the malay archipelago-2-第56节

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and　my　clumsy　men　let　the　mainsail　get　taken　aback　and　nearly　upset　us；　tearing　the　sail；　and；　what　was　worse；　losing　an　hour's　fair　wind。　The　night　was　calm；　and　we　made　little　progress。

On　the　22d　we　had　light　head…winds。　A　little　before　noon　we　passed；　with　the　assistance　of　our　oars；　the　Paciencia　Straits；　the　narrowest　part　of　the　channel　between　Batchian　and　Gilolo。　These　were　well　named　by　the　early　Portuguese　navigators；　as　the　currents　are　very　strong；　and　there　are　so　many　eddies；　that　even　with　a　fair　wind　vessels　are　often　quite　unable　to　pass　through　them。　In　the　afternoon　a　strong　north　wind　（dead　ahead）　obliged　us　to　anchor　twice。　At　nigh　it　was　calm；　and　we　crept　along　slowly　with　our　oars。

On　the　23d　we　still　had　the　wind　ahead；　or　calms。　We　then　crossed　over　again　to　the　mainland　of　Gilolo　by　the　advice　of　our　Gani　men；　who　knew　the　coast　well。　Just　as　we　got　across　we　had　another　northerly　squall　with　rain；　and　had　to　anchor　on　the　edge　of　a　coral　reef　for　the　night。　I　called　up　my　men　about　three　on　the　morning　of　the　24th；　but　there　was　no　wind　to　help　us；　and　we　rowed　along　slowly。　At　daybreak　there　was　a　fair　breeze　from　the　south；　but　it　lasted　only　an　hour。　All　the　rest　of　the　day　we　had　nothing　but　calms；　light　winds　ahead；　and　squalls；　and　made　very　little　progress。

On　the　25th　we　drifted　out　to　the　middle　of　the　channel；　but　made　no　progress　onward。　In　the　afternoon　we　sailed　and　rowed　to　the　south　end　of　Kaióa；　and　by　midnight　reached　the　village。　I　determined　to　stay　here　a　few　days　to　rest　and　recruit；　and　in　hopes　of　getting　better　weather。　I　bought　some　onions　and　other　vegetables；　and　plenty　of　eggs；　and　my　men　baked　fresh　sago　cakes。　I　went　daily　to　my　old　hunting…ground　in　search　of　insects；　but　with　very　poor　success。　It　was　now　wet；　squally　weather；　and　there　appeared　a　stagnation　of　insect　life。　We　Staved　five　days；　during　which　time　twelve　persons　died　in　the　village；　mostly　from　simple　intermittent　fever；　of　the　treatment　of　which　the　natives　are　quite　ignorant。　During　the　whole　of　this　voyage　I　had　suffered　greatly　from　sunburnt　lips；　owing　to　having　exposed　myself　on　deck　all　day　to　loon　after　our　safety　among　the　shoals　and　reefs　near　Waigiou。　The　salt　in　the　air　so　affected　them　that　they　would　not　heal；　but　became　excessively　painful；　and　bled　at　the　slightest　touch；　and　for　a　long　time　it　was　with　great　difficulty　I　could　eat　at　all；　being　obliged　to　open　my　mouth　very　wide；　and　put　in　each　mouthful　with　the　greatest　caution。　I　kept　them　constantly　covered　with　ointment；　which　was　itself　very　disagreeable；　and　they　caused　me　almost　constant　pain　for　more　than　a　month；　as　they　did　not　get　well　till　I　had　returned　to　Ternate；　and　was　able　to　remain　a　week　indoors。

A　boat　which　left　for　Ternate；　the　day　after　we　arrived；　was　obliged　to　return　the　next　day；　on　account　of　bad　weather。　On　the　31st　we　went　out　to　the　anchorage　at　the　mouth　of　the　harbour；　so　as　to　be　ready　to　start　at　the　first　favourable　opportunity。

