248 TEE ARU ISLANDS. [chap. xxxi. 



terious voice, " What becomes of them when you go on to 

 the sea ? " " Why, they are all packed up in boxes," said 

 I. " What did you think became of them ? " " They all 

 come to life again, don't they?" said he; and though I 

 tried to joke it off, and said if they did we should have 

 plenty to eat at sea, he stuck to his opinion, and kept 

 repeating, with an air of deep conviction, " Yes, they all 

 come to life again, that's what they do — they all come to 

 life again." 



After a little while, and a good deal of talking among 

 themselves, he began again — " I know all about it — oh, 

 yes ! Before you came we had rain every day — very wet 

 indeed ; now, ever since you have been here, it is fine hot 

 weather. Oh, yes ! I know all about it ; you can't deceive 

 me." And so I was set down as a conjurer, and was 

 unable to repel the charge. But the conjurer was com- 

 pletely puzzled by the next question : " What," said 

 the old man, " is the great ship, where the Bugis and 

 Chinamen go to sell their things ? It is always in the great 

 sea — its name is Jong ; tell us all about it." In vain I 

 inquired what they knew about it ; they knew nothing 

 but that it was called " Jong," and was always in the sea, 

 and was a very great ship, and concluded with, " Perhaps 

 that is your country ? " Finding that I could not or 

 would not tell them anything about "Jong," there came 

 more regrets that I w^ould not tell them the real name of 



