370 The Goram Islands. 



three days there was more talking and more difficulties were 

 raised, and I had time to make an examination of the island 

 and the people. 



Manowolko is about fifteen miles long, and is a mere up- 

 raised coral-reef. Two or three hundred yards inland rise 

 cliffs of coral rock, in many parts perpendicular, and one or 

 two hundred feet high ; and this, I was informed, is charac- 

 teristic of the whole island, in which there is no other kind 

 of rock, and no stream of water. A few cracks and chasms 

 furnish paths to the top of these cliffs, where there is an open 

 undulating country, in which the chief vegetable grounds of 

 the inhabitants are situated. 



The people here — at least the chief men — were of a much 

 purer Mafay race than the Mohammedans of the mainland of 

 Ceram, which is perhaps due to there having been no indig- 

 enes on these small islands when the first settlers arrived. 

 In Ceram, the Alfuros of Papuan race are the predominant 

 type, the Malay physiognomy being seldom well marked; 

 whereas here the reverse is the case, and a slight infusion of 

 Papuan on a mixture of Malay and Bugis has produced a very 

 good looking set of people. The lower class of the popula- 

 tion consists almost entirely of the indigenes of the adjacent 

 islands. They are a fine race, with strongly-marked Papuan 

 features, frizzly hair, and brown complexions. The Goram 

 language is spoken also at the east end of Ceram, and in the 

 adjacent islands. It has a general resemblance to the lan- 

 guages of Ceram, but possesses a jjeculiar element which I 

 have not met with in other hmguages of the Archipelago. 



After great delay, considering the importance of every day 

 at this time of year, a miserable boat and five men were found, 

 and with some difficulty I stowed away in it such baggage as 

 it was absolutely necessary for me to take, leaving scarcely 

 sitting or sleeping room. The sailing qualities of the boat 

 were highly vaunted, and I was assured that at this season a 

 small one was much moi'e likely to succeed in making the 

 journey. We first coasted along the island, reaching its east- 

 ern extremity the following morning (April 11th), and found 

 a strong W. S. W. wind blowing, which just allowed us to Liy 

 across to the Matabello Islands, a distance little short of twen- 

 ty miles. I did not much like the look of the heavy sky and 