On　the　1st　of　November　I　called　up　my　men　at　one　in　the　morning；　and　we　started　with　the　tide　in　our　favour。　Hitherto　it　had　usually　been　calm　at　night；　but　on　this　occasion　we　had　a　strong　westerly　squall　with　rain；　which　turned　our　prau　broadside；　and　obliged　us　to　anchor。　When　it　had　passed　we　went　on　rowing　all　night；　but　the　wind　ahead　counteracted　the　current　in　our　favour；　and　we　advanced　but　little。　Soon　after　sunrise　the　wind　became　stronger　and　more　adverse；　and　as　we　had　a　dangerous　lee…shore　which　we　could　not　clear；　we　had　to　put　about　and　get　an　offing　to　the　W。S。W。　This　series　of　contrary　winds　and　bad　weather　ever　since　we　started；　not　having　had　a　single　day　of　fair　wind；　was　very　remarkable。　My　men　firmly　believed　there　was　something　unlucky　in　the　boat；　and　told　me　I　ought　to　have　had　a　certain　ceremony　gone　through　before　starting；　consisting　of　boring　a　hole　in　the　bottom　and　pouring　some　kind　of　holy　oil　through　it。　It　must　be　remembered　that　this　was　the　season　of　the　south…east　monsoon；　and　yet　we　had　not　had　even　half　a　day's　south…east　wind　since　we　left　Waigiou。　Contrary　winds；　squalls；　and　currents　drifted　us　about　the　rest　of　the　day　at　their　pleasure。　The　night　was　equally　squally　and　changeable；　and　kept　us　hard　at　work　taking　in　and　making　sail；　and　rowing　in　the　intervals。

Sunrise　on　the　2d　found　us　in　the　middle　of　the　ten…mile　channel　between　Kaióa　and　Makian。　Squalls　and　showers　succeeded　each　other　during　the　morning。　At　noon　there　was　a　dead　calm；　after　which　a　light　westerly　breeze　enabled　us　to　reach　a　village　on　Makian　in　the　evening。　Here　I　bought　some　pumelos　（Citrus　decumana）；　kanary…nuts；　and　coffee；　and　let　my　men　have　a　night's　sleep。

The　morning　of　the　3d　was　fine；　and　we　rowed　slowly　along　the　coast　of　Makian。　The　captain　of　a　small　prau　at　anchor；　seeing　me　on　deck　and　guessing　who　I　was；　made　signals　for　us　to　stop；　and　brought　me　a　letter　from　Charles　Allen；　who　informed　me　he　had　been　at　Ternate　twenty　days；　and　was　anxiously　waiting　my　arrival。　This　was　good　news；　as　I　was　equally　anxious　about　him；　and　it　cheered　up　my　spirits。　A　light　southerly　wind　now　sprung　up；　and　we　thought　we　were　going　to　have　fine　weather。　It　soon　changed；　however；　to　its　old　quarter；　the　west；　dense　clouds　gathered　over　the　sky；　and　in　less　than　half　an　hour　we　had　the　severest　squall　we　had　experienced　during　our　whole　voyage。　Luckily　we　got　our　great　mainsail　down　in　time；　or　the　consequences　might　have　been　serious。　It　was　a　regular　little　hurricane；　and　my　old　Bugis　steersman　began　shouting　out　to　〃Allah！　il　Allah！〃　to　preserve　us。　We　could　only　keep　up　our　jib；　which　was　almost　blown　to　rags；　but　by　careful　handling　it　kept　us　before　the　wind；　and　the　prau　behaved　very　well。　Our　small　boat　（purchased　at　Gani）　was　towing　astern；　and　soon　got　full　of　water；　so　that　it　broke　away　and　we　saw　no　more　of　it。　In　about　an　hour　the　fury　of　the　wind　abated　a　little；　and　in　two　more　we　were　able　to　hoist　our　mainsail；　reefed　and　half…mast　high。　Towards　evening　it　cleared　up　and　fell　calm；　and　the　sea；　which　had　been　rather　high；　soon　went　down。　Not　being　much　of　a　seaman　myself　I　had　been　considerably　alarmed；　and　even　the　old　steersman　assured　me　he　had　never　been　in　a　worse　squall　all　his　life。　He　was　now　more　than　ever　confirmed　in　his　opinion　of　the　unluckiness　of　the　boat；　and　in　the　efficiency　of　the　holy　oil　which　all　Bugis　praus　had　poured　through　their　bottoms。　As　it　was；　he　imputed　our　safety　and　the　quick　termination　of　the　squall　entirely　to　his　own　prayers；　saying　with　a　laugh；　〃Yes；　that's　the　way　we　always　do　on　board　our　praus；　when　things　are　at　the　worst　we　stand　up　and　shout　out　our　prayers　as　loud　as　we　can；　and　then　Tuwan　Allah　helps　us。〃

