CHAP. XXXVII.] TO TERN ATE. 381 



On the 1st of November I called up my men at one in 

 the morning, and M'e started with the tide in our favour. 

 Hitherto it had usually been calm at night, but on this 

 occasion we had a strong westerly squall with rain, which 

 turned our prau broadside, and obliged us to anchor. 

 When it had passed we went on rowing all night, but the 

 wind ahead counteracted the current in our favour, and we 

 advanced but little. Soon after sunrise the wind became 

 stronger and more adverse, and as we had a dangerous lee- 

 shore which we could not clear, we had to put about and 

 get an offing to the W.S.W. This series of contrary 

 winds and bad weather ever since we started, not having 

 had a single day of fair wind, was very remarkable. My 

 men firmly believed there was something unlucky in 

 the boat, and told me I ought to have had a certain 

 ceremony gone through before starting, consisting of 

 boring a hole in the bottom and pouring some kind of holy 

 oil through it. It must be remembered that this was the 

 season of the south-east monsoon, and yet we had not had 

 even half a day's south-east wind since we left Waigiou. 

 Contrary winds, squalls, and currents drifted us about the 

 rest of the day at their pleasure. The night was equally 

 squally and changeable, and kept us hard at work taking 

 in and making sail, and rowing in the intervals. 



Sunrise on the 2d found lis in the middle of the ten- 

 mile channel between Kaioa and Makian. Squalls and 



