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w； and brown； radiates uniformly around them； and looks exceedingly pretty。 They have somewhat of the motions of
mice； coming on with little starts； and gazing intently with their large black eyes before venturing to advance further。 The manner in which Malays often obtain the confidence of wild animals is a very pleasing trait in their character； and is due in some degree to the quiet deliberation of their manners； and their love of repose rather than of action。 The young are obedient to the wishes of their elders； and seem to feel none of that propensity to mischief which European boys exhibit。 How long would tame squirrels continue to inhabit trees in the vicinity of an English village； even if close to the church？ They would soon be pelted and driven away； or snared and confined in a whirling cage。 I have never heard of these pretty animals being tamed in this way in England； but I should think it might be easily done in any gentleman's park； and they would certainly be as pleasing and attractive as they would be uncommon。
After many inquiries； I found that a day's journey by water above Palembang there commenced a military road which extended up to the mountains and even across to Bencoolen； and I determined to take this route and travel on until I found some tolerable collecting ground。 By this means I should secure dry land and a good road； and avoid the rivers； which at this season are very tedious to ascend owing to the powerful currents； and very unproductive to the collector owing to most of the lands in their vicinity being underwater。 Leaving early in the morning we did not reach Lorok； the village where the road begins； until late at night。 I stayed there a few days； but found that most all the ground in the vicinity not underwater was cultivated； and that the only forest was in swamps which were now inaccessible。 The only bird new to me which I obtained at Lorok was the fine long… tailed parroquet （Palaeornis longicauda）。 The people here assured me that the country was just the same as this for a very long waymore than a week's journey； and they seemed hardly to have any conception of an elevated forest…clad country； so that I began to think it would be useless going on； as the time at my disposal was too short to make it worth my while to spend much more of it in moving about。 At length； however； I found a man who knew the country； and was more intelligent； and he at once told me that if I wanted forest I must go to the district of Rembang； which I found on inquiry was about twenty…five or thirty miles off。
The road is divided into regular stages of ten or twelve miles each； and； without sending on in advance to have coolies ready； only this distance can be travelled in a day。 At each station there are houses for the accommodation of passengers； with cooking…house and stables； and six or eight men always on guard。 There is an established system for coolies at fixed rates； the inhabitants of the surrounding villages all taking their turn to be subject to coolie service； as well as that of guards at the station for five days at a time。 This arrangement makes travelling very easy； and was a great convenience for me。 I had a pleasant walk of ten or twelve miles in the morning； and the rest of the day could stroll about and explore the village and neighbourhood； having a house ready to occupy without any formalities whatever。 In three days I reached Moera…dua； the first village in Rembang； and finding the country dry and undulating； with a good sprinkling of forest； I determined to remain a short time and try the neighbourhood。 Just opposite the station was a small but deep river； and a good bathing…place； and beyond the village was a fine patch of forest； through which the road passed； overshadowed by magnificent trees； which partly tempted me to stay； but after a fortnight I could find no good place for insects； and very few birds different from the common species of Malacca。 I therefore moved on another stage to Lobo Raman； where the guard…house is situated quite by itself in the forest； nearly a mile from each of three villages。 This was very agreeable to me； as I could move about without having every motion watched by crowds of men； women and children； and I had also a much greater variety of walks to each of the villages and the plantations around them。
The villages of the Sumatran Malays are somewhat peculiar and very picturesque。 A space of some acres is surrounded with a high fence； and over this area the houses are thickly strewn without the least attempt at regularity。 Tall cocoa…nut trees grow abundantly between them； and the ground is bare and smooth with the trampling of many feet。 The houses are raised about six feet on posts； the best being entirely built of planks； others of bamboo。 The former are always more or less ornamented with carving and have high…pitched roofs and overhanging eaves。 The gable ends and all the chief posts and beams are sometimes covered with exceedingly tasteful carved work； and this is still more the case in the district of Menangkabo； further west。 The floor is made of split bamboo； and is rather shaky； and there is no sign of anything we should call furniture。 There are no benches or chairs or stools； but merely the level floor covered with mats； on which the inmates sit or lie。 The aspect of the village itself is very neat； the ground being often swept before the chief houses； but very bad odours abound； owing to there being under every house a stinking mud…hole； formed by all waste liquids and refuse matter； poured down through the floor above。 In most other things Malays are tolerably cleanin some scrupulously so； and this peculiar and nasty custom； which is almost universal； arises； I have little doubt； from their having been originally a maritime and water…loving people； who built their houses on posts in the water； and only migrated gradually inland； first up the rivers and streams； and then into the dry interior。 Habits which were at once so convenient and so cleanly； and which had been so long practised as to become a portion of the domestic life of the nation； were of course continued when the first settlers built their houses inland； and without a regular system of drainage； the arrangement of the villages is such that any other system would be very inconvenient。
In all these Sumatran villages I found considerable difficulty in getting anything to eat。 It was not the season for vegetables； and when； after much trouble； I managed to procure some yams of a curious variety； I found them hard and scarcely eatable。 Fowls were very scarce； and fruit was reduced to one of the poorest kinds of banana。 The natives （during the wet season at least） live exclusively on rice； as the poorer Irish do on potatoes。 A pot of rice cooked very dry and eaten with salt and red peppers； twice a day； forms their entire food during a large part of the year。 This is no sign of poverty； but is simply custom； for their wives and children are loaded with silver armlets from wrist to elbow； and carry dozens of silver coins strung round their necks or suspended from their ears。
As I had moved away from Palembang； I had found the Malay spoken by the common people less and less pur