To Waigiou. 523 



beach till Ave found signs of another dry water-course, and on 

 ascending this wei"e so fortunate as to discover two deep shel- 

 tered rock-holes containing several gallons of water — enough 

 to fill all our jars. When the cup came we enjoyed a good 

 drink of the cool pure water, and before we left had carried 

 away, I believe, every drojD on the island. 



In the evening a good-sized prau appeared in sight, making 

 apparently for the island where our men were left, and we had 

 some hopes they might be seen and picked up, but it passed 

 along mid-channel, and did not notice the signals we tried to 

 make. I was now, however, pretty easy as to the fate of the 

 men. There was plenty of sago on our rocky island, and 

 there would probably be some on the flat one they were left 

 on. They had choppers, and could cut down a tree and make 

 sago, and would most likely find sufficient water by digging. 

 SheU-fish were abundant, and they would be able to manage 

 very well till some boat should touch there, or till I could send 

 and fetch them. The next day we devoted to cutting wood, 

 filling up our jars with all the water we could find, and mak- 

 ing ready to sail in the evening. I shot a small lory closely 

 resembling a common species at Ternate, and a glossy starling 

 which differed from the allied birds of Ceram and Matabello. 

 Large wood-pigeons and crows were the only other birds I 

 saw, but I did not obtain specimens. 



About eight in the evening of June 25th we started, and 

 found that with all hands at work we could just haul up our 

 mainsail. We had a fair wind during the night, and sailed 

 north-east, finding ourselves in the morning about twenty 

 miles west of the extremity of Waigiou, with a number of 

 islands intevening. About ten o'clock we ran full on to a coral 

 reef, which alarmed us a good deal, but luckily got safe off 

 again. About two in the afternoon we reached an extensive cor- 

 al reef, and were sailing close alongside of it, when the wind 

 suddenly dropped, and we drifted on to it before we could get 

 in our heavy mainsail, which we were obliged to let run down 

 and fall partly overboard. We had much difficulty in getting 

 off, but at last got into deep water again, though with reefs 

 and islands all around us. At night we did not know what to 

 do, as no one on board could tell where we were or what dan- 

 gers might surround us, the only one of our crew who was ac- 



