342 rOTAGE FROM CERAM [chap, xxxv, 



drink of the cool pure water, and before we left liad carried 

 away, I believe, every drop on the island. 



In the evening a good-sized prau appeared in sight, 

 making apparently for the island where our men were 

 left, and we had some hopes they might be seen and 

 picked up, but it passed along mid-channel, and did not 

 notice the signals we tried to make. I was now, however, 

 pretty easy as to the fate of the men. There was plenty 

 of sago on our rocky island, and there would probably be 

 some on the flat one they were left on. They had chop- 

 pers, and could cut down a tree and make sago, and would 

 most likely find sufficient water by digging. Shell-fish 

 were abundant, and they would be able to manage very 

 well till some boat should touch there, or till I could 

 send and fetch them. The next day we devoted to 

 cutting wood, filling up our jars with all the water we 

 could find, and making ready to sail in the evening. I 

 shot a small lory closely resembling a common species 

 at Ternate, and a glossy starling which differed from the 

 allied birds of Ceram and Matabello. Large wood-pigeons 

 and crows were the only other birds I saw, but I did not 

 obtain specimens. 



About eight in the evening of June 25 th we started, 

 and found that with all hands at work we could just haul 

 up our mainsail. We had a fair wind during the night and 

 sailed north-east, finding ourselves in the morning about 



