given in a letter to his old friend Bates, dated December 24th, 1860, in
which he says: "Many thanks for your long and interesting letter. I have
myself suffered much in the same way as you describe, and I think more
severely. The kind of _tædium vitæ_ you mention I also occasionally
experience here. I impute it to a too monotonous existence." And again
when he begs his friend to write, as he is "half froze for news."

As already stated, Wallace, at no time during these wanderings, had any
escort or protection, having to rely entirely upon his own tact and
patience, combined with firmness, in his dealings with the natives. On
one occasion he was taken ill, and had to remain six weeks with none but
native Papuans around him, and he became so attached to them that when
saying good-bye it was with the full intention of returning amongst them
at a later period. In another place he speaks of sleeping under cover of
an open palm-leaf hut as calmly as under the protection of the
Metropolitan Police!

Up to that time, also, he was the only Englishman who had actually seen
the beautiful "birds of paradise in their native forests," this success
being achieved after "five voyages to different parts of the district
they inhabit, each occupying in its preparation and execution the larger
part of a year." And then only five species out of a possible fourteen
were procured. His enthusiasm as a naturalist and collector knew no
bounds, butterflies especially calling into play all his feelings of joy
and satisfaction. Describing his first sight of the _Ornithoptera
croesus_, he says that the blood rushed to his head and he felt much
more like fainting than he had done when in apprehension of immediate
death; a similar sensation being experienced when he came across another
large bird-winged butterfly, _Ornithoptera poseidon_.