the malay archipelago-2-第49节

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。　This　long　thought…of　and　much…desired　voyage　to　New　Guinea　had　realized　none　of　my　expectations。　Instead　of　being　far　better　than　the　Aru　Islands；　it　was　in　almost　everything　much　worse。　Instead　of　producing　several　of　the　rarer　Paradise　birds；　I　had　not　even　seen　one　of　them；　and　had　not　obtained　any　one　superlatively　fine　bird　or　insect。　I　cannot　deny；　however；　that　Dorey　was　very　rich　in　ants。　One　small　black　kind　was　excessively　abundant。　Almost　every　shrub　and　tree　was　more　or　less　infested　with　it；　and　its　large　papery　nests　were　everywhere　to　be　seen。　They　immediately　took　possession　of　my　house；　building　a　large　nest　in　the　roof；　and　forming　papery　tunnels　down　almost　every　post。　They　swarmed　on　my　table　as　I　was　at　work　setting　out　my　insects；　carrying　them　off　from　under　my　very　nose；　and　even　tearing　them　from　the　cards　on　which　they　were　gummed　if　I　left　them　for　an　instant。　They　crawled　continually　over　my　hands　and　face；　got　into　my　hair；　and　roamed　at　will　over　my　whole　body；　not　producing　much　inconvenience　till　they　began　to　bite；　which　they　would　do　on　meeting　with　any　obstruction　to　their　passage；　and　with　a　sharpness　which　made　me　jump　again　and　rush　to　undress　and　turn　out　the　offender。　They　visited　my　bed　also；　so　that　night　brought　no　relief　from　their　persecutions；　and　I　verily　believe　that　during　my　three　and　a　half　months'　residence　at　Dorey　I　was　never　for　a　single　hour　entirely　free　from　them。　They　were　not　nearly　so　voracious　as　many　other　kinds；　but　their　numbers　and　ubiquity　rendered　it　necessary　to　be　constantly　on　guard　against　them。

The　flies　that　troubled　me　most　were　a　large　kind　of　blue…bottle　or　blow…fly。　These　settled　in　swarms　on　my　bird　skins　when　first　put　out　to　dry；　filling　their　plumage　with　masses　of　eggs；　which；　if　neglected；　the　next　day　produced　maggots。　They　would　get　under　the　wings　or　under　the　body　where　it　rested　on　the　drying…board；　sometimes　actually　raising　it　up　half　an　inch　by　the　mass　of　eggs　deposited　in　a　few　hours；　and　every　egg　was　so　firmly　glued　to　the　fibres　of　the　feathers；　as　to　make　it　a　work　of　much　time　and　patience　to　get　them　off　without　injuring　the　bird。　In　no　other　locality　have　I　ever　been　troubled　with　such　a　plague　as　this。

On　the　29th　we　left　Dorey；　and　expected　a　quick　voyage　home；　as　it　was　the　time　of　year　when　we　ought　to　have　had　steady　southerly　and　easterly　winds。　Instead　of　these；　however；　we　had　calms　and　westerly　breezes；　and　it　was　seventeen　days　before　we　reached　Ternate；　a　distance　of　five　hundred　miles　only；　which；　with　average　winds；　could　have　been　done　in　five　days。　It　was　a　great　treat　to　me　to　find　myself　back　again　in　my　comfortable　house；　enjoying　milk　to　my　tea　and　coffee；　fresh　bread　and　butter；　and　fowl　and　fish　daily　for　dinner。　This　New　Guinea　voyage　had　used　us　all　up；　and　I　determined　to　stay　and　recruit　before　I　commenced　any　fresh　expeditions。　My　succeeding　journeys　to　Gilolo　and　Batchian　have　already　been　narrated；　and　if；　now　only　remains　for　me　to　give　an　account　of　my　residence　in　Waigiou；　the　last　Papuan　territory　I　visited　in　search　of　Birds　of　Paradise。

