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s we made up by the free use of French or Latin words。
After a few walks in the neighbourhood of the town； I found such a poverty of insects and birds that I determined to go for a few days to the island of Semao at the western extremity of Timor； where I heard that there was forest country with birds not found at Coupang。 With some difficulty I obtained a large dugout boat with outriggers； to take me over a distance of about twenty miles。 I found the country pretty well wooded； but covered with shrubs and thorny bushes rather than forest trees； and everywhere excessively parched and dried up by the long…continued dry season。 I stayed at the village of Oeassa； remarkable for its soap springs。 One of these is in the middle of the village； bubbling out from a little cone of mud to which the ground rises all round like a volcano in miniature。 The water has a soapy feel and produces a strong lather when any greasy substance is washed in it。 It contains alkali and iodine； in such quantities as to destroy all vegetation for some distance around。 Close by the village is one of the finest springs I have ever seen； contained in several rocky basins communicating by narrow channels。 These have been neatly walled where required and partly levelled； and form fine natural baths。 The water is well tasted and clear as crystal； and the basins are surrounded by a grove of lofty many…stemmed banyan…trees； which keep them always cool and shady； and add greatly to the picturesque beauty of the scene。
The village consists of curious little houses very different from any I have seen elsewhere。 They are of an oval figure； and the walls are made of sticks about four feet high placed close together。 From this rises a high conical roof thatched with grass。 The only opening is a door about three feet high。 The people are like the Timorese with frizzly or wavy hair and of a coppery brown colour。 The better class appear to have a mixture of some superior race which has much improved their features。 I saw in Coupang some chiefs from the island of Savu further west； who presented characters very distinct from either the Malay or Papuan races。 They most resembled Hindus； having fine well… formed features and straight thin noses with clear brown complexions。 As the Brahminical religion once spread over all Java； and even now exists in Bali and Lombock； it is not at all improbable that some natives of India should have reached this island； either by accident or to escape persecution； and formed a permanent settlement there。
I stayed at Oeassa four days； when； not finding any insects and very few new birds； I returned to Coupang to await the next mail steamer。 On the way I had a narrow escape of being swamped。 The deep coffin… like boat was filled up with my baggage； and with vegetables； cocoa… nut and other fruit for Coupang market； and when we had got some way across into a rather rough sea； we found that a quantity of water was coming in which we had no means of baling out。 This caused us to sink deeper in the water； and then we shipped seas over our sides； and the rowers； who had before declared it was nothing； now became alarmed and turned the boat round to get back to the coast of Semao； which was not far off。 By clearing away some of the baggage a little of the water could be baled out； but hardly so fast as it came in； and when we neared the coast we found nothing but vertical walls of rock against which the sea was violently beating。 We coasted along some distance until we found a little cove； into which we ran the boat； hauled it on shore； and emptying it found a large hole in the bottom； which had been temporarily stopped up with a plug of cocoa…nut which had come out。 Had we been a quarter of a mile further off before we discovered the leak； we should certainly have been obliged to throw most of our baggage overboard； and might easily have lost our lives。 After we had put all straight and secure we again started； and when we were halfway across got into such a strong current and high cross sea that we were very nearly being swamped a second time； which made me vow never to trust myself again in such small and miserable vessels。
The mail steamer did not arrive for a week； and I occupied myself in getting as many of the birds as I could； and found some which were very interesting。 Among them were five species of pigeons of as many distinct genera； and most of then peculiar to the island； two parrotsthe fine red…winged broad…tail （Platycercus vulneratus）； allied to an Australian species； and a green species of the genus Geoffroyus。 The Tropidorhynchus timorensis was as ubiquitous and as noisy as I had found it at Lombock； and the Sphaecothera viridis； a curious green oriole with bare red orbits； was a great acquisition。 There were several pretty finches； warblers； and flycatchers； and among them I obtained the elegant blue and red Cyornis hyacinthina； but I cannot recognise among my collections the species mentioned by Dampier； who seems to have been much struck by the number of small songbirds in Timor。 He says： 〃One sort of these pretty little birds my men called the ringing bird； because it had six notes； and always repeated all his notes twice； one after the other； beginning high and shrill and ending low。 The bird was about the bigness of a lark； having a small； sharp； black bill and blue wings； the head and breast were of a pale red； and there was a blue streak about its neck。〃 In Semao； monkeys are abundant。 They are the common bare…lipped monkey （Macacus cynomolgus）； which is found all over the western islands of the Archipelago； and may have been introduced by natives； who often carry it about captive。 There are also some deer； but it is not quite certain whether they are of the same species as are found in Java。
I arrived at Delli； the capital of the Portuguese possessions in Timor； on January 12； 1861； and was kindly received by Captain Hart； an Englishman and an old resident； who trades in the produce of the country and cultivates coffee on an estate at the foot of the hills。 With him I was introduced to Mr。 Geach； a mining…engineer who had been for two years endeavouring to discover copper in sufficient quantity to be worth working。
Delli is a most miserable place compared with even the poorest of the Dutch towns。 The houses are all of mud and thatch； the fort is only a mud enclosure； and the custom…house and church are built of the same mean materials； with no attempt at decoration or even neatness。 The whole aspect of the place is that of a poor native town； and there is no sign of cultivation or civilization round about it。 His Excellency the Governor's house is the only one that makes any pretensions to appearance； and that is merely a low whitewashed cottage or bungalow。 Yet there is one thing in which civilization exhibits itself officials in black and white European costume； and officers in gorgeous uniforms abound in a degree quite disproportionate to the size or appearance of the place。
The town being surrounded for some distance by swamps and mudflats is very unhealthy； and a single night often gives a fever to newcomers which not unfrequently proves fatal。 To avoid this malaria； Captain Hart always slept at his