ito Mother's Method
of Giving Drink to Her Baby--Exhausting Marches Amid Striking
Scenery--The Worst Over--A Bolt from the Blue--Negritos in a
Fury--Violent Scenes at a Negrito Council of War--They Decide
on Reprisals--Further Progress Barred in Consequence--Return to
Florida Blanca.

As I mentioned before, this was the unhealthy season in the
Philippines, and Vic assured me that these lower mountains were even
more unhealthy than the flat country. I myself soon arrived at a
similar conclusion, as a regular epidemic of malaria now set in among
my pigmy friends, the Negritos, and the old chief told us that his
favourite son was dying with it; next my neighbour and his wife were
prostrated with it, and when they had slightly recovered, they left
their hut and returned to Florida Blanca. Vic himself was next laid
up with it, and seemed to think he was going to die. When I was at
work in the evening he would shiver and groan under a blanket by my
side; this, coming night after night, was rather depressing for me,
all alone as I was. At other times he would imagine we were hunting the
wary and elusive _pitta,_ and would start up crying, "_Ah! el tinkalu,_
it is there! _por Deos,_ shoot, my English, shoot!" or he would imagine
we were after butterflies, and would cry out, _"Caramba, mariposa azul
muy grande, muy bueno, bueno!"_ I was forced to do all the cooking for
both of us, though it was quite pathetic to see poor Vic's efforts to
come to my assistance, and his indignation that his "English" should
do such work for him. At one time I half expected that he would die,
but with careful nursing and doctoring I gradually brought him round.

During all the time that he was ill. I did but little collecting,
and no sooner was Vic on the road to recovery than I myself was seized
with it, and Vic repaid the compliment by nursing me in turn. It was
a most depressing illness, especially as I was living on the poorest
fare in a close and dirty hut. When you are ill in civilization, with
nurses and doctors and a good bed, you feel that you are in good hands,
and confidence does much to help recovery. But it is a different matter
being sick in the wilds, without any of these luxuries, and you wonder
what will happen if it gets serious. Then you long for home and its
luxuries, with a very great longing, and cordially detest the spot
you are in, with all those wretched birds and butterflies! It is Eke
a long nightm