as my guide and companion on the journey. From Lotta we had an almost
continual ascent for six miles, which brought us on to the plateau of
Tondano at an elevation of about 2,400 feet. We passed through three
villages whose neatness and beauty quite astonished me. The main road,
along which all the coffee is brought down from the interior in carts
drawn by buffaloes, is always turned aside at the entrance of a village,
so as to pass behind it, and thus allow the village street itself to
be kept neat and clean. This is bordered by neat hedges often formed
entirely of rose-trees, which are perpetually in blossom. There is a
broad central path and a border of fine turf, which is kept well swept
and neatly cut. The houses are all of wood, raised about six feet on
substantial posts neatly painted blue, while the walls are whitewashed.
They all have a verandah enclosed with a neat balustrade, and are
generally surrounded by orange-trees and flowering shrubs. The
surrounding scenery is verdant and picturesque. Coffee plantations
of extreme luxuriance, noble palms and tree ferns, wooded hills and
volcanic peaks, everywhere meet the eye. I had heard much of the beauty
of this country, but the reality far surpassed my expectations.
About one o'clock we reached Tomohon, the chief place of a district,
having a native chief now called the "Major," at whose house we were to
dine. Here was a fresh surprise for me. The house was large, airy and
very substantially built of hard native timber, squared and put together
in a most workmanlike manner. It was furnished in European style, with
handsome chandelier lamps, and the chairs and tables all well made by
native workmen. As soon as we entered, madeira and bitters were offered
us. Then two handsome boys neatly dressed in white, and with smoothly
brushed jet-black hair, handed us each a basin of water and a clean
napkin on a salver. The dinner was excellent. Fowls cooked in various
ways; wild pig roasted, stewed and fried; a fricassee of bats, potatoes,
rice and other vegetables; all served on good china, with finger glasses
and fine napkins, and abundance of good claret and beer, seemed to
me rather curious at the table of a native chief on the mountains of
Celebes. Our host was dressed in a suit of black with patent-leather
shoes, and really looked comfortable and almost gentlemanly in them. He
sat at the head of the table and did the honours well, though he did
not talk much. Our conversation was entirely in Malay, as that is the
official language here, and in fact the mother-tongue and only language
of the Controlleur, who is a native-born half-breed. The Major's father
who was chief before him, wore, I was informed, a strip of bark as his
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