CHAP. xxv.J AN UNFLEASANT JOURNEY. 91 



the Eajah came on 'board and accompanied me to Kissa- 

 laut, where he has a house which he lent me during my 

 stay. Here again was a heavy surf, and it was Avith great 

 difficulty we got the boats safely hauled up. At Amboyna 

 I had been promised at this season a calm sea and the wind 

 off shore, but in this case, as in every other, I had been 

 unable to obtain any reliable information as to the winds 

 and seasons of places distant two or three days' journey. 

 It appears, however, that owing to the general direction of 

 the island of Ceram (E.S.E. and W.N.W.), there is a heavy 

 surf and scarcely any shelter on the south coast during 

 the west monsoon, when alone a journey to the eastward 

 can be safely made ; while during the east monsoon, when I 

 proposed to return along the north coast to Wahai, I should 

 probably find that equally exposed and dangerous. But 

 althouscli the general direction of the west monsoon in the 

 Banda sea causes a heavy swell, with bad surf on the coast, 

 yet we had little advantage of the wind ; for, owing 1 

 suppose to the numerous bays and headlands, we had con- 

 trary south-east or even due east winds all the way, and had 

 to make almost the whole distance from Amboyna by force 

 of rowing. We had therefore all the disadvantages, and 

 none of the advantages, of this west monsoon, which I was 

 told would insure me a quick and pleasant journey. 



I was delayed at Kissa-laut just four weeks, although 

 after the first three days I saw that it would be quite use- 



