462 DORRO HARBOUR. 



soundings, and at daylight on the 24th of March, 

 saw the Arru Islands ; all the islands of this 

 group, which extends from N. to S about 100 miles, 

 and the eastern limits of which are but imperfectly 

 known, are very low and swampy, but from being 

 well-wooded, have the appearance of being much 

 higher than they really are : many of the trees that 

 we saw attained a height of ninety feet, before they 

 began to branch out. 



We stood along the islands to the northward all 

 day, with very light winds, and on the 'ioth were off 

 the entrance of Dobbo harbour, situated between the 

 two islands, Wamma and Wokan. As there were 

 several square-rigged vessels in the harbour, we 

 tacked and made signal for a pilot, and were soon 

 afterwards boarded by the master of one of the 

 vessels, who to our great delight hailed us in very 

 good English. Under his pilotage we ran in and 

 anchored off a low sandy point, on which the traders 

 establish themselves during their stay, by building 

 very neat bamboo houses thatched with the palm 

 leaf. Several hundred people, including some Dutch- 

 men from Macassar, and Chinamen, remain 

 throughout the year. The house of Messrs. Klaper 

 and Nitzk, cost above £300. and contained goods to 

 the amount of ten times that sum and upwards. The 

 trade with these islands appears to be carried on in 

 the following manner. Towards the end of the N. W. 

 monsoon, the trading vessels from Java and Macassar, 



