To Tern ATE. 545 



deal, and it suddenly snapped low down in the water. We 

 drifted out to sea, and immediately set our mainsail ; but as 

 we were now without any anchor, and in a vessel so poorly 

 manned that she could not be rowed against the most feeble 

 current or the slightest wind, it would be madness to ap- 

 proach these dangerous shores except in the most perfect 

 calm. We had also only three days' food left. It was 

 therefore out of the question making any further attempts to 

 get round the point without assistance, and I at once deter- 

 mined to run to the village of Gani-diluar, about ten miles 

 farther north, where we understood there was a good harbor, 

 and where we might get provisions and a few more rowers. 

 Hitherto winds and currents had invariably opposed our 

 passage southward, and we might have expected them to be 

 favorable to us now we had turned our bowsprit in an oppo- 

 site direction. But it immediately fell calm, and then after 

 a time a westerly land breeze set in, which would not serve 

 us, and we had to row again for hours, and when night came 

 had not reached the village. We were so fortunate, how- 

 ever, as to find a deep sheltered cove where the water was 

 quite smooth, and we constructed a temporary anchor by 

 filling a sack with stones from our ballast, which being well 

 secured by a network of rattans held us safely during the 

 night. The next morning my men went on shore to cut 

 wood suitable for making fresh anchors, and about noon, the 

 current turning in our favor, we proceeded to the village, 

 where we found an excellent and well-protected anchorage. 



On inquiry, Ave found that the head-men resided at the 

 other Gani, on the western side of the peninsula, and it was 

 necessary to send messengers across (about half a day's jour- 

 ney) to inform them of my arrival, and to beg them to as- 

 sist me. I then succeeded in buying a little sago, some 

 dried deer-meat and cocoa-nuts, which at once relieved our 

 immediate want of something to eat. At night we found 

 our bag of stones still held us very well, and we slept tran- 

 quilly. 



The next day (October 12th), my men set to work making 

 anchors and oars. The native Malay anchor is ingeniously 

 constructed of a piece of tough forked timber, the fluke being 

 strengthened by twisted rattans binding it to the stem, 



M M 



