　All　are　tall；　with　a　dark　brown　skin；　and　well　marked　Papuan　physiognomy。　There　is　an　Amboyna　schoolmaster　in　the　village；　and　a　good　number　of　children　attend　school　every　morning。　Such　of　the　inhabitants　as　have　become　Christians　may　be　known　by　their　wearing　their　hair　loose；　and　adopting　to　some　extent　the　native　Christian　dress…trousers　and　a　loose　shirt。　Very　few　speak　Malay；　all　these　coast　villages　having　been　recently　formed　by　inducing　natives　to　leave　the　inaccessible　interior。　In　all　the　central　part　of　Ceram　there　new　remains　only　one　populous　village　in　the　mountains。　Towards　the　east　and　the　extreme　west　are　a　few　others；　with　which　exceptions　all　the　inhabitants　of　Ceram　are　collected　on　the　coast。　In　the　northern　and　eastern　districts　they　are　mostly　Mahometans；　while　on　the　southwest　coast；　nearest　Amboyna；　they　are　nominal　Christians。　In　all　this　part　of　the　Archipelago　the　Dutch　make　very　praiseworthy　efforts　to　improve　the　condition　of　the　aborigines　by　establishing　schoolmasters　in　every　village　（who　are　mostly　natives　of　Amboyna　or　Saparua；　who　have；　been　instructed　by　the　resident　missionaries）；　and　by　employing　native　vaccinators　to　prevent　the　ravages　of　smallpox。　They　also　encourage　the　settlement　of　Europeans；　and　the　formation　of　new　plantations　of　cacao　and　coffee；　one　of　the　best　means　of　raising　the　condition　of　the　natives；　who　thus　obtain　work　at　fair　wages；　and　have　the　opportunity　of　acquiring　something　of　European　tastes　and　habits。
  My　collections　here　did　not　progress　much　better　than　at　my　former　station；　except　that　butterflies　were　a　little　more　plentiful；　and　some　very　fine　species　were　to　be　found　in　the　morning　on　the　sea…beach；　sitting　so　quietly　on　the　wet　sand　that　they　could　be　caught　with　the　fingers。　In　this　way　I　had　many　fine　specimens　of　Papilios　brought　me　by　the　children。　Beetles；　however；　were　scarce；　and　birds　still　more　so；　and　I　began　to　think　that　the　handsome　species　which　I　had　so　often　heard　were　found　in　Ceram　must　be　entirely　confined　to　the　eastern　extremity　of　the　island。
  A　few　miles　further　worth；　at　the　head　of　the　Bay　of　Amahay；　is　situated　the　village　of　Makariki；　from　whence　there　is　a　native　path　quite　across　the　island　to　the　north　coast。　My　friend　Mr。　Rosenberg；　whose　acquaintance　I　had　made　at　New　Guinea；　and　who　was　now　the　Government　superintendent　of　all　this　part　of　Ceram；　returned　from　Wahai；　on　the　north　coast；　after　I　had　been　three　weeks　at　Awaiya；　and　showed　me　some　fine　butterflies　he　had　obtained　on　the　mountain　streams　in　the　interior。　He　indicated　a　spot　about　the　centre　of　the　island　where　he　thought　I　might　advantageously　stay　a　few　days。　I　accordingly　visited　Makariki　with　him　the　next　day；　and　he　instructed　the　chief　of　the　village　to　furnish　me　with　men　to　carry　my　baggage；　and　accompany　me　on　my　excursion。　As　the　people　of　the　village　wanted　to　be　at　home　on　Christmas…day；　it　was　necessary　to　start　as　soon　as　possible；　so　we　agreed　that　the　men　should　be　ready　in　two　days；　and　I　returned　to　make　my　arrangements。
  I　put　up　the　smallest　quantity　of　baggage　possible　for　a　six　days'　trip；　and　on　the　morning　of　December　18th　we　left　Makariki；　with　six　men　carrying　my　baggage　and　their　own　provisions；　and　a　lad　from　Awaiya；　who　was　accustomed　to　catch　butterflies　for　me。　My　two　Amboyna　hunters　I　left　behind　to　shoot　and　skin　what　birds　they　could　while　I　was　away。　Quitting　the　village；　we　first　walked　briskly　for　an　hour　through　a　dense　tangled　undergrowth；　dripping　wet　from　a　storm　of　the　previous　night；　and　full　of　mud　holes。　After　crossing　several　small　streams　we　reached　one　of　the　largest　rivers　in　Ceram；　called　Ruatan；　which　it　was　necessary　to　cross。　It　was　both　deep　and　rapid。　The　baggage　was　first　taken　over；　parcel　by　parcel；　on　the　men's　heads；　the　water　reaching　nearly　up　to　their　armpits；　and　then　two　men　returned　to　assist　me。　The　water　was　above　my　waist；　and　so　strong　that　I　should　certainly　have　been　carried　off　my　feet　had　I　attempted　to　cross　alone；　and　it　was　a　matter　of　astonishment　to　me　how　the　men　could　give　me　any　assistance；　since　I　found　the　greatest　difficulty　in　getting　my　foot　down　again　when　I　had　once　moved　it　off　the　bottom。　The　greater　strength　and　grasping　power　of　their　feet；　from　going　always　barefoot；　no　doubt　gave　them　a　surer　footing　in　the　rapid　water。
  After　well　wringing　out　our　wet　clothes　and　putting　them　on；　we　again　proceeded　along　a　similar　narrow　forest　track　as　before；　choked　with　rotten　leaves　and　dead　trees；　and　in　the　more　open　parts　overgrown　with　tangled　vegetation。　Another　hour　brought　us　to　a　smaller　stream　flowing　in　a　wide　gravelly　bed；　up　which　our　road　lay。　Here　w　e　stayed　half　an　hour　to　breakfast；　and　then　went　on；　continually　crossing　the　stream；　or　walking　on　its　stony　and　gravelly　banks；　till　about　noon；　when　it　became　rocky　and　enclosed　by　low　hills。　A　little　further　we　entered　a　regular　mountain…gorge；　and　had　to　clamber　over　rocks；　and　every　moment　cross　and　recross　the　water；　or　take　short　cuts　through　the　forest。　This　was　fatiguing　work；　and　about　three　in　the　afternoon；　the　sky　being　overcast；　and　thunder　in　the　mountains　indicating　an　approaching　storm；　we　had　to　loon　out　for　a　camping　place；　and　soon　after　reached　one　of　Mr。　Rosenberg's　old　ones。　The　skeleton　of　his　little　sleeping…hut　remained；　and　my　men　cut　leaves　and　made　a　hasty　roof　just　as　the　rain　commenced。　The　baggage　was　covered　over　with　leaves；　and　the　men　shelter