516 Voyage from Ceram to Waigiou. 



CHAPTER XXXV. 



VOYAGE FROM CERAM TO WAIGIOU. 



J0NE AND JULY, 1860. 



In my twenty-fifth chapter I have described my arrival at 

 Wahai, on my way to Mysol and Waigiou, islands which be- 

 long to the Papuan district, and the account of which natural- 

 ly follows after that of my visit to the main land of New 

 Guinea. I now take up my narrative at my departure from 

 Wahai, with the intention of carrying various necessary stores 

 to my assistant, Mr. Allen, at Silinta, in Mysol, and then con- 

 tinuing my journey to Waigiou. It will be remembered that 

 I was travelling in a small prau, which I had purchased and 

 fitted up in Goram, and that, having been deserted by my crew 

 on the coast of Ceram, I had obtained four men at Wahai, 

 who, with my Amboynese hunter, constituted my crew. 



Between Ceram and Mysol there are sixty miles of open 

 sea, and along this wide channel the east monsoon blows 

 strongly ; so that with native praus, which will not lay up to 

 the wind, it requires some care in crossing. In order to give 

 ourselves sufficient leeway, we sailed back from Wahai east- 

 ward, along the coast of Ceram, with the land-breeze ; but in 

 the morning (June 18th) had not gone nearly so far as I ex- 

 pected. My pilot, an old and experienced sailor, named Guru- 

 lampoko, assured me there was a current setting to the east- 

 ward, and that we could easily lay across to Silinta, in Mysol. 

 As we got out from the land the wind increased, and there 

 was a considerable sea, Avhich made my short little vessel 

 plunge and roll about violently. By sunset we had not got 

 half way across, but could see Mysol distinctly. All night we 

 Avent along uneasily, and at daybreak, on looking out anxious- 

 ly, I found that we had fallen much to the westward during 

 the night, owing, no doubt, to the jjilot being sleepy and not 

 keeping the boat sufficiently close to the wind. We could see 

 the mountains distinctly, but it was clear we should not reach 