CHAPTER　XXXV。

VOYAGE　FROM　CERAM　TO　WAIGIOU。

（JUNE　AND　JULY　1860。）

IN　my　twenty…fifth　chapter　I　have　described　my　arrival　at　Wahai；　on　my　way　to　Mysol　and　Waigiou；　islands　which　belong　to　the　Papuan　district；　and　the　account　of　which　naturally　follows　after　that　of　my　visit　to　the　mainland　of　New　Guinea。　I　now　take　up　my　narrative　at　my　departure　from　Wahai；　with　the　intention　of　carrying　various　necessary　stores　to　my　assistant；　Mr。　Allen；　at　Silinta；　in　Mysol；　and　then　continuing　my　journey　to　Waigiou。　It　will　be　remembered　that　I　was　travelling　in　a　small　prau；　which　I　had　purchased　and　fitted　up　in　Goram；　and　that；　having　been　deserted　by　my　crew　on　the　coast　of　Ceram；　I　had　obtained　four　men　at　Wahai；　who；　with　my　Amboynese　hunter；　constituted　my　crew。

Between　Ceram　and　Mysol　there　are　sixty　miles　of　open　sea；　and　along　this　wide　channel　the　east　monsoon　blows　strongly；　so　that　with　native　praus；　which　will　not　lay　up　to　the　wind；　it　requires　some　care　in　crossing。　In　order　to　give　ourselves　sufficient　leeway；　we　sailed　back　from　Wahai　eastward；　along　the　coast　of　Ceram；　with　the　land…breeze；　but　in　the　morning　（June　18th）　had　not　gone　nearly　so　far　as　I　expected。　My　pilot；　an　old　and　experienced　sailor；　named　Gurulampoko；　assured　me　there　was　a　current　setting　to　the　eastward；　and　that　we　could　easily　lay　across　to　Silinta；　in　Mysol。　As　we　got　out　from　the　land　the　wind　increased；　and　there　was　a　considerable　sea；　which　made　my　short　little　vessel　plunge　and　roll　about　violently。　By　sunset　…we　had　not　got　halfway　across；　but　could　see　Mysol　distinctly。　All　night　we　went　along　uneasily；　and　at　daybreak；　on　looking　out　anxiously；　I　found　that　we　had　fallen　much　to　the　westward　during　the　night；　owing；　no　doubt；　to　the　pilot　being　sleepy　and　not　keeping　the　boat　sufficiently　close　to　the　wind。　We　could　see　the　mountains　distinctly；　but　it　was　clear　we　should　not　reach　Silinta；　and　should　have　some　difficulty　in　getting　to　the　extreme　westward　point　of　the　island。　The　sea　was　now　very　boisterous；　and　our　prau　was　continually　beaten　to　leeward　by　the　waves；　and　after　another　weary　day　we　found　w　e　could　not　get　to　Mysol　at　all；　but　might　perhaps　reach　the　island　called　Pulo　Kanary；　about　ten　miles　to　the　north…west。　Thence　we　might　await　a　favourable　wind　to　reach　Waigamma；　on　the　north　side　of　the　island；　and　visit　Allen　by　means　of　a　small　boat。

