410 Macassar to the Aru Islands 



civilization. On the morning of December 13th, when we 

 went on board at daybreak, it was raining hard. We set sail, 

 and it came on to blow. Our boat was lost astern, our sails 

 damaged, and the evening foimd us back again in Macassar 

 harbor. We remained there four days longer, owing to its 

 raining all the time, thus rendering it impossible to dry and 

 repair the huge mat-sails. All these dreary days I remained 

 on board, and during the rare intervals when it did not rain 

 made myself acquainted with our outlandish craft, some of 

 the peculiarities of which I will now endeavor to describe. 



It was a vessel of about seventy tons burden, and shaped 

 something like a Chinese junk. The deck sloped considerably 

 downward to the bows, which are thus the lowest part of the 

 ship. There were two large rudders ; but instead of being 

 placed astern they were hung on the quarters from strong 

 cross-beams, which projected out two or three feet on each 

 side, and to which extent the deck ovevhung the sides of the 

 vessel amidships. The rudders were not hinged, but hung 

 with slings of rattan, the friction of which keeps them in any 

 position in which they are placed, and thus perhaps facilitates 

 steering. The tillers were not on deck, but entered the vessel 

 through two square oj^enings into a lower or half deck about 

 three feet high, in which sit the two steersmen. In the after 

 part of the vessel was a low poop, about three and a half feet 

 high, which forms the captain's cabin, its furniture consisting 

 of boxes, mats, and pillows. In front of the poop and main- 

 mast was a little thatched house on deck, about four feet high 

 to the ridge ; and one compartment of this, forming a cabin 

 six and a half feet long by five and a half wide, I had all to 

 myself, and it was the snuggest and most comfortable little 

 place I ever enjoyed at sea. It was entered by a low sliding 

 door of thatch on one side, and had a very small window on 

 the other. The floor was of split bamboo, pleasantly elastic, 

 raised six inches above the deck, so as to be quite dry. It 

 was covered with fine cane mats, for the manufacture of which 

 Macassar is celebrated ; against the farther wall were ar- 

 ranged my gun-case, insect-boxes, clothes, and books ; my 

 mattress occupied the middle, and next the door were my 

 canteen, lamp, and little store of luxuries for the voyage, 

 while guns, revolver, and hunting-knife hung conveniently from 



