the malay archipelago-2-第55节

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these　tides；　that　came　mostly　from　the　west；　and　the　wind　being　from　that　quarter　we　commonly　heard　them　a　long　time　before　they　came；　and　sometimes　lowered　our　topsails；　thinking　it　was　a　gust　of　wind。　They　were　of　great　length；　from　north　to　south；　but　their　breadth　not　exceeding　200　yards；　and　they　drove　a　great　pace。　For　though　we　had　little　wind　to　move　us；　yet　these　world　soon　pass　away；　and　leave　the　water　very　smooth；　and　just　before　we　encountered　them　we　met　a　great　swell；　but　it　did　not　break。〃　Some　time　afterwards；　I　learnt　that　an　earthquake　had　been　felt　on　the　coast　of　Gilolo　the　very　day　we　had　encountered　these　curious　waves。

When　daylight　came；　we　saw　the　land　of　Gilolo　a　few　miles　off；　but　the　point　was　unfortunately　a　little　to　windward　of　us。　We　tried　to　brace　up　all　we　could　to　round　it；　but　as　we　approached　the　shore　we　got　into　a　strong　current　setting　northward；　which　carried　us　so　rapidly　with　it　that　we　found　it　necessary　to　stand　off　again；　in　order　to　get　out　of　its　influence。　Sometimes　we　approached　the　point　a　little；　and　our　hopes　revived；　then　the　wind　fell；　and　we　drifted　slowly　away。　Night　found　us　in　nearly　the　same　position　as　we　had　occupied　in　the　morning；　so　we　hung　down　our　anchor　with　about　fifteen　fathoms　of　cable　to　prevent　drifting。　On　the　morning　of　the　7th　we　were　however；　a　good　way　up　the　coast；　and　we　now　thought　our　only　chance　would　be　to　got　close　in…shore；　where　there　might　be　a　return　current；　and　we　could　then　row。　The　prau　was　heavy；　and　my　men　very　poor　creatures　for　work；　so　that　it　took　us　six　hours　to　get　to　the　edge　of　the　reef　that　fringed　the　shore；　and　as　the　wind　might　at　any　moment　blow　on　to　it；　our　situation　was　a　very　dangerous　one。　Luckily；　a　short　distance　off　there　was　a　sandy　bay；　where　a　small　stream　stopped　the　growth　of　the　coral；　and　by　evening　we　reached　this　and　anchored　for　the　night。　Here　we　found　some　Galela　men　shooting　deer　and　pigs；　but　they　could　not　or　would　not　speak　Malay；　and　we　could　get　little　information　from　them。　We　found　out　that　along　shore　the　current　changed　with　the　tide；　while　about　a　mile　out　it　was　always　one　way；　and　against　us；　and　this　gave　us　some　hopes　of　getting　back　to　the　point；　from　which　we　were　now　distant　twenty　miles。　Next　morning　we　found　that　the　Galela　men　had　left　before　daylight；　having　perhaps　some　vague　fear　of　our　intentions；　anal　very　likely　taking　me　for　a　pirate。　During　the　morning　a　boat　passed；　and　the　people　informed　us　that；　at　a　short　distance　further　towards　the　point；　there　was　a　much　better　harbour；　where　there　were　plenty　of　Galela　men；　from　whom　we；　might　probably　get　some　assistance。

At　three　in　the　afternoon；　when　the　current　turned；　we　started；　but　having　a　head…wind；　made　slow　progress。　At　dusk　we　reached　the　entrance　of　the　harbour；　but　an　eddy　and　a　gust　of　wind　carried　us　away　and　out　to　sea。　After　sunset　there　was　a　land　breeze；　and　we　sailed　a　little　to　the　south…east。　It　then　became　calm；　and　eve　hung　down　our　anchor　forty　fathoms；　to　endeavour　to　counteract　the　current；　but　it　was　of　little　avail；　and　in　the　morning　we　found　ourselves　a　good　way　from　shore；　and　just　opposite　our　anchorage　of　the　day　before；　which　we　again　reached　by　hard　rowing。　I　gave　the　men　this　day　to　rest　and　sleep；　and　the　next　day　（Oct。　10th）　we　again　started　at　two　in　the　morning　with　a　land　breeze。　After　I　had　set　them　to　their　oars；　and　given　instructions　to　keep　close　in…shore；　and　on　no　account　to　get　out　to　sea；　I　went　below；　being　rather　unwell。　At　daybreak　I　found；　to　my　great　astonishment；　that　we　were　again　far　off…shore；　and　was　told　that　the　wind　had　gradually　turned　more　ahead；　and　had　carried　us　outnone　of　them　having　the　sense　to　take　down　the　sail　and　row　in…shore；　or　to　call　me。　As　soon　as　it　was　daylight；　we　saw　that　we　had　drifted　back；　and　were　again　opposite　our　former　anchorage；　and；　for　the　third　time；　had　to　row　hard　to　get　to　it。　As　we　approached　the　shore；　I　saw　that　the　current　was　favourable　to　us；　and　we　continued　down　the　coast　till　we　were　close　to　the　entrance　to　the　lower　harbour。　Just　as　we　were　congratulating　ourselves　on　having　at　last　reached　it；　a　strong　south…east　squall　carne　on；　blowing　us　back；　and　rendering　it　impossible　for　us　to　enter。　Not　liking　the　idea　of　again　returning；　I　determined　on　trying　to　anchor；　and　succeeded　in　doing　so；　in　very　deep　water　and　close　to　the　reefs；　but　the　prevailing　winds　were　such　that；　should　we　not　hold；　we　should　have　no　difficulty　in　getting　out　to　sea。　By　the　time　the　squall　had　passed；　the　current　had　turned　against　us；　and　we　expected　to　have　to　wait　till　four　in　the　afternoon；　when　we　intended　to　enter　the　harbour。

