XV.] BERI-BERI. 355 



through the ^alTO^y and intricate Herberg Straits. We had started 

 late, and the passage of the southern portion resolved itself mto a 

 race against time. Before darkness overtook us we emerged into 

 the stretch of open sea which intervenes between the two narrows, 

 and there waited for the moon to rise. It was a magnificent night, 

 or we should not have ventured upon the rather risky bit of 

 navigation that lay before us, and towards 9 p.m. we again proceeded 

 on our course through the northern portion of the straits. The 

 scenery was not different in any way from that to be met with in 

 a thousand places in this part of the world, but the flood of moon- 

 light pouring upon the calm water and snowy coral beaches, the 

 feathery outlines of the coco palms whose fronds hardly moved in 

 the still night air, rendered it of almost fairy-like beauty, and the 

 effect was still further heightened by the singular narrowness of 

 the channel tlirough which we w^ere passing. We arrived at the 

 entrance of the straits without accident, in spite of the predictions 

 of our Batchian friends, and on the following day came to anchor 

 in the harbour of Ternate. 



We found very different weather prevailing from that we had 

 experienced on our former visit. Strong winds from the N. and 

 W., with constant rain-squalls, continued during our stay, causing 

 a choppy sea in the harbour and rendering landing a difficulty. 

 This is the worst season of the year in Ternate, and the bad weather 

 is expected to last during the greater part of December and January. 

 Everything was damp and chilly, and the sun seldom broke 

 through the masses of heavy cloud. 



On the day following our arrival a trading schooner entered 

 the harbour and anchored near us. She came from iSTew Guinea, 

 and from one of her crew, who shipped with us for the voyage to 

 England, we learnt some details of her cruise. Leaving Ternate 

 almost at the same time as the Marchesa, she had proceeded to the 

 Willem Schouten Islands lying to the north of Jobi. Her crew, 

 consistmg of two Europeans and eight Malays, soon became attacked 

 with beri-beri — a disease which, in spite of the frequency of its 



