618 Voyage from Ceram 



Silinta, and should have some difficulty in getting to the ex- 

 treme westward point of the island. The sea was now very 

 boisterous, and our prau was continually beaten to leeward by 

 the waves, and after another weary day we found we could 

 not get to Mysol at all, but might perhaps reach the island 

 called Pulo Kanary, about ten miles to the north-west. Thence 

 we might await a favorable wind to reach Waigamma, on the 

 north side of the island, and visit Allen by means of a small 

 boat. 



About nine o'clock at night, greatly to my satisfaction, we 

 got under the lee of this island, into quite smooth water — for 

 I had been very sick and uncomfortable, and had eaten scarce- 

 ly any thing since the preceding morning. We were slowly 

 nearing the shore, which the smooth dark water told us we 

 could safely approach, and were congratulating ourselves on 

 soon being at anchor, with the prospect of hot coffee, a good 

 supper, and a sound sleep, when the wind completely dropped, 

 and we had to get out the oars to row. We were not more 

 than two hundred yards from the shore, when I noticed that 

 we seemed to get no nearer, although the men were rowing 

 hard, but drifted to the westward ; and the prau would not 

 obey the helm, but continually fell off, and gave us much 

 trouble to bring her up again. Soon a loud ripple of water 

 told us we were seized by one of those treacherous currents 

 which so frequently frustrate all the efforts of the voyager in 

 these seas ; the men threw down the oars in despair, and in a 

 few minutes we drifted to leeward of the island fairly out to 

 sea again, and lost our chance of ever reaching Mysol ! Hoist- 

 ing our jib, we lay to, and in the morning found ourselves only 

 a few miles from the island, but with such a steady wind 

 blowing from its direction as to render it impossible for us to 

 get back to it. 



We now made sail to the northward, hoping soon to get a 

 more southerly wind. Toward noon the sea was much smooth- 

 er, and with a S.S.E. wind we were laying in the direction of 

 Salwatty, which I hoped to reach, as I could there easily get a 

 boat to take provisions and stores to my companion in Mysol. 

 This wind did not, however, last long, but died away into a 

 calm ; and a light west wind springing up, with a dark bank 

 of clouds, again gave us hopes of reaching Mysol. We were 