Now；　however；　came　the　climax　of　our　troubles。　The　swell　produced　by　the　squall　made　us　jerk　our　cable　a　good　deal；　and　it　suddenly　snapped　low　down　in　the　water。　We　drifted　out　to　sea；　and　immediately　set　our　mainsail；　but　we　were　now　without　any　anchor；　and　in　a　vessel　so　poorly　manned　that　it　could　not　be　rowed　against　the　most　feeble　current　or　the　slightest　wind；　it　word　be　madness　to　approach　these　dangerous　shores　except　in　the　most　perfect　calm。　We　had　also　only　three　days'　food　left。　It　was　therefore　out　of　the　question　making　any　further　attempts　to　get　round　the　point　without　assistance；　and　I　at　once　determined　to　run　to　the　village　of　Gani…diluar；　about　ten　miles　further　north；　where　we　understood　there　was　a　good　harbour；　and　where　we　might　get　provisions　and　a　few　more　rowers。　Hitherto　winds　and　currents　load　invariably　opposed　our　passage　southward；　and　we　might　have　expected　them　to　be　favourable　to　us　now　we　had　turned　our　bowsprit　in　an　opposite　direction。　But　it　immediately　fell　calm；　and　then　after　a　time　a　westerly　land　breeze　set　in；　which　would　not　serve　us；　and　we　had　to　row　again　for　hours；　and　when　night　came　had　not　reached　the　village。　We　were　so　fortunate；　however；　as　to　find　a　deep　sheltered　cove　where　the　water　was　quite　smooth；　and　we　constructed　a　temporary　anchor　by　filling　a　sack　with　stones　from　our　ballast；　which　being　well　secured　by　a　network　of　rattans　held　us　safely　during　the　night。　The　next　morning　my　men　went　on　shore　to　cut　wood　suitable　for　making　fresh　anchors；　and　about　noon；　the　current　turning　in　our　favour；　we　proceeded　to　the　village；　where　we　found　an　excellent　and　well…protected　anchorage。

On　inquiry；　we　found　that　the　head　men　resided　at　the　other　Gani　on　the　western　side　of　the　peninsula；　and　it　was　necessary　to　send　messengers　across　（about　half　a　day's　journey）　to　inform　them　of　my　arrival；　and　to　beg　them　to　assist　me。　I　then　succeeded　in　buying　a　little　sago；　some　dried　deer…meat　and　cocoa…nuts；　which　at　once　relieved　our　immediate　want　of　something　to　eat。　At　night　we　found　our　bag　of　atones　still　held　us　very　well；　and　we　slept　tranquilly。

The　next　day　（October　12th）；　my　men　set　to　work　making　anchors　and　oars。　The　native　Malay　anchor　is　ingeniously　constructed　of　a　piece　of　tough　forked　timber；　the　fluke　being　strengthened　by　twisted　rattans　binding　it　to　the　stem；　while　the　cross…piece　is　formed　of　a　long　flat　stone；　secured　in　the　same　manner。　These　anchors　when　well　made；　hold　exceedingly　arm；　and；　owing　to　the　expense　of　iron；　are　still　almost　universally　used　on　board　the　smaller　praus。　In　the　afternoon　the　head　men　arrived；　and　promised　me　as　many　rowers　as　I　could　put　on　the　prau；　and　also　brought　me　a　few　eggs　and　a　little　rice；　which　were　very　acceptable。　On　the　14th　there　was　a　north　wind　all　day；　which　would　have　been　invaluable　to　us　a　few　days　earlier；　but　which　was　now　only　tantalizing。　On　the　16th；　all　being　ready；　we　started　at　daybreak　with　two　new　anchors　and　ten　rowers；　who　understood　their　work。　By　evening　we　had　come　more　than　half…way　to　the　point；　and　anchored　for　the　night　in　a　small　bay。　At　three　the　next　morning　I　ordered　the　anchor　up；　but　the　rattan　cable　parted　close　to　the　bottom；　having　been　chafed　by　rocks；　and　we　then　lost　our　third　anchor　on　this　unfortunate　voyage。　The　day　was　calm；　and　by　noon　we　passed　the　southern　point　of　Gilolo；　which　had　delayed　us　eleven　days；　whereas　the　whole　voyage　during　this　monsoon　should　not　have　occupied　more　than　half　that　time。　Having　got　round　the　point　our　course　was　exactly　in　the　opposite　direction　to　what　it　had　been；　and　now；　as　usual；　the　wind　changed　accordingly；　coming　from　the　north　and　north…west；so　that　we　still　had　to　row　every　mile　up　to　the　village　of　Gani；　which　we　did　not　reach　till　the　evening　of　the　18th。　A　Bugis　trader　who　was　residing　there；　and　the　Senaji；　or　chief；　were　very　kind；　the　former　assisting　me　with　a　spare　anchor　and　a　cable；　and　making　me　a　present　of　some　vegetables；　and　the　latter　baking　fresh　sago　cakes　for　my　men；　and　giving　rue　a　couple　of　fowls；　a　bottle　of　oil；　and　some　pumpkins。　As　the　weather　was　still　very　uncertain；　I　got　four　extra　men　to　accompany　me　to　Ternate；　for　which　place　we　started　on　the　afternoon　of　the　20th。

We　had　to　keep　rowing　all　night；　the　land　breezes　being　too　weak　to　enable　us　to　sail　against　the　current。　During　the　afternoon　of　the　21st　we　had　an　hour's　fair　wind；　which　soon　changed　into　a　heavy　squall　with　rain；　and　my　clumsy　men　let　the　mainsail　get　taken　aback　and　nearly　upset　us；　tearing　the　sail；　and；　what