About　nine　o'clock　at　night；　greatly　to　my　satisfaction；　we　got　under　the　lea　of　this　island；　into　quite　smooth　waterfor　I　had　been　very　sick　and　uncomfortable；　and　had　eaten　scarcely　anything　since　the　preceding　morning。　We　were　slowly　nearing　the　shore；　which　the　smooth　dark　water　told　us　we　could　safely　approach；　and　were　congratulating　ourselves　on　soon　being　at　anchor；　with　the　prospect　of　hot　coffee；　a　good　supper；　and　a　sound　sleep；　when　the　wind　completely　dropped；　and　we　had　to　get　out　the　oars　to　row。　We　were　not　more　than　two　hundred　yards　from　the　shore；　when　I　noticed　that　we　seemed　to　get　no　nearer　although　the　men　were　rowing　hard；　but　drifted　to　the　westward；　and　the　prau　would　not　obey　the　helm；　but　continually　fell　off；　and　gave　us　much　trouble　to　bring　her　up　again。　Soon　a　laud　ripple　of　water　told　us　we　were　seized　by　one　of　those　treacherous　currents　which　so　frequently　frustrate　all　the　efforts　of　the　voyager　in　these　seas；　the　men　threw　down　the　oars　in　despair；　and　in　a　few　minutes　we　drifted　to　leeward　of　the　island　fairly　out　to　sea　again；　and　lost　our　last　chance　of　ever　reaching　Mysol！　Hoisting　our　jib；　we　lay　to；　and　in　the　morning　found　ourselves　only　a　few　miles　from　the　island；　but　wit；　such　a　steady　wind　blowing　from　its　direction　as　to　render　it　impossible　for　us　to　get　back　to　it。

We　now　made　sail　to　the　northward；　hoping　soon　to　get　a　more　southerly　wind。　Towards　noon　the　sea　was　much　smoother；　and　with　a　S。S。E。　wind　we　were　laying　in　the　direction　of　Salwatty；　which　I　hoped　to　reach；　as　I　could　there　easily　get　a　boat　to　take　provisions　and　stores　to　my　companion　in　Mysol。　This　wind　did　not；　however；　last　long；　but　died　away　into　a　calm；　and　a　light　west　wind　springing　up；　with　a　dark　bank　of　clouds；　again　gave　us　hopes　of　reaching　Mysol。　We　were　soon；　however；　again　disappointed。　The　E。S。E。　wind　began　to　blow　again　with　violence；　and　continued　all　night　in　irregular　gusts；　and　with　a　short　cross　sea　tossed　us　about　unmercifully；　and　so　continually　took　our　sails　aback；　that　we　were　at　length　forced　to　run　before　it　with　our　jib　only；　to　escape　being　swamped　by　our　heavy　mainsail。　After　another　miserable　and　anxious　night；　we　found　that　we　had　drifted　westward　of　the　island　of　Poppa；　and　the　wind　being　again　a　little　southerly；　we　made　all　sail　in　order　to　reach　it。　This　we　did　not　succeed　in　doing；　passing　to　the　north…west；　when　the　wind　again　blew　hard　from　the　E。S。E。；　and　our　last　hope　of　finding　a　refuge　till　better　weather　was　frustrated。　This　was　a　very　serious　matter　to　me；　as　I　could　not　tell　how　Charles　Allen　might　act；　if；　after　waiting　in　vain　for　me；　he　should　return　to　Wahai；　and　find　that　I　had　left　there　long　before；　and　had　not　since　been　heard　of。　Such　an　event　as　our　missing　an　island　forty　miles　long　would　hardly　occur　to　him；　and　he　would　conclude　either　that　our　boat　had　foundered；　or　that　my　crew　had　murdered　me　and　run　away　with　her。　However；　as　it　was　physically　impossible　now　for　me　to　reach　him；　the　only　thing　to　be　done　was　to　make　the　best　of　my　way　to　Waigiou；　and　trust　to　our　meeting　some　traders；　who　might　convey　to　him　the　news　of　my　safety。

Finding　on　my　map　a　group　of　three　small　islands；　twenty…five　miles　north　of　Poppa；　I　resolved；　if　possible；　to　rest　there　a　day　or　two。　We　could　lay　our　boat's　head　N。E。　by　N。；　but　a　heavy　sea　from　the　eastward　so　continually　beat　us　off　our　course；　and　we　made　so　much　leeway；　that　I　found　it　would　be　as　much　as　we　could　do　to　reach　them。　It　was　a　delicate　point　to　keep　our　head　in　the　best　direction；　neither　so　close　to　the　wind　as　to　stop　our　way；　or　so　free　as　to　carry　us　too　far　to　leeward。　I　continually　directed　the　steersman　myself；　and　by　incessant　vigilance　succeeded；　just　at　sunset；