Waypoti, only a few miles beyond Pelah, but that, as the
coast beyond that place was exposed to the east monsoon and dangerous
for praus, it was necessary to walk. I immediately went to the Opzeiner,
and he called the Rajah. We had a consultation, and arranged for a boat
to take me the next evening but one, to Pelah, whence I was to proceed
on foot, the Orang-kaya going the day before to call the Alfuros to
carry my baggage.

The journey was made as arranged, and on May 19th we arrived at Waypoti,
having walked about ten miles along the beach, and through stony forest
bordering the sea, with occasional plunges of a mile or two into the
interior. We found no village, but scattered houses and plantations,
with hilly country pretty well covered with forest, and looking rather
promising. A low hut with a very rotten roof, showing the sky through in
several places, was the only one I could obtain. Luckily it did not rain
that night, and the next day we pulled down some of the walls to repair
the roof, which was of immediate importance, especially over our beds
and table.

About half a mile from the house was a fine mountain stream, running
swiftly over a bed of rocks and pebbles, and beyond this was a hill
covered with fine forest. By carefully picking my way I could wade
across this river without getting much above my knees, although I would
sometimes slip off a rock and go into a hole up to my waist, and
about twice a week I went across it in order to explore the forest.
Unfortunately there were no paths here of any extent, and it did
not prove very productive either in insects or birds. To add to my
difficulties I had stupidly left my only pair of strong hoots on board
the steamer, and my others were by this time all dropping to pieces,
so that I was obliged to walk about barefooted, and in constant fear of
hurting my feet, and causing a wound which might lay me up for weeks,
as had happened in Borneo, Are, and Dorey. Although there were numerous
plantations of maize and plantains, there were no new clearings; and as
without these it is almost impossible to find many of the best kinds
of insects, I determined to make one myself, and with much difficulty
engaged two men to clear a patch of forest, from which I hoped to obtain
many fine beetles before I left.

During the whole of my stay, however, insects never became plentiful. My
clearing produced me a few fine, longicorns and Buprestidae, different
from any I had bef