Boat-Building under Difficulties. 377 



In the island of Goram, only eight or ten miles long, there 

 are about a dozen Rajahs, scarcely better off than the rest of 

 the inhabitants, and exercising a mere nominal sway, except 

 when any order is received from the Dutch Government, when, 

 being backed by a higher power, they show a little more strict 

 authority. My friend the Rajah of Ammer (commonly called 

 Rajah of Goram) told me that a few years ago, before the 

 Dutch had interfered in the affairs of the island, the trade 

 was not carried on so peaceably as at present, rival prnus oft- 

 en fighting when on the way to the same locality, or trafficking 

 in the same village. Now such a thing is never thought of — 

 one of the good effects of the superintendence of a civilized 

 government. Disputes between villages are still, however, 

 sometimes settled by fighting, and I one day saw about fifty 

 men, carrying long guns and heavy cartridge-belts, march 

 through the village. They had come from the other side of 

 the island on some question of trespass or boundary, and were 

 prepared for war if peaceable negotiations should fail. 



While at Manowolko I had purchased for 100 florins (£9) 

 a small prau which was brought over the next day, as I was 

 informed it was more easy to have the necessary alterations 

 made in Goram, where several Ke workmen were settled. 



As soon as we began getting my prau ready I was obliged 

 to give up collecting, as I found that, unless I was constantly 

 on the spot myself, very little work would be done. As I pro- 

 posed making some long voyages in this boat, I determined to 

 fit it up conveniently, and was obliged to do all the inside work 

 myself, assisted by my two Amboynese boys. I had plenty 

 of visitors, surprised to see a white man at work, and much 

 astonished at the novel arrangements I was making in one of 

 their native vessels. Luckily I had a few tools of my own, 

 including a small saw and some chisels, and these were now 

 severely tried, cutting and fitting heavy iron-wood planks for 

 the flooring and the posts that support the triangular mast. 

 Being of the best London make, they stood the work well, and 

 without them it would have been impossible for me to have 

 finished my boat with half the neatness, or in double the time. 

 I had a Ke Avorkman to put in new ribs, for which I bought 

 nails of a Bugis trader at d,d. a pound. My gimlets were, how- 

 ever, too small ; and, having no augers, we were obliged to 



