380 VOYAGE FROM WAIGIOU [chap, xxxvii. 



I bought some onions and other vegetables, and plenty of 

 eggs, and my men baked fresh sago cakes. I went daily 

 to my old hunting-ground in search of insects, but with 

 very poor success. It was now wet, squally weather, and 

 there appeared a stagnation of insect life. We stayed five 

 days, during which time twelve persons died in the village, 

 mostly from simple intermittent fever, of the treatment of 

 which the natives are quite ignorant. During the whole 

 of this voyage I had suffered greatly from sun-burnt lips, 

 owing to having exposed myself on deck all day to look 

 after our safety among the shoals and reefs near Waigiou. 

 The salt in the air so affected them that they would 

 not heal, but became excessively painful, and bled at 

 the slightest touch, and for a long time it was with 

 great difficulty I could eat at all, being obliged to open 

 my mouth very wide, and put in each mouthful with 

 the greatest caution. I kept them constantly covered 

 with ointment, which was itself very disagreeable, and 

 they caused me almost constant pain for more than a 

 month, as they did not get well till I had returned to 

 Ternate, and was able to remain a week indoors. 



A boat which left for Ternate the day after we arrived, 

 was obliged to return the next day, on account of bad 

 weather. On the 31st we went out to the anchorage 

 at the mouth of the harbour, so as to be ready to start 

 at the first favourable opportunity. 



