774 Captain Cecil G. Rawling [May 16, 



Two large villages were found, of the same name as the rivers, 

 the Atoeka and Kamura,, both situated beyond the tidal waters. 

 Atoeka is in fact the largest village in these parts, consisting of 

 aljont six hundred huts with a population of from two thousand to 

 two thousand five hundred, and with tobacco and cocoanut planta- 

 tions round about. The people are similar in almost every respect 

 to those met with on the Mimika. Not so the Kamura tribe, with 

 their two hundred and fifty huts and one thousand to fifteen hun- 

 dred souls. The latter are of a decidedly lower type, of heavier 

 build, and with more brutal countenances. Many of the men and 

 several of the women were entirely nude. Only a short stay was 

 here made, for the people were bent on plunder. 



A further attempt was made to explore the Wania when Mar- 

 shall and Wollaston reached Wakatimi from Parimau, the latter 

 place having been abandoned to the natives. In this we were not 

 successful, tlie motor-boat losing her propeller in a storm. Little 

 need be said of this trip, for the results, though decidedly exciting 

 and unpleasant, were not of geographical interest. The journey took 

 six houi's out and six days to return, the party being extremely lucky 

 to escape with their lives. We had been in a heavy storm on a lee 

 shore, surrounded hy foam-covered reefs, in a sea teeming with 

 sharks, and only held by an old rope and light anchor. Had the 

 ])oats swamped, or had anything given, it was certain death for the 

 thi'ee of us, together with our seven men. 



The whole coast is a most dangerous one, on account of the 

 shallowness of the water and the rapidity with which storms arise. 

 On several occasions relief ships arrived off the coast, and were forced 

 to depart without landing their stores or being able to take away the 

 invalids. None of the ships, each of which drew from twelve to 

 fourteen feet of water, could approach nearer than two and a half 

 miles from the shore This, together with the fact that every river 

 has a pi'onounced and ever-moving bar, renders the south-east coast 

 too dangerous for regular navigation. 



On Ajjril ;'>, tiie gunboat Mataram and the marine ship Zivaan 

 appeared oif the coast, and by these we sailed for Amboina. Here 

 the expedition broke up, Cramer and his men destined for Java, our 

 coolies for Macassar, the (lurkhas for Darjeeling, and we four for 

 England. The Javanese soldiers had proved invaluable in guarding 

 \V;d<utiini and Paramau duruig our long absences in tlie mountains, 

 and when encamped on the rivers to the east and west ; and 

 Lieutenant ('ramer, the leader of the escort, and the only European 

 who had remained with us from the beginning to the end, had filled 

 a ditticult role with niuch ability, tact, and success. Of the Gurkhas 

 1 must s])ccially mention MmIicsiu-, Jangbir, and Harkajit. 



T(» sum up tlie final results of the expedition : large and valuable 

 cnllcct.i.ins of l)irds, mammals, reptiles, butterflies and moths had 

 been formed, together with liotanical and ethnographical specimens ; 



