It became evident, therefore, that I must leave Cajeli for some better collecting ground, and finding a man who was going a few miles eastward to a village on the coast where he said there were hills and forest, I sent my boy Ali with him to explore and report on the capabilities of the district.

At the same time I arranged to go myself on a little excursion up a river which flows into the bay about five miles north of the town, to a village of the Alfuros, or indigenes, where I thought I might perhaps find a good collecting ground.
The Rajah of Cajeli, a good-tempered old man, offered to accompany me, as the village was under his government; and we started one morning early, in a long narrow boat with eight rowers.

In about two hours we entered the river, and commenced our inland journey against a very powerful current.

The stream was about a hundred yards wide, and was generally bordered with high grass, and occasionally bushes and palm-trees.

The country round was flat and more or less swampy, with scattered trees and shrubs.