356 THE HOMEWARD VOYAGE. [chap. 



occurrence in the East, still owns an unknown cause. It is usually 

 of a very fatal character, and proved to be peculiarly so in this 

 case, for the natives had died one by one, and when the vessel 

 arrived in port there were only three persons alive on board, — the 

 captain, one Malay, and our informant — the latter being the sole 

 remaining individual of the ten in health. It was with the very 

 greatest difficulty that they had been able to work the ship, and had 

 they chanced to meet with adverse winds every soul on board 

 would probably have perished. 



Sailing from Ternate December 18th, we arrived at Kema in 

 Xorth Celebes on the following day. The Dutch gun-boat Mcrapi 

 lay at anchor, and we were pleased to meet our friend Captain 

 Ehnle again. The port of Menado cannot be used at this season 

 of the year, and all goods have therefore to be earned to and from 

 that settlement over the twenty miles of indifferent road interven- 

 ing. The weather, we learnt, had been the same here as at Ternate, 

 — strong northerly and north- w^esterly winds with much rain, — and 

 there were thus few inducements for us to stay, even if we had 

 had time to do so. "\Ve accordingly got our live stock on board — a 

 fine ox and a pig, for which we paid 40 and 2| guilders respectively 

 — and having eaten a farewell "rice-table" with Captain Ehnle, 

 weighed anchor and proceeded for Sulu, passing to the east of 

 Limbc Island, with which my reader is ah'eady familiar as the 

 scene of our Babirusa hunt. 



Steering north-west across the little-traversed Celebes Sea, the 

 Marchesa encountered a northerly swell and variable w^inds, but 

 the weather was bright and sunny, and we took advantage of it to 

 dry our Xew Guinea skins before finally soldering them up in tin- 

 cases. Every available sunny spot was covered with trays, and 

 the gorgeous plumage of the kingfishers, pigeons, and parrots — for 

 it is to these that the bright colours of the liirds of this region are 

 chiefly confined — gave the decks the appearance of a flower-bed. 

 The Paradise birds attract attention less by the brilliancy than by 

 the extraordinary development of their plumes. From the Arfak 



