326 TRAVELS IN THE EAST INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



the strait we found a strong current against us, and 

 landed on tlie soutli side in a small bay to take our 

 lunch. Again we rowed and beat until we came to 

 the narrowest part of the strait, where high, per- 

 pendicular walls of rock rise on either hand. The 

 tide which sets toward the east, that is before the 

 wind, now changed, and away we shot between 

 the overhanging crags mth the speed of an arrow. 

 Outside of these narrows the shores open on both 

 sides, so that almost at once we were exposed to the 

 fall strength of the stormy monsoon. The strong tide 

 running against the wind rolled up a high, irregular 

 sea ; in fact, the ocean seemed to boil. " Have you 

 any idea that we can land on that exposed shore 

 in the midst of such a surf ? " I asked the controleur. 

 " Well, it is getting di'eadfully rough," was his in- 

 definite reply. The old Malay pilot, who had kept 

 Jiis boat ahead, now stood up, and seeing the combing 

 waves, into which the strong current was rapidly 

 driving us, shouted out to tlie controleur, ^''Dra hisa 

 Tuan ! " " It is impossible, sir ! It is impossible, sii' ! " 

 Instantly we tacked and stood over toward the Celebes 

 side, and, under the guidance of the old whaler, soon 

 entered a small, well-sheltered bay. Near its middle 

 part the island of Limbi is very narrow, and across 

 that place had been stretched a series of strong nets 

 made of rope a quarter of an inch in diameter, the 

 meshes being about six inches square. Oui* plan was 

 to commence driving at the northern end of the isl- 

 and and force the wild bal)irusas into this trap ; but 

 it was already quite dark, and the place where the 

 hiCkom had landed was a long way to windward, and 



