418 Macassar to the Aru Islands 



ers. Yet praus are much liked even by those who have had 

 European vessels, because of their cheapness both in first cost 

 and in keeping up ; almost all repairs can be done by the crew, 

 and very few European stores are required. 



Dec. 2^th. — This day we saw the Banda group, the volcano 

 first appearing — a perfect cone, having veiy much the outline 

 of the Egyptian pyramids, and looking almost as regular. In 

 the evening the smoke rested over its summit like a small sta- 

 tionary cloud. This was my first view of an active volcano, 

 but pictures and panoramas have so impressed such things on 

 one's mind that when we at length behold them they seem 

 nothing extraordinary. 



Dec. 30th — Passed the island of Teor, and a group near it, 

 which are very incorrectly marked on the charts. Flying-fish 

 were numerous to-day. It is a smaller species than that of 

 the Atlantic, and more active and elegant in its motions. As 

 they skim along the surface they turn on their sides, so as 

 fully to display their beautiful fins, taking a flight of about a 

 hundred yards, rising and falling in a most graceful manner. 

 At a little distance they exactly resemble swallows ; and no 

 one who sees them can doubt that they really do fly, not mere- 

 ly descend in an oblique direction from the height they gain 

 by their first spring. In the evening an aquatic bird, a species 

 of booby (Sula fiber.) rested on our hen-coop, and was caught 

 by the neck by one of my boys. 



Dec. 31st. — At daybreak the Ke Islands (pronounced kay) 

 were in sight, where we are to stay a few days. About noon 

 we rounded the northei'n point, and endeavored to coast along 

 to the anchorage ; but being now on the leeward side of the 

 island, the wind came in violent irregular gusts, and then leav- 

 ing us altogether, we were carried back by a strong current. 

 Just then two boatloads of natives appeared, and our owner 

 having agreed with them to tow us into harbor, they tried to 

 do so, assisted by our own boat, but could make no way. We 

 were therefore obliged to anchor in a very dangerous place on 

 a rocky bottom, and we were engaged till nearly dark getting 

 hawsers secured to some rocks under water. The coast of 

 Ke, along which we had passed, was very picturesque. Light- 

 colored limestone rocks rose abruptly from the water to the 

 height of several hundred feet, every where broken into jutting 



