I 



In a Native Peau. 409 



tive vessels. These islands are quite oxit of the track of all 

 European trade, and are inhabited only by black mop-headed 

 savages, who yet contribute to the luxurious tastes of the 

 most civilized races. Pearls, mother-of-pearl, and tortoise- 

 shell find their way to Europe, while edible birds' nests and 

 " tripang," or sea-slug, are obtained by shiploads for the gas- 

 tronomic enjoyment of the Chinese. 



The trade to these islands has existed from very early 

 times, and it is from them that birds of paradise, of the two 

 kinds known to Linnaeus, were first brought. The native ves- 

 sels can only make the voyage once a year, owing to the mon- 

 soons. They leave Macassar in December or January at the 

 beginning of the west monsoon, and return in July or August 

 with the full strength of the east monsoon. Even by the Ma- 

 cassar people themselves the voyage to the Aru Islands is 

 looked upon as a rather wild and romantic expedition, full of 

 novel sights and strange adventures. He who has made it is 

 looked up to as an authority, and it remains with many the 

 unachieved ambition of their lives. I myself had hoped rath- 

 er than expected ever to reach this " Ultima Thule " of the 

 East ; and when I found that I really could do so now, had 

 I but courage to trust myself for a thousand miles' voyage 

 in a Bugis prau, and for six or seven months among lawless 

 traders and ferocious savages, I felt somewhat as I did when, a 

 schoolboy, I was for the first time allow^ed to travel outside 

 the stage-coach, to visit that scene of all that is strange and 

 new and wonderful to young imaginations — London ! 



By the help of some kind friends I was introduced to the 

 owner of one of the large praus which was to sail in a few 

 days. He was a Javanese half-caste, intelligent, mild, and 

 gentlemanly in his manners, and had a young and pretty 

 Dutch wife, whom he was going to leave behind during his 

 absence. When we talked about passage-money he would 

 fix no sum, but insisted on leaving it entirely to me to pay 

 on my return exactly what I liked. " And then," said he, 

 whether you give me one dollar or a hundred, I shall be sat- 

 isfied, and shall ask no more." 



The remainder of my stay was fully occupied in laying in 

 stores, engaging servants, and making every other preparation 

 for an absence of seven months from even the outskirts of 



