WHITE— A Sketch of the Life of Samuel White 45 



sidering the little work they have done ou the few islands we 

 touched at, coming up the coast, I am afraid they will not 

 stand the hard work in the tropical islands we are bound for." 

 During the morning of January 23rd, the water was very white 

 and muddy looking although ten or twelve fathoms deep, but it 

 gradually became clearer and by noon was of a deep dark blue. 

 The weather had been very cloudy all day, with the wind 

 strong from the East. During the afternoon it suddenly shif- 

 ted to the North, and heavy clouds with rain came over from 

 the New Guinea Coast. Under the above date Samuel White 

 writes: " I came on deck at midnight, and observed an eclipse 

 of the moon, the shadow soon passed off, and the officer on 

 watch told me it had been a total eclipse." Next day the 

 wind was light, and at midday the Captain discovered that he 

 was twenty or thirty m'iles to the southward of the Aru 

 Islands. Thereupon he bore up, and on a course due North, 

 and at 4 p.m. land was seen right-ahead. 



The same evening after dark the yacht brought up in 8 or 

 9 fathoms under the Island of Tragan. Native fires w T ere 

 visible on shore. Next morning (the 25th) the vessel was 

 under weigh at sunrise, and was steered North along the coast. 

 A sharp look out was kept for a channel mentioned by Wal- 

 lace as "Kobror." After twenty-five miles had been covered, 

 shoal waters drove the yacht out to sea for about five miles, 

 and the channel was not seen till after it was passed. Any- 

 way the water was too shallow to allow the boat to enter, so 

 the course was continued for a few miles, then she was luffed 

 in shore, and brought up in two and a half fathoms. It was a 

 little after noon, and the vessel hardly swung round upon her 

 anchor, when a canoe full of natives came alongside. Each 

 •one w T as made a present of tobacco and pipes at which they 

 showed great pleasure. Samuel White in his notes writes: 

 "'Soon after coming to anchor a canoe full of natives came off, 

 and after making the people some presents I ordered out a 

 boat, and one of the crew pulled me ashore. Leaving the 

 boat I entered a thick scrub; the ground was in a very swampy 

 condition. I secured seven birds, four of which were new to 

 me. Saw and heard a good many birds, but the place was so 

 wet and swampy that it was only with great difficulty one 

 could get about. I think rails were numerous for I heard 

 many, and the call is like the Cape York bird/' All the 

 natives seen, were most quiet and orderly. The canoe that 

 brought them off (there were about a dozen natives) flew the 

 Dutch flag. Thev were of a light-brown colour, wearing a 



