CHAPTER X. 



THE MOLUCCAS. 



Ternate — The town — The Resident's aviaiy — Live Birds of Paradise — History of 

 the island — Remains of the old forts — Climate — Moluccan birds — The trade in 

 Paradise Birds — We enlist our huntei-s — Arrival of the monthly mail — Leave 

 for Batchian — Passage of the Herberg Strait — The "Kapten Laut " — Obi 

 Major — Tanysiptcra dbierms — Birds of the Obi group — Ruins on the deserted 

 island — "We explore the west coast — Obi Latu Island — Dead mangrove swamp 

 — Bisa Island — Retiu'n to Batchian — Dance given by the Sultan of Batchian — 

 Fort Barneveld — Wallace's Bird of Paradise — A deer hunt— Sago-making — 

 Visit to the Weda Islands — Sail for New Guinea. 



East of Northern Celebes, and separated from it by a hundred 

 miles or more of deep sea, lie the Spice Islands. I had nearly 

 said the Moluccas, but this name, restricted in former days to the 

 little chain of volcanic islets lying off the western coast of Gilolo, 

 of which Ternate is the chief, now includes all the islands between 

 Celebes and the Papuan group. Our passage over tliis strip of blue 

 water, which the soundings tell us to have existed for countless 

 ages, was pleasant enough despite the S.E. monsoon, for here the 

 latter, becoming diverted from its course, blows from the south or 

 even the south-west, and what little wind we experienced was in our 

 favour. Approaching from the west we rounded the small island 

 of Mitara, and early on the mornmg of tlie 28th of September 

 dropped anchor off Ternate. 



As far as regards magnificence of scenery, Ternate is perhaps 

 the finest harbour in the Dutch Indies, for it boasts of two volcanic 

 peaks — both of them about six thousand feet in height — wliich are 