After　this　it　took　us　two　days　more　to　reach　Ternate；　having　our　usual　calms；　squalls；　and　head…winds　to　the　very　last；　and　once　having　to　return　back　to　our　anchorage　owing　to　violent　gusts　of　wind　just　as　we　were　close　to　the　town。　Looking　at　my　whole　voyage　in　this　vessel　from　the　time　when　I　left　Goram　in　May；　it　will　appear　that　rely　experiences　of　travel　in　a　native　prau　have　not　been　encouraging。　My　first　crew　ran　away；　two　men　were　lost　for　a　month　on　a　desert　island；　we　were　ten　times　aground　on　coral　reefs；　we　lost　four　anchors；　the　sails　were　devoured　by　rats；　the　small　boat　was　lost　astern；　we　were　thirty…eight　days　on　the　voyage　home；　which　should　not　have　taken　twelve；　we　were　many　times　short　of　food　and　water；　we　had　no　compass…lamp；　owing　to　there　not　being　a　drop　of　oil　in　Waigiou　when　we　left；　and　to　crown　all；　during　the　whole　of　our　voyages　from　Goram　by　Ceram　to　Waigiou；　and　from　Waigiou　to　Ternate；　occupying　in　all　seventy…　eight　days；　or　only　twelve　days　short　of　three　months　（all　in　what　was　supposed　to　be　the　favourable　season）；　we　had　not　one　single　day　of　fair　wind。　We　were　always　close　braced　up；　always　struggling　against　wind；　tide；　and　leeway；　and　in　a　vessel　that　would　scarcely　sail　nearer　than　eight　points　from　the　wind。　Every　seaman　will　admit　that　my　first　voyage　in　my　own　boat　was　a　most　unlucky　one。

Charles　Allen　had　obtained　a　tolerable　collection　of　birds　and　insects　at　Mysol；　but　far　less　than　be　would　have　done　if　I　had　not　been　so　unfortunate　as　to　miss　visiting　him。　After　waiting　another　week　or　two　till　he　was　nearly　starved；　he　returned　to　Wahai　in　Ceram；　and　heard；　much　to　his　surprise；　that　I　had　left　a　fortnight　before。　He　was　delayed　there　more　than　a　month　before　he　could　get　back　to　the　north　side　of　Mysol；　which　he　found　a　much　better　locality；　but　it　was　not　yet　the　season　for　the　Paradise　Birds；　and　before　he　had　obtained　more　than　a　few　of　the　common　sort；　the　last　prau　was　ready　to　leave　for　Ternate；　and　he　was　obliged　to　take　the　opportunity；　as　he　expected　I　would　be　waiting　there　for　him。

This　concludes　the　record　of　my　wanderings。　I　next　went　to　Timor；　and　afterwards　to　Bourn；　Java；　and　Sumatra；　which　places　have　already　been　described。　Charles　Allen　made　a　voyage　to　New　Guinea；　a　short　account　of　which　will　be　given　in　my　next　chapter　on　the　Birds　of　Paradise。　On　his　return　he　went　to　the　Sula　Islands；　and　made　a　very　interesting　collection　which　served　to　determine　the　limits　of　the　zoological　group　of　Celebes；　as